Ragnvald Eysteinsson Earl of Møre ^{1 2 3 4 5}

   Other names for Ragnvald were Ragnvald I "the Wise" Earl of Møre, Rðgnvald I "the Wise" Jarl of More and Rognvaldr Jarl of Møre.

  Research Notes:

Jarl of North and South Møre, and of Ramsdal in Norway.
Parentage uncertain.
---
From http://cybergata.com/roots/4176.htm :
He became one of Harald Fairhair's men the summer before the battle at Solskel circa August 866. He was set as chief over the two districts, North More and Raumsdal, by Harald Fairhair, who strengthened him both with men of might and bondes, and gave him the help of ships to defend the coast against enemies in 867.He was given South Möre to govern, He was given the Orkney and Shetland isles in compensation for the loss of his son Ivar in the wars of Harald Fairhair against the viking raiders in the western lands in 888.

---
From Wikipedia - Rognvald Eysteinsson :

Rognvald "The Wise" Eysteinsson (son of Eystein Ivarsson ) is the founder of the Earldom of Orkney in the Norse Sagas . Three quite different accounts of the creation of the Norse earldom on Orkney and Shetland exist. The best known is that found in the Heimskringla , but other older traditions are found in the Historia Norvegiae and the Fragmentary Annals of Ireland .

Sagas
The saga accounts are the best known, and the latest, of the three surviving traditions concerning Rognvald and the foundation of the Earldom of Orkney. Recorded in the 13th century, their views are informed by Norwegian politics of the day. Once, historians could write that no-one denied the reality of Harald Fairhair 's expeditions to the west recounted in Heimskringla, but this is no longer the case. The Norwegian contest with the Kings of Scots over the Hebrides and the Isle of Man in the middle 13th century underlies the sagas.[1]


In the Heimskringla, Rognvald is Earl of Møre . He accompanies Harald Fairhair on his great expeditions to the west, to Ireland and to Scotland . Here, Rognvald's son Ivarr is killed. In compensation King Harald grants Rognvald Orkney and Shetland. Rognvald himself returns to Norway , giving the northern isles to his brother Sigurd Eysteinsson .[2]


The Heimskringla recounts other tales of Rognvald. It tells how he causes Harald Finehair to be given his byname Fairhair by cutting and dressing his hair, which had been uncut for ten years on account of Harald's vow never to cut it until he was ruler of all Norway,[3] and it makes him the father of Ganger-Hrólf, identified by saga writers with the Rollo (Hrólfr), ancestor of the Dukes of Normandy , who was said to have been established as Count of Rouen by King Charles the Simple in 931.[4]


Earl Rognvald is killed by Harald's son Halfdan Hålegg. Rognvald's death is avenged by his son, Earl Turf-Einar , from whom later Orkney earls claimed descent, who kills Halfdan on North Ronaldsay .[5]

Historia Norvegiae
The Historia Norvegiae's account of Rognvald and the foundation of the Orkney earldom is the next oldest, probably dating from the 12th century. This account contains much curious detail on Orkney, including the earliest account of the Picts as small people who hid in the daytime, but it has little to say about Rognvald.

In the days of Harald Fairhair, king of Norway, certain pirates, of the family of the most vigorous prince Ronald [Rognvald], set out with a great fleet, and crossed the Solundic sea..., and subdued the islands to themselves. And being there provided with safe winter seats, they went in summer-time working tyranny upon the English, and the Scots, and sometimes also upon the Irish, so that they took under their rule, from England, Northumbria ; from Scotland, Caithness ; from Ireland, Dublin , and the other sea-side towns.[6]
This account does not associate Rognvald with the earldom, but instead attributes it to his anonymous kinfolk.


Fragmentary Annals of Ireland

The oldest account of the Rognvald and the earldom of Orkney is that found in the Fragmentary Annals of Ireland. The annals survive only in incomplete copies made by Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh in the 17th century, but the original annals are believed to date from the lifetime of Donnchad mac Gilla Pátraic (died 1039). The annals are known to have had an influence on later writings in Iceland .

The annals make Rognvald the son of "Halfdan, King of Lochlann ". This is generally understood to mean Halfdan the Black , which would make the Rognvald of the annals the brother of Harald Finehair. However, the sagas claim that Rognvald's grandfather was named Halfdan.[7]


These events are placed after an account of the devastation of Fortriu , dated to around 866,[8] and the fall of York, reliably dated to late 867. However, such an early date makes it difficult to reconcile the saga claims that Harald Fairhair was involved in Rognvald's conquest of the northern isles.


Harald Finehair's victory in the Battle of Hafrsfjord , which gave him dominion over parts of Norway, is traditionally dated to 872, but was probably later, perhaps as late as 900.[9] What little is known of Scottish events in the period from the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba would correspond equally well with Harald's attacks on Scotland in the reign of Domnall mac Causantín (ruled 889-900).[10] However, this would not correspond with the sequence in the earliest account of the origins of the Orkney earldom, which places this a generation earlier.

  Birth Notes:

http://www.smokykin.com/ged/f002/f00/a0020082.htm has b. 857, of Upland, Denmark.

  Death Notes:

May have died in Maer, Norway.

Ragnvald married Ragnhild Hrólfsdatter, daughter of Hrolf Nefja and Unknown, about 867 in Maer, Nord-Trondelag, Norway. (Ragnhild Hrólfsdatter was born about 857 in <(Norway)>.)