Rögnvald Brusason

Rognvald was taken by his father to Norway, to the court of Olaf Haraldsson, when Brusi and Thorfinn went there to have the inheritance of Einar Wry-mouth's third-share of the Earldom settled.

At an early age he grew to be tall and strong, earning a great reputation for his shrewdness and courtesy ...[2]Rognvald was a supporter of Olaf Haraldsson, later Saint Olaf, sharing his exile in Kievan Rus, and helping his brother Harald Sigurdsson, better known as Harald Hardraade, escape after the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030.

The proximate cause of their quarrel, according to the saga, was the arrival of Kalf Arnesson, the uncle of Thorfinn's wife Ingibiorg Finnsdottir.Kalf had a large following which placed a heavy burden on the Earl's finances.

[7] With a single ship, and a crew of picked men, Rognvald returned to Orkney hoping that surprise would enable him to retake the earldom.

The Orkneyinga Saga offers this assessment of Rognvald: 'Everyone agrees that of all the Earls of Orkney he was the most popular and gifted, and his death was mourned by many.

"[9] Although the Orkenyinga saga frequently mentions placenames it is largely silent on the subject of how the joint earldoms functioned on a geographical basis.

However, Anders Stølen has argued that Magnus Barelegs's mother, whose identity is uncertain, was a daughter of "Ragnvald jarl" as stated in the genealogical text Sunnmørsættleggen.