Indeed during the life of that king, Thorfinn appears to have
established himself at Duncansby in Caithness, on the shore of the
Pentland Firth, and to have occupied himself in endeavouring to induce
his three surviving half-brothers, Somarled, Brusi, and Einar, to part
with as large a share as possible of Orkney and Shetland, and cede
it to himself. In this he had much assistance from King Malcolm.
Thorfinn, whose mother probably died in his infancy if we are to
credit his father's matrimonial stipulations as regards an Irish wife
in 1014, succeeded to the earldom and lands in that year, as a boy of
about six years of age, and was early in coming to his full growth,
the "tallest and strongest of men; his hair was black, his features
sharp, his brows scowling, and, as soon as he grew up, it was easy to
see that he was forward and grasping." From the description given in
the Saga at Chapter 22, he was no more a Norseman in appearance than
he was by blood. He was, in fact, by race and descent, almost a pure
Gael, and at Malcolm's court must have spoken only Gaelic.
Of his three half-brothers, Somarled and Brusi were not unwilling to
give Thorfinn a share of the Orkney jarldom.
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