Harold
left all his hostages close by at Lochloy, and went alone to the king
at Nairn, and endeavoured to excuse himself by offering two grandsons
to the king and stating that Thorfinn was his heir[38] and could not
therefore be given up; but was taken prisoner himself and lodged in
Edinburgh Castle, till his son Thorfinn came to take his place. On
this occasion Harold Maddadson was deprived of Sudrland or Sutherland,
which had been given to Hugo Freskyn; and in the next year, or soon
after, half of the earldom of Caithness, which the _Flatey Book_
states Jarl Ragnvald had held,[39] was conferred by King William the
Lion on Harald Ungi or The Young, as grandson of Jarl Ragnvald, and
son of Eric, who, however, had to make good the grant by conquest.
Harald Ungi had, as stated above, already obtained a grant from King
Sverri of half Orkney by a visit to the Norwegian Court.
In order to enforce his rights under both these grants, Harald
Ungi collected a force, and, together with Sigurd Murt, and Lifolf
Baldpate, the first husband of his youngest sister Ragnhild, invaded
Orkney, while Harold the Old fled to the Isle of Man; but, on his
namesake following him thither, he doubled back to Orkney, and,
after killing all the adherents of his enemies there, crossed over to
Caithness with a strong force.
Pages:
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141