Orkney Islands

The Orkney Islands are an archipelago off the northern coast of Scotland situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.

History

In 1040, after supporting his cousin Macbeth in overthrowing King Duncan, Thorfinn was rewarded with basic autonomy over Orkney as Earl, in practice if not in name. [1][2]

Thorfinn's sons, Paul and Erlend Thorfinnson, later became joint Earls of Orkney, until they were deposed by the Norse King Magnus Olafsson and his son, Sigurd Magnusson. After the Thorfinnson brothers were sent to Norway as prisoners, Sigurd was given the title of Earl and control over the Orkney Islands. ("Fools Rush In...", "Fortune Favors the Brave...")

Real World Background

Despite Roman propaganda, the Orkney Islands were largely out of reach from the empire's influence in Britain. By the 8th Century AD, Vikings often used Orkney as a base of operations for their invasions. Between the 9th and 11th Centuries, control over the Orkney Islands shifted between the Kingdoms of Norway and Scotland. The islands were under Norwegian control until 1472, when they were once more part of Scotland. Today, as part of the Scottish constituency, they are also part of the United Kingdom.

In many versions of the Arthurian legend, including Sir Thomas Malory's, the Orkney Islands were part of the domain of King Lot, King Arthur's brother-in-law and rival in the early part of his reign. Because of this, Lot's sons, Gawain, Agravain, Gaheris, and Gareth, along with their half-brother Mordred, were often referred to as "the Orkney clan".

See Also

• Orkney Islands at Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia