Gripla - 01.01.1995, Page 126

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GRIPLA
vinces of the Norwegian empire, namely to the northern isles of Orkn-
ey, Man, and the Hebrides, the sources, both literary and historical,
mention blinding and emasculation as being the most frequently used
means to disempower an opponent. Consider the following exam-
ples:22
1. 1095? Haraldr, son of Guðrpðr Crovan of Man, is captured by
his brother Lpgmaðr, blinded and emasculated;
2. 1154? Guðrpðr Oláfsson, king of Man, captures three of his
cousins, slays one and blinds the other two;
3. 1198. King William of Scotland blinds Þorfinnr, son of Earl
Haraldr Maddaðarson of Caithness;
4. 1223. Óláfr Guðrpðarson of Man blinds and emasculates his
nephew, Guðrpðr Rpgnvaldsson.
Orkneyinga saga further describes how Earl Páll, the opponent of
Earls Rqgnvaldr kali and Haraldr, is captured by Sveinn Ásleifarson
and brought to his sister Margrét and her husband Maddaðr.23 When,
after days of secret deliberations between Margrét, Maddaðr, and
Sveinn, Páll is faced with the possiblity of losing his realm, he answers
as follows:24
„Pat er frá mínu skapi at segja, at ek em svá farinn frá ríki mínu,
at eigi munu menn til slíkra ferða spurdaga haft hafa; vil ek ok
aldri koma síðan til Orkneyja ... en ek vil, at mér sé fengit fé at
staðfesta mik í munklífi nQkkuru, ok hafi þér VQrð á, svá at ek
komumk eigi á brott þaðan. En ek vil, Sveinn, at þú farir í Orkn-
eyjar ok segir, at ek sé blindaðr ok þó at fleira meiddr, því at vin-
ir mínir munu sœkja mik, ef þeir vita, at ek em heill maðr; kann
þá vera, at ek mega eigi synja at fara til ríkis míns með þeim, því
at ek get, at þeim myni þykkja meiri skaði at skilnaði várum en
þeim mun vera.“
22
Quoted from Alan Orr Anderson, Early Sources of Scottish History A.D. 500 to
1286, I-II, Edinburgh and London, 1922, II, 98, 226, 350, n2, 456-60.
23 f
Orkneyinga saga (ed. Finnbogi Guömundsson, Islenzk fornrit XXXIV, Reykjavík,
1965), p. 169.
"4 Orkneyinga saga, p. 170.