were initially divided amongst the three older brothers, Thorfinn being only five years old at the time. Thorfinn's mother is specifically stated to be a daughter of Malcolm II, the Norsemen's foe at Mortlach.Thomson (2008) p. 63Njal's Saga provides the names of various other relatives of Sigurd's. Havard, who was killed at Thraswick (the modern Freswick in Caithness) is referred to as his brother-in-law. Sigurd is said to have given his sister Nereida (also called Swanlauga) in marriage to Earl Gilli. Issue Sigurd is believed to have married twice, the name of his first wife is not recorded, however she is the mother of his four oldest sons: Sumarlidi, jointly Earl of Orkney with his brothers Brusi and Einar from 1014 until his death in 1018. Brusi, jointly Earl of Orkney with his brothers Sumarlindi and Einar from 1014 to 1018 and Einar until 1020. (died 1030/35) Einar, jointly Earl of Orkney with his brothers Sumarlindi and Brusi from 1014 to 1018 and Brusi until his own death in 1020. Hunde, predeceased his father, taken as a hostage in 995 by King Olaf of Norway, died several years later while in Olaf's custody. Sigurd married second, Olith, youngest daughter of Malcolm II of Scotland, together they had one son: Thorfinn, Earl of Orkney, born c. 1009 and died c.1065. Interpretations Sigurd's earldom "exerted a magnetic attraction for high-born Icelanders" and inspired many tales of military prowess in their own family sagas. "King Kjarvalr", Sigurd's supposed grandfather, appears as Kjarvalr Írakonungr in the Landnámabók and has been identified as Cerball mac Dúnlainge, King of Osraige who died in 888. There is clearly a chronological problem with Sigurd's mother being the daughter of a king who died more than 70 years before the death of his own grandfather, Earl Thorfinn. Furthermore, Thorstein "the Red" Olafsson (fl. late 9th century and Hlodvir's great-grandfather) was apparently married to a granddaughter of Kjarvalr. Woolf (2007) concludes that the saga writers may have confused this story about the provenance of Sigurd Hlodvirsson with one about Thorstein, a close ally of Sigurd Eysteinsson.Crawford (1987) p. 54 Drawing on Adam of Bremen's assertion that Orkney was not conquered until the time of Harald Hardrada, who ruled Norway from 1043 to 1066, Woolf (2007) speculates that Sigurd may have been the first Earl of Orkney. He also offers the hypothesis that the earldom was a created by the Danish