Brusi Sigurdsson

Brusi was one of the four sons of the Orkney Jarl Sigurd Hlodvirsson, who died at the Battle of Klontarf in 1014 . After the death of Sigurd, his possessions were divided between the three elder sons, Sumarlidi, Brusi and Einar Krivorotim . Their younger brother, five-year-old Torfinn , received no inheritance and was brought up at the court of his grandfather, the Scottish king Malcolm II the Destroyer , who granted him the title of jarl (earl) and the Caithness region.

The Orkney Saga gives a description of the brothers: “ Jarl Torfinn quickly matured and became a tall, strong, black-haired youth. As he grew up, everyone realized that he was not greedy. His brothers Einar and Brusi were very different in character. Einar was a cruel and greedy, but successful warrior in battle, and Brusi was restrained, meek and modest, perfectly able to conduct a conversation. Sumarlidi looked more like Brusi than Einar. He was the eldest of the brothers, but his life was short, and he died in his bed . "

Initially, Brusi ruled the islands together with the brothers Sumarlidi and Einar Krivorotim . Each of the brothers owned and controlled their own property.

The eldest of the brothers, Sumarlidi died shortly after the death of his father. Torfinn claimed his rights to part of his father’s inheritance and demanded that his older brothers give him a third of the deceased Sumarlidi. Brusi advocated the transfer of part of the islands to Torfinn, but his brother Einar Krivorotoy refused to transfer a third of the islands to his younger brother and seized the lot of Sumarlidi by force, uniting two-thirds of the islands under his authority. Einar soon became unpopular among his subjects, demanding large taxes from bonds. Each summer, Einar Krivotory made Viking campaigns and demanded that his subjects participate in them. According to the Orkney Saga , “ Einar was very belligerent, and the duties with which he encircled the bonds led to serious crop failures in his part of the fury. On the islands where Brusi ruled, bonds enjoyed peace and prosperity. Therefore, he was loved by all . ” Many noble bonds fled from the islands in Caithness to the Jarl Torfinn Sigurdsson.

Having grown up Torfinn Sigurdsson demanded that Jarl Einar transfer part of his father's possessions to him. Einar refused to do this, in response Torfinn began to gather forces in Caithness . Einar Krivoroty , learning about the preparations of his younger brother, gathered his army and went on a campaign against Torfinn. Jarl Brusi Sigurdsson also gathered an army to stand between the brothers and try to reconcile them. Through the mediation of Brusi, Einar and Torfinn concluded a peace treaty. Torfinn took possession of his portion of the islands, which he claimed by right, and Brusi and Einar were to unite their inheritances under joint management. Einar Krivorotoy was recognized as the head of these territories and began to lead the defense of the islands. After the death of one of the brothers, the other was to inherit his inheritance, but the further fate of the inheritance was unclear, because Brusi had a son, Rognvald, and Einar had no sons. Torfinn remained in Caithness and appointed governors to their lands on the Orkney Islands. Once, Jarl Thorfinn sent his tutor and adviser to Thorkel Amundsson to collect island taxes, but Jarl Einar drove him from the islands to Caithness . Torkel The educator reported the incident to Torfinn and went to court with King Olav Haraldsson in Norway. Soon, at the request of King Olav Saint, the Orkney Jarl Torfinn Sigurdsson also left for Norway. In the summer of 1020, Torfinn and Torkel the Educator, having received the support of King St. Olav, returned to the Orkney Islands, where they were met by the Jarl Einar with a large army. Jarl Brusi Sigurdsson arrived at the brothers and for the second time achieved reconciliation between them. Jarl Torfinn and Einar have a peace agreement. In October of the same 1020, at a feast at Torkel the Educator, the Jarl Einar Krivorotoy was killed. To kill Thorkel Amundsson fled to Norway.

After the death of Einar Krivorotoi, Brusi inherited a third of his possessions on the islands. His younger brother Torfinn Sigurdsson demanded that Brusi give him the domain of the deceased Einar , but Brusi refused to do so. The following spring, Torfinn again demanded that Brusi give him half of the Orkney Islands. Torfinn enjoyed the support of his grandfather, the king of Scotland, Malcolm , and Brusi Sigurdsson could only rely on his own strength.

Jarl Brusi, together with his 10-year-old son Rögnwald, went to Norway, counting on the help and support of the Norwegian king Olav Haraldsson Saint . Brusi Sigurdsson was forced to admit his vassal dependence on St. Olav, who, in return, transferred his domain to him in his possession. Following Brusi, his younger brother and rival Torfinn Sigurdsson arrived at the court of St. Olav . Under pressure from St. Olav, the Jarl of Torfinn also recognized himself as a vassal of the Norwegian king, who retained his portion of his possessions. A third of the murdered Einar Krivorotoy, Olav the Holy took and handed over to the management of Jarl Brusi Sigurdsson, who was forced to leave his son and heir Rögnwald as a hostage in Norway. Rögnwald Brusason became a companion of St. Olav and fought on his side in 1030 at the Battle of Styclastadir. After the death of St. Olav, Rögnwald, together with his half-brother Harald Sigurdsson, went to Sweden, and from there to Kievan Rus, where they both entered the service of Grand Duke of Kiev Yaroslav the Wise .

The " Saga of St. Olav " reports that Jarl Brusi Sigurdsson passed away between 1030 (the death of St. Olav ) and 1035 (the end of the reign of Knud the Great ). The Orkney Saga claims that Brusi died before his son Röngwald and Magnus the Good (the son of St. Olav ) returned to Norway.

After the death of Jarl Brusi Sigurdsson, his younger brother and co-ruler Torfinn Sigurdsson became the sole ruler of the Orkney Islands. However, in 1036, Rögnwald Brusason , who received the support and help of the Norwegian king Magnus the Good , returned to the islands and got his uncle Torfinn to give him two-thirds of the islands that his father Brusi had previously owned.

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