The Highlanders of Scotland - Clan Strachan Society

CHAP. Y] OF SCOTLAND 6i
panied by his brother Sigurd and his son Ivar, the latter of
whom was killed in some one of the many encounters which
Harald had with the pirates. In order to recompense the father
in some measure for such a loss, Harald, on his return from the
Irish seas, proposed to bestow upon Rognwald
the isles of
Orkney and Shetland, in addition to his former possessions.
But Rognwald, finding that such a distant acquisition would
bring more trouble than profit, besought Harald's permission
to make over the princely gift to his brother Sigurd, who was
accordingly installed larl of the Orkneys.
Harald had no sooner returned to Norway than the native
chiefs of the isles and the neighbouring districts of the mainland,
who had been either expelled or subdued by the Norwegian
pirates, took advantage of his absence, and of the complete dis-
persion of the pirates which he had effected, to seize possession
of the isles, with the assistance of the Irish, and to revenge
themselves for their previous subjection, by the expulsion and
slaughter of the Norwegians whom Harald had left to secure
the isles. In order effectually to subject the western isles to his
authorit) , and to preclude the possibility of their again becoming
a retreat for the pirates, from which they might harass his
dominions, Harald determined to adopt the same method which
had proved successful with the Orkneys, and with that view he
dispatched Ketil, the son of Biorn, chief of Raumsdal, with a
powerful fleet, and the title of larl, ,to the Hebrides. Ketil
reached the Orkneys in safety, and proceeding thence along the
line of the Hebrides, he successfully reduced them under his
subjection, the Islesmen apparently having been quite unpre-
pared for the prompt attack of the Norwegians.
No sooner, however, did Ketil find himself in the quiet
possession of the western isles, than he determined to throw
off his allegiance to the King of Norway ; for this purpose
he strengthened himself by alliances of every description, both
with the native chiefs of the isles and also with several of the
pirates themselves, and then sending back to Norway the troops
which had established him in his new possessions, he refused
to pay the stipulated tribute to Harald, and declared himself
independent King of the Hebrides.
But Ketil was not destined long to enjoy his newly erected