Talk:Thorfinn Torf-Einarsson

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Page name[edit]

He is probably better known as Thorfinn Hausakljuv than Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson. I think the primary sources are consistent in using the former Fornadan (t) 22:43, 1 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I agree on Hausakljuv as being more common. It's altogether different question should any nicknames be in the article title, but if should, the the most common one. Marrtel 22:47, 1 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Wiki policy is to put pages at their most commonly known name, and many Norsemen are primarly known under their nicknames. There is precedent from other pages (Canute the Great, Alfred the Great, Charlemagne, Vlad III Dracula, Caligula...) Fornadan (t) 22:55, 1 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Nobody has written about "Thorfinn Hausakljuv" in English. Skullsplitter, yes, but you are the people who chose Sigurdsson for the other Thorfinn, and Hlodvirsson for his father, rather than Thorfinn the Mighty and Sigurd the Stout. Angus McLellan (Talk) 23:05, 1 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

It's not that big deal anyway. I'm more interested if there's any mention in Scottish sources about this Earl Dungad of Caithness who's daughter he is supposed to have married Fornadan (t) 23:13, 1 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Once upon a time I had a translation of Orkneyinga saga, and Burke's peerage appendix about Norse earls of Orkney - both with notations. Should I dig? - they may still be somewhere in my archives. I cannot vouch to remember exactly, but a reminiscence whispers me that the Dungad in question was a dim and difficult target for scholars too. Possibly meant just some landowner. Caithness' position as part of Scotland was far from clear. No good evidence of earls (or mormaers) in Caithness before the Orkneys themselves, a century or so later. Marrtel 23:27, 1 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

The Scandinavian sources give a large number of Celtic jarls who do not appear in Scottish or Irish sources; some of these could well be Mormaers of Caithness. I'll need to look up this Dungad (Dúnchad? Donnchad?). You have to remember that the Orkney Earldom is itself the descendent of a Pictish kingdom - we have no idea how Norsemen took it over. It will be argued in a forthcoming book that the expansion of Pictish Fortriu into Orkney brought the Norsemen into the islands (as allies, as political scavengers?). - Calgacus (ΚΑΛΓΑΚΟΣ) 23:45, 1 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

He's mentioned in Saint Olaf's Saga, just in passing: "[Of Thorfinn Skullsplitter's sons] ... [t]heir mother was Gréloth, daughter of Dungath, the earl of Caithness." Angus McLellan (Talk) 00:41, 2 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Move Suggestion[edit]

Is there any reason not to have the page name simply "Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson"? Ben Mac Dui 10:39, 4 December 2011 (UTC)[reply]