During
the reign of the brothers Harald and Paul, a Christmas feast was arranged at Earl
Harald's estate in Orphir and, as he was
to provide for them both, he was busy with the preparations.
Their
mother Helga and her sister Frakokk were staying there at the time and happened
to be sitting in a small room getting on with their needlework, when Earl Harald
came into the room. The sisters were sitting on the cross-dais and a newly made
linen garment, white as snow, was lying between them. The Earl picked it up and
saw that in many places it was stitched with gold thread. "Whose
is this treasure?" he asked. "It's meant for
your brother Paul," answered Frakokk. "Why take
such pains making clothes for him?" asked the Earl, "You're no so particular
when you make mine!" The Earl had only just got
up and was wearing nothing but a shirt and linen breeches, with a tunic thrown
over his shoulders. He cast it off and began unfolding the linen garment, but
his mother grabbed hold of it and told him that there was no reason to be envious
just because his brother had some fine clothes. The Earl snatched it back and
was about to put it on when the sisters pulled off their bonnets, tore their hair
and said that if he put on the garment his life would be at risk. Though they
were both in tears he didn't let that stop him, but no sooner was the garment
upon his back than his flesh started to quiver and he began to suffer terrible
agony. He had to go to bed and not long after that he died. His death was deeply
mourned by his friends. Immediately after Harald's death,
his brother Paul took over the entire earldom with the approval of every farmer
in Orkney Earl Paul realised that the precious robe put on by Earl Harald had
been meant for himself and for that reason he would not let the sisters stay on
in the islands, so they went off with all heir dependants, first across to Caithness
and from there to Frakokk's estates in Sutherland. It was
there that Frakokk reared Erlend, the son of Harald Smooth-Tongue, while he was
still a boy. There was another boy there too, Olvir Brawl, the son of Thorljot
of Rack Wick and Steinvor Frakokk's-daughter. He grew to be an exceptionally big
and powerful man, a great troublemaker and a killer. Others
brought up there were Thorbjorn Clerk, son of Thorstein the Yeoman and Gudrun
Frakokk's-Daughter, Margaret the daughter of Earl Hakon and Helga Moddan's-Daughter,
and Eirik Stay-Brails. All these people were high-born and thought well of themselves.
They all believed that they had a just claim on the earldom of Orkney which had
once belonged to their kinsman Earl Harald. Frakokk had two brothers, Angus the
Generous and Earl Ottar of Thurso, a man of great character. Orkneyinga Saga Chapter
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