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A title used during the Viking Age and Middle Ages in Scandinavia. A jarl was a sort of chieftain or senior advisor next in rank to the king. Image File history File links Merge-arrow. ... For people, see Earl (given name) and Earl (surname). ... Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 800 to 1066 in Scandinavian History[1][2][3]. // The Vikings have been much maligned in European history, due in large part to their violent attacks on Christians in the first centuries of their excursions out of Scandinavia. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... For other uses, see Scandinavia (disambiguation). ...

Norway

In mediæval Norway, the title of jarl was the highest rank below the king himself. The jarl was the only one beside the king himself who was entitled to have a hird (large armed retinue). There was usually no more than one jarl in mainland Norway at any one time, sometimes none. The ruler of the Norwegian dependency of Orkney held the title of jarl, and after Iceland had acknowledged Norwegian overlordship in 1261, a jarl was sent there as well as the king's high representative. In mainland Norway the title jarl was usually used for one of two purposes: Housecarls were household troops, personal warriors and equivalent to a royal bodyguard to Scandinavian kings. ... Location Geography Area Ranked 16th  - Total 990 km²  - % Water  ? Admin HQ Kirkwall ISO 3166-2 GB-ORK ONS code 00RA Demographics Population Ranked 32nd  - Total (2005) 19,590  - Density 20 / km² Scottish Gaelic  - Total () {{{Scottish council Gaelic Speakers}}} Politics Orkney Islands Council http://www. ... Events July 25 - Constantinople re-captured by Nicaean forces under the command of Michael VIII Palaeologus, Byzantine Empire re-formed August 29 - Urban IV becomes Pope, the last man to do so without being a Cardinal first Bela IV of Hungary repels Tatar invasion Charles of Anjou given rule of...

• To appoint a de facto ruler in cases where the king was a minor or seriously ill (e.g. Håkon galen in 1204 during the minority of king Guttorm, Skule Bårdsson in 1217 during the illness of king Inge Bårdsson.)
• To appease a pretender to the throne without giving him the title of king (e.g. Eirik, the brother of king Sverre.)

In 1237, jarl Skule Bårdsson was given the rank of duke (hertug). This was the first time this title had been used in Norway, and meant that the title jarl was no longer the highest rank below the king. It also heralded the introduction of new noble titles from continental Europe, which were to replace the old Norse titles. The last jarl in mainland Norway was appointed in 1295 [Neilhughandafriendlypeasant. ... Guttorm Sigurdsson was king of Norway in 1204. ... Skule Baardsson or Duke Skule allowed his supporters to proclaim him king of Norway at the traditional Øyrating in 1239. ... April 9 - Peter of Courtenay crowned emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople at Rome, by Pope Honorius III May 20 - First Barons War, royalist victory at Lincoln. ... Inge Baardson (1185 - 1217) was a king of Norway between 1205 and 1217. ... King Sverres trek across the Voss mountains is imagined in this 19th century painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo. ... Skule Baardsson or Duke Skule allowed his supporters to proclaim him king of Norway at the traditional Øyrating in 1239. ... A duke is a nobleman, historically of highest rank and usually controlling a duchy. ... Events Mongol leader Ghazan Khan is converted to Islam, ending a line of Tantric Buddhist leaders. ...

Some Norwegian jarls:

• jarl Toste
• Skule Tostesson, killed by peasants near Haverö church in 12th century.
• Erling skakke, father of king Magnus Erlingsson
• Hakon galen

Erling Skakke, the son of Kyrpinga-Orm, was a Norwegian strongman and earl during the 13th century. ... Magnus Erlingsson (1156-1184). ... Håkon the Crazy (Hákon galinn) was a Norwegian earl, and birkebeiner chieftain during the civil war era in Norway. ...

Sweden

Main article: Jarl in Sweden

The usage of the title in Sweden was similar to Norway's. Known jarls from the 12th and 13 century were Birger Brosa, Jon jarl, Folke Birgersson, Karl Döve, Ulf Fase and the most powerful of all jarls and the last to hold the title, Birger jarl. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Birger Brosas sealBirger Brosa (Brosa means smiling), earl of Sweden 1174-1202, d. ... Johan Sverkersson (Old Norse: Jón jarl Sörkvisson) (c. ... Charles the Deaf (Swedish: ) from the House of Bjelbo was the jarl of Sweden during 1216-1220. ... Ulf Fase (died 1247) was the jarl of Sweden c 1221-47. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Iceland

Only one person ever held the title of Earl (or Jarl) in Iceland. This was Gissur Þorvaldsson, who was made Earl of Iceland by King Haakon IV of Norway for his efforts in bringing Iceland under Norwegian kingship during the Age of the Sturlungs. Gissur Thorvaldsson (1208 - January 12, 1268) (Icelandic: Gissur Þorvaldsson) was a medieval Icelandic chieftain or goði of the Haukdælir family clan, and great-grandson of Jón Loftsson. ... Haakon Haakonsson (1204 – December 15, 1263) (Norwegian HÃ¥kon HÃ¥konsson, Old Norse Hákon Hákonarson), also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. ... The Age of the Sturlungs or the Sturlung Era (Icelandic Sturlungaöld) was a 42-44 year period of internal strife in mid 13th century Iceland. ...

Etymology

According to Procopius, the heruli, after having raided the European continent for several generations, returned to Scandinavia in 512 AD as a result of military defeats. As their old territory was now occupied by the Danes, they settled next to the Geats in present-day Sweden. While the Proto-Norse word for this mysterious tribe, erilar, is etymologically near "jarl" and "earl", and it has often been suggested they introduced the runes in Scandinavia^[1], no elaborate theory exist to explain how the word came to be used as a title. Arguably, their knowledge in interpreting runes also meant they were gifted in martial arts and, as they gradually integrated, eril or jarl instead came to signify the rank of a leader.^[2] Procopius of Caesarea (in Greek Προκόπιος, c. ... The Heruli (spelled variously in Latin and Greek) were a nomadic Germanic people, who were subjugated by the Ostrogoths, Huns, and Byzantines in the 3rd to 5th centuries. ... Sweden in the 12th century before the incorporation of Finland during the 13th century. ... Proto-Norse, Proto-Nordic, Ancient Nordic or Proto-North Germanic was an Indo-European language spoken in Scandinavia that is thought to have evolved from Proto-Germanic between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century, and was spoken until ca 800, when it evolved into the Old Norse language. ... Not to be confused with Entomology, the scientific study of insects. ... A rune can mean a single character in the Runic alphabet as well as an inscription of several runic charcters or symbols. ...

See also

• Jarl in Sweden
• Earl
• Birger Magnusson last jarl (Dux Sweciae), traditionally attributed to have founded the Swedish capital, Stockholm

This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For people, see Earl (given name) and Earl (surname). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Stockholm (disambiguation). ...

Notes

The sketch of the runestone and the other stones on the possible barrow in 1860s. ...

References

• Lindström, Fredrik; Lindström, Henrik (2006). Svitjods undergång och Sveriges födelse (in Swedish). Albert Bonniers förlag. ISBN 91-0-010789-1.