Earl Þorfinnr hinn ríki, 1014-1064, was the son of earl Sigurðr digri and his second wife, a Gael, and was 5/32 Norse, 1/32 thrall, and 26/32 Gael in descent. He was _bráðgjörr í vexti, manna mestr ok sterkastr_, early in reaching full growth, tallest and strongest of men; _svartr á hár_, black hair; _skarpleitr ok skolbrúnn_, sharp features and swarthy complexion; _ljótr_, ugly; _nefmikill_, big nose; _kappsmaðr_, an energetic man; _ágjarn bæði til fjár ok metnaðar_, greedy of wealth and honour; _sigrsæll_, lucky in battle; _kænn í orrostum_, skilful in war; _góðr áræðis_, of good courage. King Ólafr found that Þorfinnr was _miklu skapstærri en Brúsi_, much more proud of spirit than his brother, Brúsi. Þorfinnr gladly agreed with all the king’s proposals, but the king doubted that he meant to go back on them, whereas he thought that Brúsi, who drove a hard bargain, would keep his word, and would be a _trúnaðar-maðr_, faithful liegeman. The earl married Ingibjörg, jarla-móðir, daughter of Finnr Árnason. He made a pilgrimage to Rome, got absolution from the Pope, and built the first cathedral in Birsa, Orkney, where he died. He was liberal, in that he did that _frama-verk_, honourable deed, by which he provided his _hirð_, bodyguard, and many other _ríkis-menn_, mighty men, all winter through, with both _matr ok mun-gát_, food and ale, so that no man required to put up at a _skytningr_, inn; whereas, kings and earls in other lands, merely made a like provision only during Yule. Arnórr jarlaskáld sang to his praise in his _Þorfinns drápa_, and noted his liberal fare. His children were earls Páll and Erlendr, who were _miklir menn ok fríðir_, mickle men and handsome, and so took after their Norwegian _móðurætt_, mother’s kin, and were _vitrir ok hógværir_, wise and modest; taking after their mother, a Norwegian, is in contrast to their father, who was almost a pure-bred, black-haired, swarthy Gael. Earl Rögnvaldr Brúsason, 1036-1046, was the son of earl Brúsi Sigurðarson and an unknown mother, and the nephew of earl Þorfinnr hinn ríki. The _fríðastr_, most handsome of all men; _hárit mikit ok gult sem silki_, much hair, yellow as silk; _snimma mikill ok sterkr, manna var hann gjörfiligastr bæði fyrir vits saker ok svá kurteisi_, tall and strong, the most perfect man was he both in wits and courtesy; _fríðastr sjónum_, most handsome in face; _atgervi-maðr mikill svá at eigi fanst hans jafningi_, an accomplished man without an equal. Arnórr jarlaskáld said that he was the _bezt menntr af Orkneyja-jörlum_, the most accomplished and best bred of the earls of Orkney. From this description one would imagine that his unknown mother and grandmother had both been Norwegians. It is not stated whether he was married or had any children. Earl Páll Þorfinnsson, 1064-1098, was the son of earl Þorfinn hinn ríki and Ingibjörg, a Norwegian, after whom he took--handsome and modest. He was thus 19/32 Norse and 13/32 Gael in descent.