Their descent from Jarl Paul and Sweyn is clear in the Sagas as far as Snaekoll Gunnison and no further.  It was as follows:—­Paul Thorfinnson had four daughters, of whom the third was Herbjorg, who had a daughter Sigrid, who in turn had a daughter Herbjorg, who married Kolbein Hruga.  One of their sons was Bishop Bjarni and their youngest child was a daughter Frida, who married Andres, Sweyn Asleifarson’s son, and their son was Gunni, the father, by Ragnhild, Earl and Jarl Harald Ungi’s sister, of Snaekoll Gunnison.  We suggest later that Snaekoll Gunnison was the father, before his flight to Norway, of a daughter, Johanna of Strathnaver, who inherited the Moddan and Erlend estates, or that she was otherwise Ragnhild’s heiress.

The male line of the Gunns, according to a pedigree which the writer has seen, was continued after his flight by Snaekoll who, it is stated, had a son, Ottar, living in 1280.  But after Snaekoll’s flight his right to succeed to Ragnhild’s estates was doubtless forfeited, and they were granted on his father’s and mother’s death to Johanna on her marriage with Freskin de Moravia of Duffus about 1245 or later, before Ottar’s birth.

With the descent of the Gunns in the male line downwards we are not here concerned.  But Snaekoll’s forfeiture probably cost their male line the Moddan and Erlend lands, which were granted to Johanna of Strathnaver in Snaekoll’s absence abroad.

CHAPTER VI.

The Moddan Family—­Jarls Harald and Paul and Ragnvald.

From the short forecast of the future given above, let us turn back to the point whence we digressed, namely the year 1123, when Jarl Hakon Paulson died at the close of the reign of Alexander I of Scotland.

Jarl Hakon was succeeded by his sons, Harald the Glib (Slettmali) and Paul the Silent (Umalgi).  Jarl Paul lived mainly in Orkney, while Jarl Harald “was seated in Sutherland, and held Caithness from the Scot king” David I, who was crowned in 1124.[1] All Harald’s sympathies seem to have been Scottish, and he was born, bred, and brought up among Scotsmen, or Picts, probably in North Kildonan.  He was always there with Frakark, daughter of Moddan in Dale, then a widow, her husband Liot Nidingr or the Dastard being dead; and Frakark and her sister Helga, Jarl Hakon’s mistress, “had a great share in ruling the land”; while Audhild, daughter of Thorleif, Frakark’s sister, also lived with Frakark,[2] and was the mistress at this time of one of the strangest characters in the Saga, Sigurd Slembi-diakn, or the Sham-deacon.  Hakon’s son Paul being, as appears certain, by a different mother not of the Moddan line, Frakark and Helga aimed at obtaining the whole jarldom of Orkney for Harald, Helga’s son by Earl Hakon.  With the object of getting rid of Paul, they went over with Sigurd Slembi-diakn to Orphir in Orkney; and we have the story of the poisoned shirt,[3] made there by Frakark and Helga, and by them intended for Paul, but put on, in spite of their expostulations and entreaties, by Harald, who died of its poison, leaving, however, one son, Erlend, then an infant.