ked the South
Hebrides, by harbouring its ships in Orkney on their voyage back to
Norway.[17]

From the above facts it is clear that Earl John, though he owed
allegiance to both kings, was more inclined to favour Norway than
Scotland, and that he was more constantly in attendance at the Norse,
than at the Scottish Court. At the same time it became more and more
likely that he would have to choose between his two masters, as war
for the Sudreyar or Hebrides was already certain to break out between
the two countries, and, save for civil war in Norway, would have
broken out at once.

Snaekoll[18] Gunni's son, as the sole male representative of the
Erlend Thorfinnson, St. Magnus, St. Ragnvald, Eric Stagbrellir and
Harald Ungi line remaining in Scotland, who had probably about this
time succeeded, or at least was recognised as next heir to the Moddan
family estates in Strathnaver and Caithness, approached Earl John in
1231, and demanded from him Jarl Ragnvald's lands in Orkney. But the
earl, who held Orkney in its entirety as the representative of the
line of Paul and of Harold Maddadson, who had seized it when Jarl
St. Ragnvald died in 1158, refused to give Snaekoll any part of those
lands; and Snaekoll, failing to obtain any redress, sought the aid of
Hanef, formerly a page, but now Commissioner in Orkney, of the Norse
King, and demanded his help in recovering his lands there. Snaekoll
and Hanef with a large following accordingly crossed the Pentland
Firth to Thurso to enforce the claim, but the earl again angrily
refused to restore the lands in Orkney, and it would seem that he was
also unwilling to let Snaekoll have his rights in Caithness.[19]

Each party occupied separate lodgings in Thurso with their separate
followings, and Hanef and his friends, warned by a messenger of the
earl's reported design of killing them, forestalled it by attacking
the earl first, and they slew him with nine wounds in the cellar of
his lodgings. After the affray they crossed over to Orkney, where they
fortified the small but massive castle[20] or tower of Kolbein Hruga
or Cobbie Row, in the Island of Vigr or Wyre, now called Veira, near
Rousay in Orkney, and provisioned it for a siege, which lasted the
whole winter, and was raised only after both sides had come to an
agreement that all questions arising out of the earl's death at
Thurso, should be referred, not to the Scottish courts, but to the
Norse king, Hakon, in Bergen.

Both par