Of Svein’s companions may be mentioned Grímr, in Svíney, a félitill, poor, man, and his Sons Asbjörn and Murgaðr (Gael., Murchadh, Murdock). Sveinn, who was sýslumaðr for the earl in Caithness, on one occasion, in his absence, deputed his office to Murgaðr, who turned out sakgæfinn, quarrelsome, and áleitinn, provocative, and was úvinsæll, unpopular, for his újafnaðr, tyranny. Along with Sveinn, he did much úspektir, uproars, í ránum, in plunder, in Katanes.
As has already been mentioned, Ólafr Svein’s father was burnt in his house in Caithness at the instigation of the hag, Frakök, whom Sveinn, in turn, burnt in her house.
Svein’s father had estates both in Orkney and Caithness, and as he resided in Caithness, where he had the yfirsókn, the stewardship, of the earldom, and where Sveinn was afterwards sýslumaðr, the family appears to have been a Caithness one, and the Caithness Clan Gunn claim to be descended from Gunni Sveinsson. This, taken in conjunction with the personal characteristics and the numerous Gaelic names of members of the family, relations and friends, makes it probable that these families were all of Gaelic descent in the male line.
Sveinn brjóstreip, circa 1136, had a kinsman Jón, of whose family nothing more is known. He was a hirðmaðr of earl Páll, by whom he was well esteemed, metinn vel af honum. He spent the summer in víking and the winter with the earl. He was a mikill man and sterkr, strong, svartr, of dark complexion, and rather evil-looking, úhamingju-samligr, he was a great wizard, forn mjök, and had always sat out at night (as a wizard), úti setið, in order to raise troll, ghosts, which, in accordance with Old Gulathinglaw, was úbótaverk, an unfinable crime punished by outlawry. He was one of the earl’s forecastle men, stafnbúi, and was the foremost of all the earl’s men in battle, and fought bravely, barðist all-hraustliga. Sveinn preferred “sitting out” to attending midnight mass on Yule. The bishop hailed his slaughter as a cleansing of the land of miscreants, land-hreinsan. It was the opinion of Ragna of Rinansey, that the earl had little scathe in Sveinn, even though he were a great warrior or bravo, garpr mikill, and that the earl had suffered much unpopularity, úvinsældir miklar, through him.
There can be little doubt as to the race of the swarthy wizard Sveinn, notwithstanding his Norse name. With him compare the Icelandic-named Gaelic witch, Þórgunna, in Eyrbyggja Saga.
Hávarðr Gunnason, circa 1090, was a gœðingr, who married Bergljót, daughter of Ragnhildr, daughter of earl Páll. Their children were Magnús, Hákon kló, Dufnjáll (Gael., Domhnall, Donald) and Þorsteinn. Hávarðr was on board earl Hákon’s ship, on the way to the last meeting with earl St. Magnús; and when he was informed that Magnús was to be killed, he jumped overboard and swam to a desert isle, rather than be party to the martyrdom.
Dufnjáll Hávarðsson and one Ríkarðr (Richard), were worst in their counsel against Sveinn, when he was in trouble with the earl about Murgað’s goings on. His brother, Hákon kló, married the illegitimate daughter of Sigurðr slembidjákn, by a daughter of one of Moddan’s carlines. The names Gunni and Dufnjáll appear to point to the Caithness origin of this family, as well as does the Caithness marriage of Hákon kló.
Þorljótr í Rekavík, 1116–26, married Steinvör digra, (the stout), daughter of Frakök Moddansdóttir and Ljótr níðingr (the dastard), in Suðrland. Their son was Ölvir rósta (the unruly); a great and powerful man, manna mestr ok ramr at afli, turbulent, uppivöðslumaðr mikill, and a great manslayer, vígamaðr mikill. He, at the instigation of his grandmother, Frakök, burnt Ólafr, Svein’s father, in his house. Their other children were Magnús, Ormr, Moddan (Gaelic), Eindriði, and a daughter, Auðhildr. The whole of this nest left Orkney with Frakök, in her repatriation, under whose evil influence they were reared.
Notices of Shetland, in the Saga, are to all intents and purposes nil. We find among the Shetlanders who were taken to be healed at St. Magnús’ shrine two bœndr, viz., Þorbjörn, son of Gyrð (O.E. Gurth), and Sigurðr Tandarson, who abode in Dalr, in north Shetland, and who was djöful-óðr or ærr, possessed or mad. Tandr, or Taðkr, is E.Ir. Tadg, and the Shetland Tandarson = Gaelic M’Caog, Ir., Mac Taidhg, MacCaig, son of Teague.
The Irish Gaels, who settled in Iceland in the ninth century, proved to be desirable and enterprising colonists, the admixture of whose blood helped to form the Icelandic genius in saga and song. They readily adopted Icelandic patronymics and names, and gave up their Christianity for the Norse religion. Their presence is commemorated there to this day in Irish place-names and in the continued use of Irish person-names.