BattlefieldsBattle of Tingwall
Early Medieval

Battle of Tingwall

1148
Shetland, Scotland
Also known as: Battle of Thing Vale, Shetland
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Shetland, Scotland
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Rognvald Kali Kolsson
Forces
Rognvald: c.300–600.
VS
Victor
Erlend Haraldsson
Forces
Erlend: c.300–600
Outcome
Internecine Norse earl conflict; Orkney and Shetland divided
The Battle

History & Significance

The Norse earls of Orkney fought each other repeatedly over control of the earldom. Tingwall in Shetland — the site of the Norse thing (assembly) — was a natural flashpoint. The Orkneyinga Saga records multiple conflicts between rival Norse claimants to the earldom during the twelfth century as the Scandinavian world fragmented.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

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