The later sections of the Orkneyinga Saga describe a long and complex period in which Norse rule in Orkney gradually weakened, shaped by internal conflict, shifting loyalties, and increasing pressure from neighbouring powers. These chapters move away from the heroic consolidation of the earldom and instead focus on fragmentation, rivalry, and the slow erosion of Scandinavian dominance in the Northern Isles.
After the deaths of the most powerful early earls, the earldom of Orkney frequently passed into joint rule. Brothers, cousins, and distant relatives were often compelled to share authority, a system that repeatedly led to feuds and violence. These arrangements reflected Norse inheritance customs but proved unstable in practice. Rival claimants competed for land, followers, and recognition, weakening the earldom’s ability to act as a unified political force.
The saga recounts numerous assassinations, betrayals, and battles among the later earls. Killings within churches, surprise attacks during supposed negotiations, and cycles of revenge become common narrative elements. Authority depended less on lineage alone and more on the ability to secure armed support, often through alliances with chieftains in Caithness, the Hebrides, or mainland Scotland. As a result, the earls increasingly looked south for backing, drawing Orkney into the political orbit of Scottish kings.
A major turning point in the saga is the growing influence of the Scottish crown. Whereas earlier earls operated largely as independent Norse rulers, later earls frequently acknowledged Scottish overlordship to secure their position. Lands in Caithness were held directly from the king of Scots, binding the earls into feudal relationships that contrasted sharply with older Norse traditions of rule. This shift marked a significant change in the balance of power and reduced Orkney’s autonomy.
The saga also reflects wider changes in the North Atlantic world. Norwegian royal authority became more centralised, limiting the independence once enjoyed by regional earls. At the same time, Scotland expanded its influence northwards, both politically and culturally. Norse language and customs persisted in Orkney, but they existed alongside increasing Scottish legal practices, marriage alliances, and ecclesiastical reforms.
Church reform plays an important role in the later narrative. Bishops and monasteries gained land and authority, and conflicts between secular rulers and church figures appear more frequently. Christianity had long been established, but its institutional power grew steadily, further constraining the actions of the earls. The church also acted as a conduit for broader European influences, linking Orkney more closely to developments beyond the Norse world.
By the final chapters, the earldom is no longer the dominant Norse power it once was. The saga presents a landscape in which authority is contested on multiple fronts, with earls balancing obligations to Norway and Scotland while attempting to control their own territories. The once-clear identity of Orkney as a Norse earldom becomes increasingly blurred.
The Orkneyinga Saga ends not with a single dramatic collapse but with a sense of gradual decline. Norse rule did not vanish abruptly; instead, it was absorbed into larger political structures. The later earls remain significant figures, but they operate in a world where power is shared, negotiated, and ultimately constrained. Through their struggles, the saga provides a detailed account of how Norse dominance in Orkney weakened over time, shaped by internal division and external pressure.