When Bishop William the Second was dead, Bjarni, the son of Kolbein Hruga, was made bishop after him. He was a very great man, and a dear friend of Earl Harald. Bishop Bjarni had a large party of kinsmen in the Islands. The sons of Eirík Slagbrellir were Harald Ungi, Magnus Mangi, and Rögnvald. The brothers went east to Norway to see King Magnus, Erling’s son, and he gave Harald the title of Earl, and one half of the Islands, which had belonged to the holy Earl Rögnvald, his mother’s father. Earl Harald Ungi went to the west, and with him Sigurd Murt, the son of Ivar Galli. The mother of Ivar, who fell at Akr with Erling Skakki, was the daughter of Hávard, Gunni’s son. Sigurd Murt was young, handsome, and a great dandy. Magnus Mangi remained with the King, and fell with him in Sogn.
Harald (Ungi) and his followers came first to Hjaltland. Then they went over to Caithness, and then into Scotland, to William, King of Scots.[453] Earl Harald requested King William to give him the half of Caithness which Earl Rögnvald had held. The King granted him this; and Earl Harald went then down to Caithness, and gathered troops. Then Lífólf Skalli, his brother-in-law, came to him. He had many noble kinsmen there. Lífólf had married Ragnhild, the sister of Earl Harald. He was called Earl Harald Ungi (the younger); but Harald, Maddad’s son, the elder. Lífólf had the command of the Earl’s troops. They sent men to the Orkneys, to Earl Harald the elder, requesting him to give up one half of the Islands, since the King had given them to Earl Harald Ungi. When the Earl received this message, he refused absolutely to divide his dominions on any condition. Lífólf Skalli was the messenger, and the Earl upbraided him greatly before he left. After this, Earl Harald the elder collected troops, and obtained a great many. Earl Harald Ungi’s party were in Caithness, and had some gathering too. When they heard that Harald the elder was collecting troops, they sent Lífólf a second time across the Pentland Firth to gather information about the enemy’s forces. He landed east in Rögnvaldsey, and ascended a hill, where he found three of Harald’s watchmen. Two of them he killed, and one of them he took with him for information. Then Lífólf saw the Earl’s fleet, which consisted of many ships, most of them large. Then he went down from the hill to his boat, and told his companions what he had ascertained. He said Earl Harald had so large an army that it was quite hopeless for them to fight with him. “I would advise,” said Lífólf, “that we should go to-day to Thórsá, and there many troops will come to us at once. If you wish to offer battle to Earl Harald now, it is most imprudent, whatever the result may be.”