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Kolbeinn hrúga

12th century Norse chieftain in Orkney

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionOct 11, 2025
Entity authorityQ1761801 ↗
Source-derived summary

Kolbeinn hrúga was a 12th century Norse chieftain in Orkney. He figures prominently in the Orkneyinga saga. Kolbeinn was born in Sunnfjord, Norway. Around 1145, he arrived in Orkney. Shortly after his arrival, Kolbeinn was responsible for constructing numerous castles on the west side of the island of Wyre, which are some of the oldest of its kind in Orkney. The influence of Kolbeinn is attested by his contribution to elevating Eystein II to King of Norway.

The folkloric giant Cubbie Roo, alleged architect of Cobbie Row's Castle (among other geologic formations), may be named for Kolbeinn hrúga.

Sources

Walter Baetke (Hrsg.): Die Geschichten von den Orkaden, Dänemark und der Jomsburg (= Thule. Altnordische Dichtung und Prosa. 19, ZDB-ID 516164-2).

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Kolbeinn hrúga” as 12th century Norse chieftain in Orkney. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Kolbeinn, hrúga and 12th.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1145—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1200-01-01. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Kolbeinn, hrúga and 12th providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Kolbeinn hrúga”, the useful work is to connect “12th century Norse chieftain in Orkney” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Oct 11, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q1761801. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1145.

Critical limits

Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Kolbeinn hrúga” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.