Melkorka
Encyclopedia
Melkorka is the name given in Landnámabók
and Laxdœla saga
for the Irish
mother of the Iceland
ic goði Ólafr Höskuldsson
. According to Laxdœla saga, Höskuldr purchased a Melkorka, who he believed to be a mute
thrall
-woman, from a Rus'
merchant on Brännö
while on a trading expedition to Norway
, and made her his concubine while away from his wife Jórunn Bjarnadóttir. When Höskuldr returned home to Iceland, he took her with him. Despite Jórunn's irritation, the concubine was accepted into Höskuldr's household, though he remained faithful to Jórunn while in Iceland. The following winter the concubine gave birth to a son, to whom they gave the name Ólafr after Höskuldr's uncle, Olaf Feilan
, who had recently died. Landnámabók mentions that Höskuldr and Melkorka had another son, Helgi, but he does not appear in Laxdœla.
According to Laxdœla saga, Ólafr was a precocious child, and could speak and walk perfectly by the age of two. One day Höskuldr discovered Ólafr's mother speaking to her son; she was not, in fact, mute. When he confronted her she told him that she was an Irish
princess named Melkorka carried off in a viking
raid, and that her father was an Irish king named "Myrkjartan" (Muirchertach
). Shortly thereafter squabbling between Jórunn and Melkorka forced Höskuldr to move his concubine and his son by her to a different farm, which thereafter was known as Melkorkustaðir.
Around 956, Ólafr, at Melkorka's urging, decided to go abroad to seek his fortune. Melkorka taught Ólafr Irish Gaelic and urged him to visit her family. Höskuldr was opposed to the expedition and would not provide trade
wares, and the property of Ólafr's foster-father Þórðr was mostly in immobile goods and land. In part to arrange financing for his expedition, his mother Melkorka married Þorbjörn skrjúpur ("the Feeble"), a farmer who had previously assisted her in the management of Melkorkustaðir. Melkorka and Þorbjörn had a son named Lambi.
Ólafr visited Ireland, where he met Melkorka's father and kinsmen. Ólafr remained with Myrkjartan for a time, and the king, according to Laxdœla saga, even offered to make Ólafr his heir. Ólafr, however, ultimately returned to Norway, afraid of provoking Myrkjartan's sons.
by author Donna Jo Napoli
. The novel depicts how she became a slave and why she decided to remain mute. The novel ends as she is being taken to Iceland by Höskuldr.
Landnámabók
Landnámabók , often shortened to Landnáma, is a medieval Icelandic written work describing in considerable detail the settlement of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th centuries AD.-Landnáma:...
and Laxdœla saga
Laxdœla saga
Laxdæla saga ; also Laxdœla saga, Laxdoela saga, Laxdaela saga, or The Saga of the People of Laxárdalr) is one of the Icelanders' sagas. Written in the 13th century, it tells of people in the Breiðafjörður area of Iceland from the late 9th century to the early 11th century...
for the Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
mother of the Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic goði Ólafr Höskuldsson
Olaf the Peacock
Olaf the Peacock or Olaf Hoskuldsson was a merchant and chieftain of the early Icelandic Commonwealth, who was nicknamed "the Peacock" because of his proud bearing and magnificent wardrobe. He is a major character in the Laxdaela Saga and is mentioned in a number of other Icelandic sources...
. According to Laxdœla saga, Höskuldr purchased a Melkorka, who he believed to be a mute
Muteness
Muteness or mutism is an inability to speak caused by a speech disorder. The term originates from the Latin word mutus, meaning "silent".-Causes:...
thrall
Thrall
Thrall was the term for a serf or unfree servant in Scandinavian culture during the Viking Age.Thralls were the lowest in the social order and usually provided unskilled labor during the Viking era.-Etymology:...
-woman, from a Rus'
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
merchant on Brännö
Brännö
Brännö is an island in the Southern Göteborg Archipelago and a locality situated in Göteborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 698 inhabitants in 2005...
while on a trading expedition to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, and made her his concubine while away from his wife Jórunn Bjarnadóttir. When Höskuldr returned home to Iceland, he took her with him. Despite Jórunn's irritation, the concubine was accepted into Höskuldr's household, though he remained faithful to Jórunn while in Iceland. The following winter the concubine gave birth to a son, to whom they gave the name Ólafr after Höskuldr's uncle, Olaf Feilan
Olaf Feilan
Olaf Feilan was an Icelandic gothi of the Settlement period. He was the son of Thorstein the Red, jarl of Caithness, and his wife Thurid Eyvindsdottir. After the death of his father Olaf accompanied his grandmother Aud the Deep-minded to Iceland, and settled with her at Hvamm in the Laxardal region...
, who had recently died. Landnámabók mentions that Höskuldr and Melkorka had another son, Helgi, but he does not appear in Laxdœla.
According to Laxdœla saga, Ólafr was a precocious child, and could speak and walk perfectly by the age of two. One day Höskuldr discovered Ólafr's mother speaking to her son; she was not, in fact, mute. When he confronted her she told him that she was an Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
princess named Melkorka carried off in a viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
raid, and that her father was an Irish king named "Myrkjartan" (Muirchertach
Muirchertach mac Néill
Muirchertach mac Néill , called Muirchertach of the Leather Cloaks , King of Ailech.-Family ramifications:Muirchertach belonged to the Cenél nEógain sept of the northern Uí Néill...
). Shortly thereafter squabbling between Jórunn and Melkorka forced Höskuldr to move his concubine and his son by her to a different farm, which thereafter was known as Melkorkustaðir.
Around 956, Ólafr, at Melkorka's urging, decided to go abroad to seek his fortune. Melkorka taught Ólafr Irish Gaelic and urged him to visit her family. Höskuldr was opposed to the expedition and would not provide trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
wares, and the property of Ólafr's foster-father Þórðr was mostly in immobile goods and land. In part to arrange financing for his expedition, his mother Melkorka married Þorbjörn skrjúpur ("the Feeble"), a farmer who had previously assisted her in the management of Melkorkustaðir. Melkorka and Þorbjörn had a son named Lambi.
Ólafr visited Ireland, where he met Melkorka's father and kinsmen. Ólafr remained with Myrkjartan for a time, and the king, according to Laxdœla saga, even offered to make Ólafr his heir. Ólafr, however, ultimately returned to Norway, afraid of provoking Myrkjartan's sons.
Media
Melkorka is featured in the 2007 young adult novel Hush: An Irish Princess' TaleHush: An Irish Princess' Tale
Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale is a 2007 young adult novel written by Donna Jo Napoli. The young adult novel depicts the world of slave trade around the year 900 in Ireland....
by author Donna Jo Napoli
Donna Jo Napoli
Donna Jo Napoli is an author of children's and young adult books, as well as a prominent linguist who has worked in syntax, phonetics, phonology, morphology, historical and comparative linguistics, Romance studies, structure of Japanese, structure of American Sign Language, poetics, writing for...
. The novel depicts how she became a slave and why she decided to remain mute. The novel ends as she is being taken to Iceland by Höskuldr.