Saint of the Day – 20 August – St Ronald of Orkney (c1100-1158) Martyr, Confessor, Earl of Orkney and Shetland, Norwegian nobleman, renowned Skaldic poet, Founder of Kirkwall’s St. Magnus Cathedral, Also known as – Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, Ragnvald Kale Kollsson.
Ronald’s noble parents were Lendmann Kolr Kalisson and Gunnhildr Erlendsdottir, the sister of Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney. It was, therefore, through his mother, Gunnhildr, that Röonald had a claim on the Orkney Earldom.
We are unsure of the exact location of the birthplace of Ronald in Norway but the King’s estate at Lista is believed to be the possible location of both his birth and his childhood home. Ronald’s family owned several farms in Agder, in southern Norway where the boy might also have spent his childhood.
In 1129, King Sigurd I of Norway appointed Ronald as theEarl of Orkney and Shetland. Ronald should have had one half of Orkney as his uncle Magnus had but his second cousin, Paul Haakonsson, had just made himself sole ruler of the Islands and would not cede any of them. Ronald remained in Norway as one of the leading assistants of King Harald Gille.
In 1137, Ronald initiated the building of St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall, Scotland. He also served as a guardian to Harald Maddadsson, the five-year-old nephew of Paul Haakonsson. In 1138 Ronald appointed Harald Maddadsson as Earl along with himself. Harald had inherited Caithness, Scotland,and thus was Ronald’s master over this area.
In 1151, Earl Ronald set out on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In August 1158, Ronald was attacked and murdered, by a group rebelling against him, his rule and his religion.
Ronald’s body was taken to Kirkwall and buried in the Cathedral he had built – St Magnus Cathedral. Many miracles occured at his grave as well as on the stone where he died. Ronald was Canonised in 1192 by Pope Celestine III.
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