Person

Magnus Erlendsson

c. 1080–c. 1117 · 12th century · Also known as Saint Magnus, St Magnus

Magnus Erlendsson was an Earl of Orkney who shared rule of the islands with his cousin Håkon Paulsson. Their rivalry ended when Håkon had him killed on the island of Egilsay around 1117. Venerated as a martyr, he was declared a saint, and his nephew Rögnvald Kali Kolsson began St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall in his honour in 1137.

Magnus Erlendsson
Image: Rab Knight · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Earldom of Orkney

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Magnus Erlendsson. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magnus-erlendsson
MLA
“Magnus Erlendsson.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magnus-erlendsson. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Magnus Erlendsson.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magnus-erlendsson.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Magnus Erlendsson’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magnus-erlendsson (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻