Magnus II (born 1185 or 1190 – died 1239) was the first in the Angus line of Scottish

earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...

s (or

jarl Jarl is a rank of the nobility in Scandinavia. In Old Norse, it meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. ''Jarl'' could also mean a sovereign prince. For example, the rulers of several of the petty k ...

s) of Orkney. His title was "Earl of Orkney and Caithness." He was the son of

Gille Críst, Earl of Angus Gille Críst, Earl of Angus ruled until 1206 as Mormaer of Angus. He was a son of Gille Brigte of Angus and younger brother of Adam of Angus. Almost nothing is known of him except that he married Marjorie of Huntingdon, the daughter of Henry o ...

, and his second wife, Ingibiorg Ericsdottir of Caithness; Ingibiorg was the granddaughter of Orkneyar Jarl

Rögnvald Kali Kolsson Rögnvald Kali Kolsson (Old Norse ''Rǫgnvaldr'' or ''Rögnvaldr''; nn, Ragnvald Kale Kolsson), also known as Saint Ronald of Orkney (c. 1100 – 1158), was a Norwegian earl of Orkney who came to be regarded as a Christian saint. Two of the Orkn ...

. Magnus was granted the

Earldom of Orkney The Earldom of Orkney is the official status of the Orkney Islands. It was originally a Norse feudal dignity in Scotland which had its origins from the Viking period. In the ninth and tenth centuries it covered more than the Northern Isles (' ...

by King Haakon IV of Norway in 1236 following the death of

Jon Haraldsson Jon Haraldsson was a Norwegian noble who served as the Jarl of Orkney between 1206 and 1231. Jon Haraldsson and his brother David were the sons of Harald Maddadsson with his second wife Hvarflod, daughter of Earl Máel Coluim of Moray. Jon and ...

in 1231 despite there being several other claimants to the jarldom. (The first Magnus of Orkney was St. Magnus Erlendsson, who ruled from 1108 to about 1117.) He died three years later, and was succeeded by his son Gilbert.

References

1239 deaths Magnus II People from Angus, Scotland 13th-century mormaers Year of birth unknown Mormaers of Caithness Year of birth uncertain {{Orkney-bio-stub