Ragnvald Eysteinsson
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Ragnvald "the Wise" Eysteinsson (830–890) (Old Norse: Rögnvaldr Mœrajarl Norwegian: Ragnvald Mørejarl), was jarl (earl) in the northwest coast of Norway, called More, approximately of the Norwegian county today known as Møre og Romsdal. He died at the Orkney Islands.
He was son of King Eystein "Glumra (the Noisy)" Ivarsson of Oppland. His maternal grandfather was King Ragnvald the Mountain-High of Vestfold. One of his paternal great-grandfathers was King Halfdan the Old of Oppland. Mythical material (saga) postulate that his line was a male-line descent from Ancient kings of Finland.
His second wife was Ragnhild Hrolfsdottir (Raghildr (Hildr) Hrolfsdóttir), daughter of Hrolf Nefia (Hrolfr Nefja). Ragnvald was the father of Hrolf Ganger, who according to Norse-Icelandic tradition was the founder of Normandy, (from his marriage), and Turf-Einar, ancestor of the jarls of Orkney (from a concubine).
If Hrolf Ganger was indeed the founder of Normandy, that would mean that Ragnvald's male-line descent ruled Normandy and England until 1135, and Orkney until 1130's. After that, each of those territories continued to be ruled by their descendants in female line.
Earl Ragnvald would thus be a direct ancestor of Thorfinn Sigurdsson, William the Conqueror, Edward III of England, James I of England, and Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. He is therefore an ancestor of most of the royal families of Europe.
The legend says he was the one to cut the hair of king Harald Hårfagre (Haraldr hinn hárfagri) after he became king over all of Norway.
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