Background
According to Snorri, Ragnvald was the son of jarl Ulf Tostesson and Ingeborg and the foster-son of Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker.
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Ragnvald Ulfsson
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Ragnvald is mentioned in the skaldic poem Austrfaravísur, ascribed to Sigvatr Þórðarson, skald of King Olaf Haraldsson of Norway (Olaf the Holy), who had been on a diplomatic mission to Sweden. This poem is quoted in the 13th century sagas Fagrskinna and Snorri Sturluson"s Heimskringla. In addition to the poem, Fagrskinna only briefly mentions Ragnvald, while Heimskringla contains a more elaborate account of him.
This 13th-century prose text is not considered historically reliable.
During his days the Norwegians pillaged in Västergötland, but then the Norwegian king, Olaf the Holy, proposed to the Swedish princess Ingigerd Olofsdotter, the daughter of Sweden"s king Olof Skötkonung. This pleased Ragnvald who was related to both.
He has not only fallen out of grace with the Swedish king, but he could also expect the revenge of the Norwegians. During a visit by the skald Sigvatr Þórðarson, Ragnvald learned that Prince Jaroslav of Kievan Rus" has proposed to Ingigerd, and so he had the idea that Olaf the Holy should marry the illegitimate daughter of Olof Skötkonung, Astrid, who was staying with Ragnvald.
Sigvat promised to deliver the message, and the Norwegian king accepted.
Olof Skötkonung was now so upset that he intended to hang Ragnvald at the next Thing. However, when Ingigerd Olofsdotter married Jaroslav, Ingigerd managed to arrange that Ragnvald became the jarl of Staraja Ladoga (Aldeigjuborg) and Ingria, and Olof let him depart with Ingigerd in the summer of 1019. Fagrskinna"s account of Olaf the Holy"s betrothal to Ingigerd, and eventual wedding with Astrid, differs significantly from the account in Heimskringla.
In Fagrskinna"s account, Ragnvald is not given a prominent role in the proceedings.
Married to Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter. Children: Ulf Ragnvaldsson Jarl Eilif Ragnvaldsson Jarl Ostrida Ragnvalsdatter He is considered to have fathered king Stenkil, with Astrid Nialsdotter from Norway, but this is based on later Icelandic sources, and the identification of Ragnvald with Ragnvald the Old of Hervarar saga.
