Gentlemen,
I am not sure that the issue is of interest here, however I'd like to share with you a couple of data gathered regarding the origins of Ragnvald Jarl Ulfsson. Obviously, he was a real personality of high notoriety in Scandinavia at the time of the kings Olaf Skotkonung and Canute the Great. He was not a legendary man and apparently had the male issue from two marriages. Whether anybody at present can honestly claim to be of his male descendance, I am less than sure, but who knows?
The Ragnvald guy apparently belonged to "c?me de la cr?me" of the Scandinavian society at these times and took active part in several important diplomatic missions to England and Kievian Rus on behalf of various monarchs with whom he was linked by blood or by marriage. He married Ingeborg, a sister of Olav Tryggvason, and probably also Astrid Nialsdotter from Norway. He, among six earls from the suite of Canute the Great, signed in 1019 a Winchester document known as "Ego Cnuto". The others were Thorkill the Tall, jarl Eilif, jarl, Eirik jarl (brother-in- law of king Canute) and two West-Saxon earls, including father of Harold, future king of Britain.
His father Ulf Jarl was not a lightweight either. He married Estrid (Margarete) Svensdatter, dau. of Svein I Forkbeard, and was regent of Denmark in 1026 and jarl in England 1017.
At any rate, I have collected a couple different genealogical trees relative to Ulf when I tried to understand the male origins of the Danish king Svein Estridsen whose remains were tested for mt-DNA recently.
The 1st one for Ulf jarl (
http://www.genealogie-mittelalter.de/):
1. Gorm
----1.1. Toke Gormsson, king of Scania (Ohlmarks) +ca. 980 Battle of Fyrisvold
-----------1. 1.1. Torgil Spragalaeg, +1000 Battle of Svold
------------ --------- 1.1.1.1. Gyda, m. Godwine W-Saxon earl, +aft.1069 St Omer
------------ --------- 1.1.1.2. Ulf jarl b. ca.998, +ca.1027 Roskilde (murdered), m. 1015 Estrid Svensdatter, regent in Denmark 1026
------------ --------- --------- ---1.1.1. 2.1. Svein Estridsen av Danmark, b. ca. 1020 +1074 Soderup
------------ --------- --------- ---1.1.1. 2.2. Bjorn Ulfsson, b. ca. 1022, jarl, anti-king in England, murdered 1049 Dartmouth
------------ --------- --------- ---1.1.1. 2.3. (from a concubine?) Osbern (Asbjorn) Ulfsson, b. ca. 1025, jarl in Denmark
----1.2. Strut-Haraldr jarl, 3rd last king of Scania
-----------1. 2.1. Heming
-----------1. 2.2. Torkill the Tall + ca. 1024
-----------1. 2.3. Sigvalde of Jomsborg fame (Jomsviking)
Ragnvald Ulfsson the Old, Jarl of Westrogothia ca. 1010-1020, and later of Staraya Ladoga and Ingria. Apparently related to both Danish and Swedish (House of Munso) royal houses, as he was married to Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter, and consequently a cousin of Olof Skotkonung. He arranged a marriage of Ingegard dau. of Olof Skotkonung to Yaroslav (Jarizleif) I the Wise (978-1054) in Kiev, 1019. In Heimskringla saga describing the 1st meeting of Ingigerd and Yaroslav, Ingigerd says: "It is MY KINSMAN, Jarl Rognvald Ulfsson". Was he a son of jarl Ulf of the previous table, I cannot say. Undoubtfully, he belonged to the topmost league with his title of Jarl in Sweden - which meant he was from the House of Munso.
Sources: Winroth A. (1995-97) "Ragnvald Ulfsson", Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon, v. 29; Matts G. Larsson (1997) Vikingar i osterled. Stockholm;
Lagerquist L. O. (1997) Sveriges Regenter.
There we have the following story:
1. Ulf jarl, brother of Sigrid the Haughty (who was married to Olof Skotkonung)
----1.1. Ragnvald jarl, ca. 1010-1020 "Vastgota-jarlen Ragnvald", 1017 in Winchester with king Canute, then after 1019 jarl of Aldeigjuborg (Staraya Ladoga), + ca.1030
----------m. (1) Ingeborg Tryggvasdotter (945-1010), a Norwegian princess
----------1. 1.1. Ulf jarl, b. ca. 1000, + after 1030, ca. 1025-26 commander of the Swedish fleet against king Canute at Helgea, jarl of Aldeigjuborg (Staraya Ladoga)
----------1. 1.2. Eilif jarl, b. ca. 999 - + ca. 1031, jarl of Aldeigjuborg
----------1. 1.3. Astrid b. ca. 998, + ca. 1030, married Orkneys jarl
----------probably m. (2) Astrid Nialsdotter of the House of Skjalg in Halogaland (Norway)
----------1. 1.4. Stenkil Ragnvaldsson b. 1018, + 1066, jarl then since 1060 king of Svitjod (Sweden). Stenkil had several children among whom were Halsten and Inge, kings of Sweden, Olof Noseking and Erik Stenkilsson (+1067).
According to Snorri Sturlusson, Ragnvald was the son of jarl Ulf Tostesson, thus grandson of the famous Viking Skogul (Skoglar) Toste, who took one of Danegelds in England. According to Snorri, Skogul was neither konung nor jarl. I guess it would have beeen rather impossible for Skogul's son to become jarl in Sweden at that time, moreover with royal marriages resulting from.
Whichever of these genealogies is trustworthy, it would be really very interesting to learn that Jarl Ragnvald's of Ladoga (or his two sons) male offspring was left in Gardarike (Russia) and survived till now.
I'd appreciate to be kept posted on this issue, please.
Regards
Lech K. Powichrowski