| Dogg | |
|---|---|
| |
| Dogg | |
| Queen of Álengiamark | |
| Reign | 12th February 1155 - 1st February 1167 |
| Predecessor | Elisiv Osvífrsdottír |
| Successor | Elin I Tállsdottír |
| Born | 23rd September, 1141 St. Hafdiss, Álengiamark |
| Died | 1st February 1167 Ílaekjurland, Álengiamark |
| Spouse | Haraldur Geirsson |
| Issue | Ari Haraldursson |
| Full name | |
| Dogg Bjornsdottír | |
| House | Eriksdottír |
| Father | Bjorn Runólfsson |
| Mother | Elisiv Osvífrsdottír |
If Elisiv spent her reign in the saddle then her daughter and successor Dogg spent her reign on the speaker's chair in the Althing.
Succeeding at the age of 13 she spent 7 years chafing under the tutelage of her mother's closest advisers whom she dispised but could not simply drop as they represented the most powerful lords in Álengiamark. She appeared also not to have much time for the husband chosen for her either, a thrall of the Earl of Langaeyjar, Haraldur Geirsson. While they had one child, Haraldur was known to have several mistresses and the Bishop of Vinland was petitioned more than once to annul the marriage, to no avail.
Unhappy, she threw herself into the workings of the Althing, clearing the issues her mother had not seen as a priority and building up a detailed picture of her realm. When the situations presented themselves she would use seemingly petty arguments to build her power base and undermine her guardians, and she lavished attention on the non-Norse elements of Álengiamark. She also greatly promoted the church at the expense of the earls, granting several Abbeys extensive lands. She also worked closely with her half-brothers, Karl and Grímur, carving out a new earldom for Karl in Margirhaedeyja and attempting to detatch Gráakonenna and Ílaekjurland from Sudervik for Grímur.
When old enough to throw her regents off her knowledge of the finer workings of the Althing should have propelled to new heights but inertia appears to have overtaken her. There was a surge of violence as the Unami tribes took to preying on the Western outposts. Whereas her mother would have raised an army immediately, and demanded the entire country contribute, Dogg dithered and eventually allowed the Eastern Earls to wiggle out of their obligations in return for church donations.
She died in 1167 and was succeeded by her younger sister Elin.
Her dedication to the church would lead Yrsa I to promote her as a saint in order to try and legitimize her rule. However as future generations saw Yrsa as an usurper Dogg's prospective canonisation was tainted and quietly dropped. It has now been reopened, but is stalled, thanks to a lack of attributed miracles.
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