Bjaðmunjo Mýrjartaksdóttir

Bjaðmunjo Mýrjartaksdóttir
Bjaðmunjo's name as it appears on folio 34r of AM 47 fol (Eirspennill): "Biaðmynio d(ottor) Myriartak".
Spouse	Sigurðr Magnússon
House	Uí Briain
Father	Muirchertach Ua Briain

Bjaðmunjo Mýrjartaksdóttir (also known in Old Norse as Bjaðmynja; and in Gaelic as Ben Muman, Bé Binn, Blathmuine, and Bláthmín; fl. 1102/1103) was a daughter of a Muirchertach Ua Briain, High King of Ireland. In 1102 whilst still a child, she was married to Sigurðr, son of Magnús Óláfsson, King of Norway. At this time, Magnús appears to have been in the process of setting up his son as king over the Earldom of Orkney, the Kingdom of the Isles, and the Kingdom of Dublin. The marriage itself temporarily bound Muirchertach and Magnús together as allies before the latter's death the following year. Sigurðr thereupon repudiated Bjaðmunjo, and left for Scandinavia, where he proceeded to share the Norwegian kingship with his brothers.

Bjaðmunjo was a daughter of Muirchertach Ua Briain, High King of Ireland (died 1119). In the late eleventh century, following the death of his father, Muirchertach seized control of the Kingdom of Munster and moved to extend his authority throughout Ireland as High King of Ireland. In so doing, he gained control of the Norse-Gaelic Kingdom of Dublin, and as a result began to extend his influence into the nearby Kingdom of the Isles. There is uncertainty concerning the political situation in the Isles in the last decade of the eleventh century. What is known for sure is that, before the end of the century, Magnús Óláfsson, King of Norway (died 1103) led a marauding fleet from Scandinavia into the Irish Sea region, where he held power until his death in 1103.