The sagas incorrectly claim that the Earl of Orkney was called "Turf-Einarr" because he introduced the practice of burning turf or peat to the islands since wood was so scarce. This practice long pre-dates the Norse and the real reason for the nickname is unknown. The Orkneyinga saga has him organising peat cutting at Tarbat Ness far to the south of the Orkney heartland.Smyth (1984) p. 154 While depletion of woodland could have caused a cultural shift from burning timber to peat, potentially the name arose because the sequestration of the common or allodial rights of the islanders by Einarr forced them away from coppicing towards cutting turves.Buckland, Paul (26 March 2002). "Review of The Christianization of Iceland, priests, power, and social change 1000–1300 by Orri Vésteinsson" . Institute for Historical Research, retrieved 25 August 2009.
