jarl

thumb | right | alt=Drawing of Jarl Haakon Sigurdsson, made by: Christian Krohg (C.E.1852-1925). | Drawing of Jarl Haakon Sigurdsson, made by Christian Krohg (C.E.1852-1925). Jarl () was a rank of the nobility in Scandinavia during the Viking Age and Early Middle Ages. The institution evolved over time and varied by region. In Old Norse, it meant "chieftain", specifically one appointed to rule a territory in a king's stead. It could also denote a sovereign prince. For example: During the Viking age the rulers of several of the petty kingdoms of Norway held the title of jarl, often wielding no less power than their neighboring kings. In later medieval Sweden and Norway there was typically only one jarl in the kingdom, second in authority only to the king. The title became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced by the rank of duke (hertig/hertug/hertog). The word is etymologically related to the English earl.

== Etymology == The term jarl (, Old Swedish: iarl, iærl, Old Danish: jærl) has been connected to various similar words across Germanic languages, such as Proto-Norse eril, Old English eorl (meaning warrior, hero, or chieftain, related to modern English earl), Old Saxon erl (man, nobleman), and Old High German erl- in personal names such as Erlaberaht.