He is depicted as the quintessential Viking, a freebooter whose activities include drunkenness, murder and plundering and whose support is crucial to the politics of the Orkney earldom. His tale is closely bound up with that of Earl Rögnvald, a more rounded character who is also a troubadour and ultimately a saint, and it may be that the saga writers were seeking to portray them as exemplars of the Viking lifestyle.
He is depicted as a typical Viking, known for his drinking, violence, and plundering, and whose support is vital to the political landscape of the Orkney earldom. His story intertwines with that of Earl Rögnvald, a more complex figure who is also a bard and ultimately a saint, and it's possible that the saga writers intended to present them as embodiments of Viking life.