Can you kill after death? Very difficult but...
During the 9th century, one of the threats that the King of Norway Harald I had to face was were the constant raids by pirates against Norway. So, in 875 he led an expedition to punish and conquer his base of operations... Orkney and Shetland Islands located north of present-day Scotland. The pirates received a harsh punishment and were expelled from the islands. In compensation for the son lost during the battle, Harald granted the rule of the islands and the title of count to Rognvald Eysteinsson . But Rognvald, with the king's consent, relinquished his lands and title in favor of his brother Sigurd Eysteinsson .
Sigurd the Mighty
Sigurd expanded the territory of his new earldom across the Scottish mainland earning him the nickname the Mighty . In one of the clashes with the Scots, he challenged Máel Brigte , the leader of the local group, to a battle with only 40 men on each side. As Sigurd did not trust the Scots, or to ensure victory, he came with 80 men instead of the agreed 40. When Máel realized the deception, he did not back down and harangued his men to at least kill one of the two that they each had. They fought with great strength and bravery, but Sigurd's superior numbers turned the battle in his favor. As a war trophy, Sigurd beheaded Máel and hung his head from the stirrup of his horse. They set off to celebrate their victory, but the movement of the gallop caused a tooth that protruded from Máel to sink into Sigurd's leg. That wound became infected and Sigurd died shortly after from the infection. It seems that Máel had not brushed his teeth that day… 🙂
Sources:The heritage of the Orkney islands, Orkney Islands