157-421: Bloodaxe can refer to: Eric Bloodaxe (c. 885 – 954), a Viking king Erik Bloodaxe (hacker) , an alias of American computer hacker Chris Goggans Bloodaxe Books , a British publishing house specializing in poetry Bloodaxe (comics) , a Marvel Comics anti-hero Brian Bloodaxe , a British platform game B'hrian Bloodaxe , a Discworld character Bloodaxe,
314-560: A Macone consule fraudulenter interempti sunt, ac deinde in partibus illis rex Eadredus regnavit. King Eric was treacherously killed by Earl [ consul ] Maccus in a certain lonely place which is called Stainmore, with his son Haeric and his brother Ragnald, betrayed by Earl [ comes ] Oswulf; and then afterwards King Eadred ruled in these districts. Stainmore , traditionally in Westmorland and administratively in Cumbria , lies in
471-513: A Scottish saint with a Brythonic name, visited a certain King Eric ( Erichus ) in York as he proceeded southwards from his native Strathclyde and Cumbria to Loida civitas , sometimes identified as Leeds , on the boundary with Cumbria, ultimately intending to go to West France. This Eric was both settled and married, and may have been on good terms with his neighbours in the north-west, although
628-579: A career of international piracy: four years were spent harrying the Baltic coasts and those of Denmark, Frisia and Germany ('Saxland'); another four years those of Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; and lastly, Lappland and Bjarmaland (in what is now northern Russia). Describing the last trip, Egils saga notes that Eric sailed up the Dvina River into the Russian hinterland of Permia , where he sacked
785-691: A certain Eric have been described as rulers of 'the Isles' ( Hebrides ) (see below). In a letter addressed to Pope Boniface VIII , King Edward I (r. 1272–1307) remembered a certain Eric ( Yricius ) as having been a king of Scotland subject to the English king. In the 19th century, a case had also been made for Harald Bluetooth King of Denmark (d. 985) as being Eric's true father. J.M. Lappenberg and Charles Plummer , for instance, identified Eric with Harald's son Hiring. The only authority for this son's existence
942-666: A convenient network of estates with about a day's traveling distance between them, which would be ideal for a king ruling in Vestlandet, but not all of Norway. This reading could be consistent with the Historia Norwegiæ 's account. While it is possible that Harald could have controlled other areas through jarls and client kings, this is difficult to prove with available archeology. Krag has noted that Snorri's account of Harald's origin in Vestfold might have been propaganda as
1099-537: A decisive role in Amlaíb's career in the early 940s, remains tantalisingly unclear. One might assume that Wulfstan, given his political eminence, headed the Northumbrian party which elected Eric. It has likewise been suggested that Eadred's punitive attack on the ancient minster of Ripon, which carried little military weight, was targeted at Wulfstan in particular. In what sense his deposition in 948 may have affected
1256-571: A handful of Egill's lausavísur . The earliest saga, Historia Norwegiæ , describes her as the daughter of Gorm inn Gamli (‘the Old’), king of Denmark (and hence a sister of Harald Bluetooth ). Most subsequent accounts name her father Ozur , nicknamed either Toti "teat" ( Egils saga, Fagrskinna , Heimskringla ) or lafskegg "dangling beard" ( Ágrip , Fagrskinna ), a man who hailed from the northern province of Hålogaland ( Egils saga , Heimskringla ). Icelandic hostility towards Gunnhild has been cited as
1413-436: A historical figure. Old Norse hár translates straightforwardly into English as 'hair', but fagr , the adjective of which fagri is a form, is trickier to render, since it means 'fair, fine, beautiful' (but without the moral associations of English fair , as opposed to unfair ). Although it is convenient and conventional to render hárfagri in English as 'fair-hair(ed)', in English 'fair-haired' means ' blond ', whereas
1570-641: A leading statesman in Northumbrian politics, played a key role in Amlaíb's support, although he would later change his mind (see below). In 942 Edmund struck back with a recapture of Mercia and the Five Boroughs of Danelaw , which so impressed contemporaries that a poem was written in honour of the achievement and included in the Chronicle . In response, Amlaíb launched a successful raid on Tamworth (Mercia), probably sometime later that year. However, in 943, when Amlaíb had marched on to Leicester , one of
1727-533: A matter of some debate: some argue that it was written shortly after Eric's death, while others who regard the poem as an imitation of the Hákonarmál in honour of Haakon the Good prefer a date sometime after Haakon's death, c . 961. In spite of the decidedly pagan contents of the poem, Eric may have died a Christian, as some of the sagas suggest. There is no evidence for his religious beliefs, but if ever Eric
SECTION 10
#17327943859461884-595: A mound with 12 men. Hrollaug renounced his kingship and took the title of jarl instead. Harald accepted Hrollaug's surrender and allowed him to rule Namdalen in his name. This story is also present in Heimskringla . After this, Namdalen and Hålogaland were in his grasp. The saga then related how Harald did battle with the combined forces of kings Audbjörn of Firðafylki, Solvi Bandy-legs of Møre og Romsdal and Arnvid of Sunnmøre . They were all defeated in battle by Harald, with only Solvi escaping with his life to live
2041-670: A new ruler of the Uí Ímair dynasty had made York his seat. From Irish annals it is known that Edmund's old rival Olaf Guthfrithson left Dublin in 939 ( Annals of the Four Masters ), that in 940 his cousin, known in Ireland as Amlaíb Cuarán and in England as Olaf Sihtricsson, joined him in York ( Annals of the Four Masters , Annals of Clonmacnoise ) and that Olaf Guthfrithson died in 941 ( Annals of Clonmacnoise , Chronicon Scotorum ), while
2198-496: A nickname of Danish cricketer Ole Mortensen (born 1958) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Bloodaxe . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bloodaxe&oldid=1109453587 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2355-434: A north-westerly direction (possibly in search of support), was about to cross over into Cumbria, when in a bid for power, his official Osulf had him killed through the agency of Maccus. Exactly what made this a betrayal ( proditio ) in the eyes of the 10th century chronicler or those of Roger of Wendover , is unclear. It is unknown whether Osulf was also behind Eric's expulsion, despite being the main beneficiary, and whether he
2512-541: A number of later sagas such as the Separate Saga of St. Olaf ( c . 1225), Heimskringla , Egils saga and Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta assert that he sailed directly to Orkney, where he took the joint jarls into vassalage, collected forces and so set up a base which enabled him to organise several expeditions in overseas territory. Named targets include Ireland, the Hebrides, Scotland and England. Eric sealed
2669-525: A possible source for her dissociation from the Danish royal house. There is no consensus on how to solve this problem. An early suggestion is that the name for the king in York in the Life of Cathróe has been erroneously supplanted for Eric's predecessor Amlaíb Cuarán (Olaf Sihtricsson), whose (second) wife Dúnflaith was an Irishwoman. Recently, Clare Downham has suggested that Erichius , Eric of Northumbria,
2826-447: A practitioner of magic, Harald ordered him to cease such activity. When Ragnvald did not listen Harald sent Eirik Bloodaxe to murder him. Eirik had his half-brother and all of his sorcerers burned in their hall . When Bjørn Farmann was killed in a conflict with Eirik, Harald stepped in on Eirik's side against his other sons. There are several accounts of large feasting mead halls constructed for important feasts when Scandinavian royalty
2983-463: A raven and valkyrie . It tells that Harald "chose the lady from Denmark [ konu danska ] / broke with his Rogaland loves / and his lemans of Horthaland, / the maidens of Hálogaland / and of Hathaland eke." In the Flateyjarbók , it is preceded by another stanza which refers to the "handmaidens of Ragnhildr" ( ambáttir Ragnhildar ) as witnesses of the event. However, it is uncertain whether her name
3140-449: A scribal confusion for Stan -, which in turn would have referred to Stainmore (OE * Stan ). Having thus ascribed a historical core to the body of Scandinavian material, he in turn interprets the event as a battle. However, scholars today are usually less prepared to colour the sober records with details from the sagas, preferring to take the view that Eric was assassinated in exile. In sum then, it looks as if Eric, expelled and heading in
3297-476: A short duration, since in 954 (a date on which MSS D and E agree), the Northumbrians expelled him, too. Clare Downham notes the existence of an otherwise unrecorded Eltangerht , whose coins were minted at York and date from about the same time, but nothing is known of him from other records. The nature of Eric's relationship with Archbishop Wulfstan , the leading Northumbrian churchman who played such
SECTION 20
#17327943859463454-465: A son of the Norwegian king Harald (I) Fairhair . The skaldic poems ascribed to Egill Skallagrímsson may offer further reassurance that the sagas are on the right track, although doubts have been expressed about the date and integrity of the verses in the form in which they have survived. One of Egill's lausavísur speaks of an encounter in England with a man of "Harald's line" ( Haralds áttar ), while
3611-434: A tenant or having hands and feet cut off. According to the saga author, most who were given this option chose to flee. Harald is supposed to have confiscated massive amounts of private property and made many previously free farmers his thralls . Four sons of Harald are mentioned in the saga: Eirikr Bloodaxe (one of the saga's major antagonists), Hákon Aðalsteinsfóstri (otherwise called the Good ), Olaf and Sigurðr (whose name
3768-524: A very different reading of the poem where its references to the dróttin Norðmanna ( lord of the northmen ) might have originally meant referred to the leader of the Norwegians in the battle, but later recontextualised as the lord of all Norwegians. Harald is mentioned in several sagas, some which quotes supposedly older skaldic poetry. If the linguistic dating of the poems are correct, they represent
3925-511: A vital re-enactment culture, which is evident in, among other things, a memorial park in central Haugesund with the erection of a statue of Harald Fairhair ... the performance of a Harald musical ... the building of ‘the largest’ Viking ship in the world ... the establishment of a theme park based on the Viking concept, and a historic centre where the mythology of King Harald is disseminated ... The main initiators behind these commemorative projects in
4082-490: Is Adam of Bremen , who in his Gesta ( c . 1070) claims to cite the otherwise unknown Gesta Anglorum for a remarkable anecdote about Hiring's foreign adventures: "Harald sent his son Hiring to England with an army. When the latter had subjugated the island, he was in the end betrayed and killed by the Northumbrians." Even if Eric's rise and fall had been the inspiration for the story, the names are not identical and Harald Bluetooth's floruit does not sit well with Eric's. In
4239-466: Is arguable whether its preservation in two lausavísur by Egill Skallagrímsson and a contemporary skald genuinely dates to the 10th century or had been inserted at some stage when Eric was becoming the focus of legend. There is no guarantee that it significantly predates the 12th-century narrative tradition, where it is first attached to him in Ágrip and in Latin translation as sanguinea securis in
4396-595: Is clearer on the point of agency, writing that it was Wulfstan and the ealdorman ( dux ) of the Mercians who deposed these 'deserters' – perhaps born again pagans – and forced them to submit to Edmund. The same year, Edmund raided Cumbria and entrusted it to Malcolm I of Scotland in exchange for support "both on sea and on land". The Irish annals report that in 945, Amlaíb was back in Dublin and an anonymous ruler at York, possibly Ragnald (Rögnvaldr), died. Edmund
4553-479: Is dated to the late 9th century, but an exact dating is difficult and due to its fragmentary presentation it may be a compilation of unrelated stanzas. Unlike Hrafnsmál its relation to Harald and the events it supposedly relates to in Heimskringla is ambiguous. Sendibitr , the last and shortest poem Snorri quotes is attributed to Jórunn skáldmær (Jorunn the skaldmaiden), one of few female poets mentioned in
4710-454: Is described and his conquest of Norway. Unlike Heimskringla , Flateyjarbók clearly states that the two were married. Harald's further marriages are described as is his rejections of them and his various concubines in favor of Ragnhild the Mighty. The Þáttr concludes with a description of the fates of Harald's various sons, including Thorgils' and Frodi's career as "west-vikings". According to
4867-428: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Eric Bloodaxe Eric Haraldsson ( Old Norse : Eiríkr Haraldsson [ˈɛiˌriːkz̠ ˈhɑrˌɑldsˌson] , Norwegian : Eirik Haraldsson ; fl. c.930−954), nicknamed Bloodaxe ( Old Norse : blóðøx [ˈbloːðˌøks] , Norwegian : Blodøks ) and Brother-Slayer ( Latin : fratrum interfector ),
Bloodaxe - Misplaced Pages Continue
5024-506: Is elaborated upon in the final chapter of the 14th century Ragnarssona þáttr . Harald's mother is said to have been Ragnhild Sigurdsdotter , who according to the saga was the great-granddaughter of Sigurd through her mother Inibjorg and he grandmother Aslaug. This story is the same as in Snorri's earlier Hálfdanar saga svarta in Heimskringla , but contradicts Fagrskinna . Both Hálfdanar saga svarta and Ragnarssona þáttr have issues with
5181-500: Is here described as being the first to rule the entire coastal region of Norway, as opposed to all of Norway. The interior is described to as having been ruled by petty kings, however, it is said that Harald as good as ruled this region as well. This account describes Eirik Bloodaxe as the oldest son of Harald, unlike in Heimskringla. Hákon is not referred to as " the good " and is Harald's second son, not his youngest. This account of Hákon suggest that he did not accept Christianity. Like
5338-666: Is indecisive. Part of the poem is cited by Snorri in Heimskringla as a source for his narrative of the Battle of Hafrsfjord , while another is cited in Fagrskinna as information about Harald. Both credits Hornklofi as the composer. Hrafnsmál largely consists of a conversation between an unnamed valkyrie and a raven; the two discuss the life and martial deeds of Harald Fairhair. The poem describes Harald as an Yngling , but does not use his famous nickname hárfagri ( fairhair ), but uses his widely cited previous nickname Lufa . The bulk of
5495-547: Is may be instructive. Wulfstan is still seen at court in 950, but of the five charters which were issued in 951, not one was attested by him, which once again may imply his backing of Amlaíb. Eric's reign (952–954) is more obscure. We do know, however, that in 952, the same year that Eric began his second term at York, Wulfstan was arrested and stood on trial in Iudanbyrig (unknown) on account of several unspecified allegations which had been repeatedly brought before Eadred. Of
5652-553: Is not out of the question that both were issued during a single reign. Eric's sudden appearance in the Chronicle , first noted by the D-text, is a puzzling one, lacking any information as to how or why he emerged on the scene. As hinted above, the Life of the Scottish saint Cathróe of Metz , written by a cleric (Reimann) who claimed to have been a former pupil of the saint, may possibly shed some light on his background. St Cathróe,
5809-440: Is not the same as Eric Bloodaxe. And there remains the possibility that he was not strictly monogamous, and the existence of two wives need not be mutually exclusive. The dominant theme of the sagas about Harald's numerous sons is the struggle for the Norwegian throne, in particular the way it manifests itself in the careers of Haakon and his foil Eric. According to Heimskringla , Harald had appointed his sons as client kings over
5966-690: Is otherwise usually rendered as Sigröðr ). The saga renders Harald's title as einváldskonungr ( absolute king ). Not unlike Egil's Saga , Harald's conquest of Norway sets off the plot of Grettis saga . Gretti's great-grandfather Önundr Wood-foot is said to be one of many people that fled Norway after fighting for king Kjotvi the Rich and Thorir Haklang in the battle of Hafrsfjord. The saga describes how Harald and his elite Úlfhèðnar warriors (famously mentioned in Hrafnsmál) fought and killed Thorir Haklang when he went berserk. Önundr got his name after his leg
6123-536: Is repeated by Snorri in Heimskringla and suggests two conflicting stories of Harald's ancestry being combined into one. Harald Fairhair is said to have inherited Halfdan's lands at a young age after the king drowned in the lake Rǫnd in Rykinsvik. The text then sites the poem Hrafnsmál at length as an example of Harald's nobility and prowess in battle. Harald appointed Atli the Slender as jarl of Fjaler , but that
6280-411: Is said to have succeeded Harald, ruling for five years, with two as a co-ruler with his father. Hákon eventually supplanted the cruel and oppressive rule of Eirik and his wife Gunnhildr . Hákon is said to be a Christian, but swayed from Christianity due to his unnamed pagan wife and his will to please his people. Historia Norwegiæ , which is dated to about 1220, mentions that Iceland was discovered in
6437-525: Is suspicious of the king and he and his friend Sæmundr emigrate to Iceland. Harald wins an extrodinary victory at Hafrfjord and makes Ragnvald a jarl. The Orkneyinga saga likely dates to in the early thirteenth century and belongs to belongs to the genre of "Kings’ Sagas" within Icelandic saga literature, a group of histories of the kings of Norway. It describes in more detail the expedition of Harald Fairhair and Rognvald Mørejarl on an expedition to clear
Bloodaxe - Misplaced Pages Continue
6594-415: Is uncertain", since the grey wolf is always lying in wait. Eric is then greeted by the famous hero Sigmundr : "Hail now, Eiríkr [...] / here you shall be welcome; / brave hero, enter the hall." Some have argued that the language of the poem shows influence from Old English . However, on recently examining the poem, John McKinnell could find little trace of this. The (original) date of composition remains
6751-612: The Arinbjarnarkviða envisages a ruler at York (Jórvik) who is a descendant of Halfdán ( Halfdanar ) and of the Yngling dynasty ( ynglings burar ). If genuine, the latter identification would form the only direct clue in the contemporary record which might link Eric with the Norwegian dynasty. Another Harald known from this period is Aralt mac Sitric (d. 940), king of Limerick, the probable father of Maccus and Gofraid . This may be relevant, since both these brothers and
6908-536: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS E) dates his death – incorrectly it seems – to 942. Amlaíb Cuarán succeeded him and did so with popular support, as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS D) reports that in 941, "the Northumbrians belied their pledges, and chose Olaf [i.e., Amlaíb Cuarán] from Ireland as their king." Amlaíb shared the throne with his nephew Ragnald (Rögnvaldr), son of Gofraid. There are indications that Wulfstan, Archbishop of York and
7065-416: The Battle of Steinmor ... and there fell Eirikr, with his sons and brothers and all his army ... and his brother Reginaldus [Latin for Ragnald or Ragnvald] ... His son was also known as: Henricus or Haericus [Latin form] and brother as Ragnald or Reginaldus [Latin form] ... together with his son Henricus" whom the commentator Michael Wood in a 1981 BBC documentary series identifies as 'Harékr' (from
7222-514: The Chronicle (MS D) notes that the Northumbrians soon violated their pledges and oaths (947) and records a definite outcome of their disloyalty in 948, by which time "they had taken Eirik [ Yryc ] for their king". That year, King Eadred harshly punished the northern defectors by launching a destructive raid on Northumbria, which notably included burning the Ripon minster founded by St Wilfrid . Although Eadred's forces had to sustain heavy losses in
7379-512: The Historia Norwegiæ makes him flee directly to England, where he was received by his half-brother Haakon, baptised and given charge of Northumbria by Æthelstan. When Eric's rule became intolerable, he was driven out and slain on an expedition in Spain. Ágrip tells that he came to Denmark first. According to Historia Norwegiæ , it would have been his wife's native country and hence a power base where he might have expected to muster some support, but
7536-469: The Historia Norwegiæ. The sagas usually explain it as referring to Eric's slaying of his half-brothers in a ruthless struggle to monopolise his rule over Norway; Theodoricus gives the similar nickname fratrum interfector ( killer of brothers or brother-bane ). Fagrskinna , on the other hand, ascribes it to Eric's violent reputation as a Viking raider. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (MS E) describes Eric laconically as ‘Harold’s son’ ( Haroldes sunu ). In
7693-488: The River Tees and returned with many cattle and captives. Marios Costambeys suggests that it "may have been directed against, or mounted in favour of, Eirik, though the protagonist could just as easily have been Óláf Sihtricson." Eric's removal cleared the way for Amlaíb [Anlaf Cwiran], who having suffered defeat at Slane (Co. Meath, Ireland) in 947, returned to Northumbria and took the kingship, supposedly in 949, if
7850-508: The Uplands and then taken Trondheim and become overlord over the thronds . This accounts differs from Heimskringla where it is said that Harald made a marriage alliance with Håkon Grjotgardsson which won him Trøndelag after they together defeated the petty kings there. The saga then relates the story of the brothers Herlaug and Hrollaug, kings of Namdalen . When Herlaug heard Harald was coming he committed suicide by closing himself into
8007-661: The comes Maccus son of Anlaf, is unclear. His name may point to origins in a Norse-Gaelic family based in the Border country . While Anlaf (Middle Irish: Amlaíb , Old Norse: Óláfr ) is a common Scandinavian and Norse-Gaelic name, Maccus , a Norse-Gaelic name of Middle Irish origin, is geographically more restricted and is particularly well attested in southern Scottish place-names. Based on Eric's confrontation with his predecessor Óláfr in Fagrskinna , attempts have been made to connect Onlaf to Amlaíb Cuarán , but this must remain in
SECTION 50
#17327943859468164-505: The 21st century both are "true" in a completary, non-completive way. As unifier of the kingdom, Harald rests under a 'Viking' memorial site of burial mounds and memorial stones near his royal court at Avaldsnes in the Westland , precisely the region that first caught his attention in Gyda, and whose conquest at the Battle of Hafrsfjord has been regarded as the keystone in the unification of
8321-614: The Battle of Castleford ( Ceaster forda ) – near Tanshelf – as they returned southwards, Eadred managed to check his rival by promising the latter's supporters even greater havoc if they did not desert Eric. The Northumbrians preferred to appease the English king, renounced Eric and paid compensation. The Chronicle of the Kings of Alba records that shortly thereafter, in 948 or 949, Malcolm (I) of Scotland and Cumbria, at Constantine 's instigation, raided Northumbria as far south as
8478-473: The Black 's death by going through the ice on Randsfjorden , a story also told by Snorri in Heimskringla, and that Harald became king afterwards. He is said to have taken control of Sogn from Atli jarl due to him never paying taxes. This happened before Harald's conquest of Norway. Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum is dated to about 1190. Here Harald is described as having become the first king of all of Norway at
8635-554: The Boroughs, he and Wulfstan were besieged by Edmund and managed to escape only by a hair's breadth. Peace negotiations followed later that year to the effect that Edmund accepted Amlaíb as an ally and as two northern sources add, ceded to him Northumbria as far south as Watling Street. Later, Edmund stood sponsor to him at baptism and to Ragnall at confirmation. In 944, however, Northumbria passed into West-Saxon hands again as Edmund drove out both Viking rulers. The chronicler Æthelweard
8792-473: The E-text is to be trusted. Eadred does not appear to have undertaken any significant action and may even have turned a blind eye on his brother's godson, or so at least the silence of the sources appears to suggest. The E-text reports, however, that in 952, "the Northumbrians drove out King Olaf and accepted Eric, son of Harold." The Annals of Ulster for the same year report a victory of the "foreigners", i.e.,
8949-476: The Finn: Other children: Harald Fairhair became an important figure in Norwegian nationalism in the nineteenth century, during its struggle for independence from Sweden , when he served as 'a heroic narrative character disseminating a foundation story of Norway becoming an independent nation'. In particular, a national monument to Harald was erected in 1872 on Haraldshaugen , an ancient burial mound at
9106-402: The Good becoming kings. In this account, Eirik is described as Harald's eldest son and Hakon as the youngest. Only one of Harald's wives/concubines is named, Snjófríthr , daughter of Svási ( Norwegian : Svåse ), a beautiful sami -woman. She is described as having died three years after their marriage with Harald mourning for her, but the people mourning for him, considering him bewitched. Eirik
9263-546: The Hebrides, is described as having allied himself to Sitriuc mac Tuirgeis, king of Dublin. Although the Caithréim is hardly a work celebrated for its accuracy as a source of history, the distant memory of an Eric who ruled the Hebrides may not be fictitious. It may be a matter of coincidence that the next Vikings known to have ruled the Hebrides were also 'sons of Harold', Gofraid mac Arailt , ri Innsi Gall (d. 989), who
9420-641: The Holy . In 872, after a great victory at Hafrsfjord near Stavanger against Kjotve the Rich , Harald found himself king over the whole country, ruling from his Kongsgård seats at Avaldsnes and Alrekstad . His realm was, however, threatened by dangers from without, as large numbers of his opponents had taken refuge, not only in Iceland , then recently discovered; but also in the Orkney Islands , Shetland Islands , Hebrides Islands , Faroe Islands and
9577-469: The Hunter and maternal grandfather Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye , and his parents Halfdan the Black and Ragnhildr. The text also describes Halfdan having another son called Harald by another woman named Ragnhildr, daughter of the king Harald Goldbeard of Sogn . Halfdan's first Harald inherited Sogn after the death of Harald Goldbeard, and then died himself. Halfdan then inherited Sogn from his first son. The story
SECTION 60
#17327943859469734-575: The Isle of Man in the mid 13th century is the backdrop to the saga writer's intentions and in part at least the sagas aim to legitimise Norwegian claims to both the Northern Isles and the Kingdom of the Isles in the west. The fourteenth-century Flateyjarbók features a Þáttr called Haralds þáttr hárfagra , literary "Harald Fairhair's Þáttr". The first chapter describes Harald's ascension to
9891-635: The Latin Haeric or Henricus or Haericus ) "and brother Ragnald" (from the Latin Reginaldus ). Historians have been struck by the correspondence with these names in Fagrskinna , which says two of the kings who died with Eric in his final battle against Osulf (Olaf) were called Harékr and Ragnvald, although they are not identified as relatives there they certainly are identified as his son ( cum filio – meaning: 'with his son') and his brother ( et fratre – meaning: 'and [his] brother') in
10048-510: The Mighty. The couple only had one child, Eirik Bloodaxe , before her premature death. Eirik Bloodaxe was named after Ragnhild's father as was custom in medieval Scandinavia. Likely due to Eirik Bloodaxe royal mother, he was favored above Harald's other sons. Eirik himself had an unquestioning, near psychopathic loyalty to Harald. Unlike other authors, Snorri does not attribute Eirik's cruelty solely to Gunnhild. When Harald and Snæfrith's son Ragnvald Rettilbeine became known as patron of sorcerers and
10205-486: The North Sagas. Further details on his family background are provided solely by the Icelandic and Norwegian sources of the 12th and 13th centuries, which are of limited and uncertain historical value and should therefore be treated with due circumspection. Harald 'Fairhair' is usually portrayed as a polygamous and virile king, the number of his sons varying between 16 and 20. While Eric's mother remains anonymous in
10362-634: The Northmen or the Norse-Gaels, over "the men of Scotland and the Welsh [ Bretnu , i.e., Britons of Strathclyde] and the Saxons." Exactly what this succinct account may tell us of his second rise to power, if anything, is frustratingly unclear. He may have led the Viking forces in a second bid for the throne, or only returned from the sideline to exploit the ravages of defeat. His reign proved once again of
10519-402: The Norwegian nobility. At this propitious time, Haakon returned to Norway, found a nobility eager to accept him as king instead and ousted Eric, who fled to Britain. Heimskringla specifies that Haakon owed his success in large part to Sigurd, earl of Lade. Determining the date and length of Eric's reign (before and after his father's death) is a challenging and perhaps impossible task based on
10676-462: The Old Norse fairly clearly means 'beautiful-haired' (in contrast to the epithet which, according to some sources, Haraldr previously bore: lúfa , '(thick) matted hair'). Accordingly, some translators prefer to render hárfagri as 'the fine-haired' or 'fine-hair' (which, however, unhelpfully implies that Haraldr's hair was thinning) or even 'handsome-hair'. Through the nineteenth and most of
10833-600: The Scots granted him oaths that they would do all that he wanted." Moreover, in 947 he convened Archbishop Wulfstan and the Northumbrian witan at Tanshelf (now in Pontefract , West Yorkshire), on the boundary of the Humber (near an old Roman road), where they pledged their obedience to him. What perceived threat was being countered remains unclear, but English rule does not seem to have been very warmly received. In any event,
10990-554: The Slender and Håkon Grjotgardsson and their deaths. Håkon's son Sigurd Haakonsson advised Harald to kill Atli's son Hallstein which lead to Hallstein's exile in Iceland. In Vatnsdæla saga Harald's conquest of Norway is described. The saga's initial protagonist Ingimundr recognises that Harald will prevail at Hafrfjord and arranges a meeting with Harald, Ragnvald Mörejarl and their ulfhednar-warriors. Ingimundr offers his loyalty to Harald which Harald graciously accepts, but Ingimundr
11147-518: The Swedish saga -king Erik Eymundsson (whose historicity is not confirmed). Marching up through the Uplands and into Trondheim and then south along the coast Harald subdued many petty kings. Snorri credits his success to excellent leadership by him and his uncle Guthorm, as well as military reforms and his hard tax policy. The taxes demanded by Harald were much higher than other kings and a third of
11304-416: The account cited in the Latin text of the North Sagas entitled, Morte Rex Eilricus (The death of King Eirikr) which had been copied long ago from the annals of the lost York Chronicles, the author provides the details of the events leading to Eric (Eirikr or Eirik) Bloodaxe's death "fraudulently, treacherously betrayed by Earl Osulfus" ( Osulf, Earl of Bamburg ) "... was killed by Earl Maccus ... at
11461-493: The age of 20. It describes a battle in Hafrsvágr (as opposed of Hafrifjord ) against a king called Skeithar-Brandr ( Skeiðar-Brandr ). The text quotes a poem called " Oddmjór " which describes Harald as a Scylding were as other sources calls him an Yngling . He is described to as having waged wars for 10 years before having conquered all of Norway. He is said to have had 20 children, but that only Eirik Bloodaxe & Hakon
11618-576: The alliance by giving his daughter Ragnhild in marriage to the future earl of Orkney, Arnfinn, son of Thorfinn Turf-Einarsson. It is when Eric gains the kingship in Northumbria that he finally steps more firmly into the historical limelight, even though the sources provide only scanty detail and present notorious problems of their own. The historical sources – e.g., versions A-F of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Historia regum and Roger of Wendover's Historia Anglorum – tend to be reticent and
11775-413: The anxieties of Iceland in the early thirteenth century, when the island was indeed coming under Norwegian dominance. He has also suggested that the legend of Harald Fairhair developed in the twelfth century to enable Norwegian kings, who were then promoting the idea of primogeniture over the older custom of agnatic succession , to claim that their ancestors had had a right to Norway by lineal descent from
11932-444: The area of Viken was disputed between the Norwegian and Danish crown in the thirteenth century. Krag points of that Othere describes Viken as Danish territory and Hrafnsmál 's description of the battle of Hafrsfjord suggest that Harald was attacked by "eastern" enemies that were routed and fled back east. He proposes that the battle was not part of a war of conquest but Harald defending his own territory from invaders. This idea offers
12089-601: The chronology is confused. However, the best chronological guideline appears to be that offered by the Worcester Chronicle, i.e., the D-text of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle . The Northumbria on which he set foot was one which had been bitterly fought over between the West-Saxon kings and the Hiberno-Norse line of descendants from Ímair , kings of Dublin. The Northumbrians' own position in the middle of
12246-599: The confused chronology of our late sources. It is also unfortunate that no contemporary or even near contemporary record survives for Eric's short-lived rule in Norway, if it is historical at all. The Norse sagas differ in the way they treat the manner and route by which Eric first came to Britain after he was forced out of Norway. The synoptic histories offer the most concise accounts. Theodoricus goes straight for Eric's arrival in England, his welcome there by King Æthelstan , his brief rule and his death soon afterwards. Similarly,
12403-439: The country's supposed first king. One possibility advanced is that Harald Fairhair was based on a historical king called Harald, perhaps also known as "hárfagri", who ruled Vestlandet . The legend of this Harald later grew into the figure of medieval tradition. Historians who accept the early dating of skaldic poetry such as Claus Krag and Hans Jacob Orning tend to accept Harald's existence, while remaining skeptical regarding
12560-452: The dating of events. Flóamanna saga is traditionally thought of as a 14th-century work and repeats the story of Harald Fairhair's ancestry as told in Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok , and elaborates back to Sigurd Fafnisbani and Odin through Aslaug . In old Norse society, the ancestry of both parents was considered of imperance for the status of a person. The saga relates the conflict between Atli
12717-400: The daughter of Svási, here called Snæfrithr , but in his account they are described as jötnar rather than finns ( sami ). Gyda is said to have been made a friðla (concubine) of Harald after her father Eirik of Hordaland had been killed in battle by Harald's followers. Harald is said to have divorced Åsa and rejected Gyda and several other concubines to marry a Jutish princess called Ragnhild
12874-652: The discord, which continued into the next reign. When he grew old, Harald handed over the supreme power to his favourite son Eirik Bloodaxe , whom he intended to be his successor. Eirik I ruled side by side with his father when Harald was 80 years old. In the Gray Goose Laws , a person above the age of 80 was not allowed to make financial decisions or decisions about inheritance. This co-rulership likely reflected similar laws and would also been way for Harald to force his intended succession. Harald died three years later due to old age in approximately 933. Harald Harfager
13031-458: The discrepancy, the sagas – including Heimskringla – are unanimous in making Haakon Eric's younger half-brother and successor. According to Heimskringla and Egils saga , Eric spent much of his childhood in fosterage with the hersir Thórir son of Hróald . Of his adolescent years, a remarkable picture is painted in Heimskringla, which recounts that Eric, aged twelve and seemingly possessed of prodigious valour and strength, embarked on
13188-451: The earliest accounts of Harald Fairhair. Hrafnsmál , also known as Haraldskvæði , is a fragmentary skaldic poem generally accepted as being written by the 9th-century skald Þorbjörn Hornklofi . There does not exist a complete copy of the poem, and modern editions of the poem are based on the compilation of the segments. Through dating of the parts as well as the meter is consistent, they may be separate compositions but scholarly consensus
13345-406: The early part of the 12th century, John of Worcester had reason to believe that Eric ( Yrcus ) was of royal Scandinavian stock ( Danica stirpe progenitum , a phrase used earlier for the Hiberno-Norse ruler of Northumbria, Sihtric Cáech ). This appears to match with independent tradition from Norwegian synoptic histories and Icelandic sagas, which are explicit in identifying Eric of Northumbria as
13502-431: The effect of consolidating his power. This impression is borne out by royal charters issued towards the end of his reign, between 937 and 939, which style Æthelstan ruler over all Britain (e.g., totius rex Brittanniae or Albionis ). However, Æthelstan died in 939 and his successor Edmund , only 18 years of age, was unable to retain control of Northumbria. In 939 or 940, almost as soon as Edmund had come to power,
13659-403: The evidence is indirect and somewhat ambiguous: the saint claimed kinship not only with Eric's wife but also with Dyfnwal (III) (d. 975), king of Strathclyde and Cumbria ( Donevaldus, rex Cumbrorum ), which may point to an alliance of some kind between the two rulers. Based on internal evidence for the saint's itinerary, Cathróe's stay is to be dated between 940 x 943, when Constantine (II) left
13816-457: The extant accounts of his life come from sagas set down in writing around three centuries after his lifetime. His life is described in several of the Kings' sagas , none of them older than the twelfth century. Their accounts of Harald and his life differ on many points, but it is clear that in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries Harald was regarded as having unified Norway into one kingdom. Since
13973-465: The few charters surviving for 953, Wulfstan attests one and by 955, after Eric's death, he was restored to office, but now with Dorchester rather than York as his episcopal seat. Clare Downham suggests that during this period, Wulfstan may have been pressured by King Eadred into relinquishing his support of Eric. Eric's Northumbrian rule is also corroborated by numismatic evidence. As of 3 February 2009, 31 coins minted at York had been found which bear
14130-594: The fore. Following a report on the invasion of Scotland by William I in 1072, the Historia regum attributed to Symeon of Durham recalls that Eric was driven out and slain by one Maccus son of Onlaf. The Flores historiarum (early 13th century) by Roger of Wendover is thought to have relied on a northern source now lost to us when it adds the following details: ... rex Eilricus in quadam solitudine quae 'Steinmor' dicitur, cum filio suo Henrico [in other MSS, Haerico ] et fratre Reginaldo, proditione Osulfi comitis,
14287-460: The former version, earlier generations of scholars have envisaged the occasion of Eric's death on Stainmore to have been a last stand in battle. The view was espoused by W.G. Collingwood and later still by Frank Stenton , who speculates that Eric might have attempted to regain the kingdom or was fighting off pursuers. Finnur Jónsson re-interprets the alternative tradition in a historical light by proposing that Span- "Spain" in Ágrip goes back to
14444-402: The good as Harald's youngest son, through a servant named Thora. The thirteenth-century Egil's Saga presents a broadly similar account to that of Heimskringla , though its depiction of Harald and his family is much more negative. It has been suggested that Heimskringla and Egil's Saga share Snorri Sturluson as author, or at least share a common source. Given the difference in attitude to
14601-409: The historical figure, are matters which have inspired a variety of approaches and suggestions among generations of historians. Current opinion veers towards a more critical attitude towards the use of sagas as historical sources for the period before the 11th century, but conclusive answers cannot be offered. Eric's soubriquet blóðøx , ‘Bloodaxe’ or 'Bloody-axe', is of uncertain origin and context. It
14758-478: The inscription of his name. These can be divided into two distinct types of issue: N549, in which the moneyer's name (reverse) is written horizontally and broken up in two, and N550, in which his name is inscribed around the edges and Eric's name (obverse) accompanied by a sword symbol (image above on the right). The two principal moneyers, Ingalger and Radulf, who had also minted coins for Amlaíb, occur on both types. The two types may correspond to his two reigns, but it
14915-518: The islands of the Viking refugees of from Harald's conquest of Norway that raided the coast. During the expedition Rognvald's son Ivar was killed so Harald gave governorship of the islands to him. Rognvald wanted to stay in his home in Møre so he passed the jarlship of the Islands to his brother Sigurd. The saga is informed by the Norwegian politics of the day. Once, historians could write that no-one denied
15072-499: The kingdom of Scotland to Malcolm (I) , and 946, when Edmund was slain. The greatest obstacle to an identification of the Erics lies in the problem that the account would be difficult to square with the version of events presented by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the assertion in royal charters that in 946, Edmund was still king of all Britain. It may be noted that the text's chronology has likewise presented some difficulties concerning
15229-408: The later Heimskringla, Ragnvald Rettilbeine is described as killed on Harald's orders. In Heimskringla he is burned alive by Eirik Bloodaxe, while Historia Norwegiæ describes Ragnvald as being drowned. Fagrskinna is thought to have been written around 1220 and is a catalogue of the kings of Norway. The first part describes Harald Fairhair's birth ancestry in form of his paternal grandfather Gudrød
15386-488: The later Icelandic kings' sagas Orkneyinga saga ( c . 1200), Fagrskinna ( c . 1225), the Heimskringla ascribed to Snorri Sturluson ( c . 1230), Egils saga (1220–1240), and Óláfs saga Tryggvasonar en mesta ( c . 1300). Exactly in what sense the Eric of the sagas may have been based on the historical Eric of Northumbria, and conversely, to what extent later evidence might be called upon to shed light on
15543-526: The life of Eric of Norway, a chieftain who ruled the Norwegian Westland in the 930s. Norse sources have identified the two as the same since the late 12th century, and while the subject is controversial, most historians have identified the two figures as the same since W. G. Collingwood 's article in 1901. This identification was rejected early in the 21st century by the historian Clare Downham , who has argued that later Norse writers synthesized
15700-489: The literary development. Fagrskinna ( c . 1220) mentions his daughter Ragnhild and her marriage to an Orkney earl, here Hávard, but never describes Eric as actually stepping ashore. The Orkneyinga saga , written c . 1200, does speak of his presence in Orkney and his alliance with the joint jarls Arnkel and Erland , sons of Torf-Einarr , but not until his rule in Northumbria was challenged by Olaf (Amlaíb Cuarán). However,
15857-575: The main pass through the northern Pennines , the Stainmore Pass or Gap, which marks the boundary between Cumbria in the west and modern Durham in the east. It is here that the mountains are traversed by an old Roman road – more or less followed by the A66 today – leading from York to Catterick and north-westwards from Catterick (via Bowes , Stainmore, Brough , Appleby and Penrith ) to Carlisle . Eric may therefore have followed by and large
16014-401: The medieval Icelandic and Norwegian historiography of Harald Fairhair is part of an origin myth created to explain the settlement of Iceland , perhaps in which a cognomen of Haraldr Sigurðarson was transferred to a fictitious early king of all Norway. Sverrir Jakobsson has suggested that the idea of Iceland being settled by people fleeing an overbearing Norwegian monarch actually reflects
16171-544: The name of one Eiric rex Danorum , "Eric king of the Danes", written into the Durham Liber Vitae , f. 55v., may represent Eric of York. However, this can now be safely rejected in favour of an identification with Eric Ejegod (r. 1095–1103), whose queen Bodil ( Botild ) occurs by name after him. Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair ( Old Norse : Haraldr Hárfagri ) ( c. 850 – c. 932 )
16328-406: The next 150 years. Harald's third principal ally was Rognvald Eysteinsson , jarl of Møre . Snorri describes Rognvald as Harald's closest friend and the one to coin the name "Fairhair". Harald is said to have fathered Bjørn Farmann and Olav Geirstadalv with Rognvald's sister Svanhild, ancestors of the famous Christian kings Olav Tryggvason (named after his grandfather Olav Geirstadalv) and Olav
16485-600: The nickname " Lufa ", shockhead . Harald is said to have fought many battles, including a decisive battle in Hafrfjord against Kjotve the Rich and Haklang. After this battle, all of Norway is said to paid tribute to Harald. Ragnvald jarl then cut Harald's hair and gave him the nickname Fairhair . The text then described Harald's various sons, describing Eirik Bloodaxe as his most beloved and one of his oldest. Harald named Eirik his heir and died in Rogaland from old age and
16642-459: The nineteenth century, when Norway was in a personal union with Sweden , Harald has become a national icon of Norway and a symbol of independence. Though the king's sagas and medieval accounts have been critically scrutinised during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Harald maintains a reputation as the father of the Norwegian nation. At the turn of the 21st century, a few historians have tried to argue that Harald Fairhair did not exist as
16799-518: The northern European mainland. However, his opponents' leaving was not entirely voluntary. Many Norwegian chieftains who were wealthy and respected posed a threat to Harald; therefore, they were subjected to much harassment from Harald, prompting them to vacate the land. At last, Harald was forced to make an expedition to the West, to clear the islands and the Scottish mainland of some Vikings who tried to hide there. Snorri describes Harald's marriage to
16956-470: The poem refers to past events, which would mean the poet lived in a later time than the events described in the poem. Linguistic dating of the poem has not been successful. The earliest narrative source which mentions Harald, the twelfth-century Íslendingabók , notes that Iceland was settled during his lifetime. Harald is thus depicted as the prime cause of the Norse settlement of Iceland and beyond. Iceland
17113-433: The poem seems to describe the Battle of Hafrsfjord, were Harald faced off against Kjotve the Rich and Hakláng. The poem mentions Ragnhild, who in Heimskringla is presented as Harald's queen and mother of Eirik Bloodaxe , as well as the following of ulfheðnar warriors that the saga tradition ascribes to Harald. Like Hrafnsmál, Glymdrápa is a praise poem attributed to Þorbjörn Hornklofi about various battles won by Harald. It
17270-558: The political status of Dyfnwal in the story (see main article there ). A further glimpse may be offered by the mid-12th-century Irish saga entitled Caithréim Chellacháin Chaisil , a text which was primarily designed to glorify the deeds of Cellachán mac Buadacháin (d. 954), king of Munster, and hence his descendants, the Clann Faílbe . In one of its poems, an "Eric, King of the Islands" ( Éiric Righ na n-Innse ), meaning ruler of
17427-428: The province of Northumbria was henceforward administered by earls and records the formal appointment of Osulf as earl of Northumbria the following year. Likewise, the early 12th century De primo Saxonum adventu notes that "[f]irst of the earls after Erik, the last king whom the Northumbrians had, Osulf administered under King Eadred all the provinces of the Northumbrians." By contrast, the identity of Eric's slayer,
17584-417: The reality of Harald Fairhair's expeditions to the west (recounted in detail in the Heimskringla ), but this is no longer the case. Thomson (2008) writes that Harald's "great voyage is so thoroughly ingrained in popular and scholarly history, both ancient and modern, that it comes as a bit of a shock to realise that it might not be true." The Norwegian contest with the Kings of Scots over the Hebrides and
17741-555: The realm ever since Snorri. Harald Fairhair will always be the first king of Norway. The claim to Harald has become important to the development of the tourism industry of Haugesund and its region: today, King Harald Fairhair is associated with several archaeological sites where modern monuments and theme parks (obelisks, towers, sculptures, ‘reconstructions’ of ancient houses/villages) are constructed and where various commemorative practices (jubilees, rallies, festivals) are being performed. The Viking hero Harald Fairhair has become part of
17898-478: The realm of speculation. Eric's death receives a grander treatment in the synoptic histories and sagas. Fagrskinna , apparently the Eiríksmál which it incorporates, and Heimskringla assert that Eric and five other kings died together in battle in an unnamed place in England. According to Ágrip and Historia Norwegiæ , Eric died on a foray in Spain after being forced out of Northumbria. Somewhat in line with
18055-439: The realm, slaughtered the combined forces of his half-brothers Olaf and Sigrød, and gained full control of Norway. At the time, however, Eric's younger and most famous half-brother Haakon, often nicknamed Aðalsteinsfóstri , had been staying at the West-Saxon court, having been sent there to be reared as fosterson to King Æthelstan (r. 924–939). Eric's rule was reputedly harsh and despotic and so he fell rapidly out of favour with
18212-568: The recovery of the Five Boroughs (942), the archbishop did not attest any royal charters, but he began to do so during or after the negotiations of 942. What the charters reveal for Eric's first reign is less clear-cut, but intermittent absence may explain gaps in the record for Wulfstan's attestations in the turbulent years 947–948. Unfortunately, the critical period between 950 and 954 has produced comparatively few charters (owing perhaps to Eadred's deteriorating health), but what little there
18369-401: The relationship in later years is more open to speculation. The witness lists of Anglo-Saxon charters , which reveal when or not Wulfstan attended Eadred's court, in his own right or as a diplomat intermediating between two kings, have been used to provide a chronological framework for Wulfstan's swerving loyalties. Between 938 and 941, that is roughly between the Battle of Brunanburh (937) and
18526-430: The rest of his life as a roving Viking. The remaining independent rulers of Norway were then crushed by Harald's allies or opportunists that attacked their neighbors and then submitted to Harald like Hrollaug had done. The saga tells how people of Norway were then put under heavy taxes and oppression by Harald. Anyone suspected of wanting to rise in rebellion were given the option of fleeing the country, submitting himself as
18683-510: The revenues where given to his jarls. This made jarls and rich farmers flock to his cause to enrich themself. One of these was Håkon Grjotgardsson of Trondheim who allied with Harald and married off his daughter Åsa to him. Harald established the royal estate of Hlade in Trondheim and Håkon became the first of the Earls of Lade , a family which would be one of the dominating forces in Norway for
18840-423: The royal family and information regarding Erik Bloodaxe's family, the latter seems more likely. Through the name Harald Fairhair appears, he is mostly irreverently referred to as Haraldr lúfa. Chapter 3 and 4 tells of Harald's conquest of Norway. It repeats Snorri's story of Harald's vow not to cut his hair until he had become king of all of Norway, but no mention is made of Gyda. Harald is said to have first conquered
18997-455: The saga accounts. In 2015, Hans Jacob Orning, building on then-recent archaeology and Krag's work, argued that Harald was based in Sogn , an area which the medieval Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson associated with Harald, and which was a centre of power in the ninth century. In the skaldic poetry (which is generally considered authentic ninth-century work by linguists) the estates mentioned match
19154-415: The saga sources, the latter part of Harald's reign was disturbed by the strife of his many sons. The number of sons he left varies in the different saga accounts, from 11 to 20. Twelve of his sons are named as kings, two of them ruled over the whole of Norway. He gave them all the royal title and assigned lands to them, which they were to govern as his representatives; but this arrangement did not put an end to
19311-696: The saga's introduction, commissioned by his widow Gunnhild. Except for a single stanza in the Edda, the skaldic poem is preserved nowhere else and what has survived may represent only the opening stanzas. Cast as a dialogue between Bragi , Odin , and fallen heroes, it tells of Eric's arrival in Valhöll , accompanied by five other kings, and his splendid welcome there by Odin and his entourage. Odin had eagerly awaited his coming because "many lands [...] / with his sword he has reddened" and on being asked why he had deprived Eric of such earthly glory, answers that "the future
19468-486: The sagas. It deals with a conflict between Harald and his son Halfdan, identified in Heimskringla as Halfdan the Black (the Younger), Harald's son by Åsa Håkonsdottir. Finnur Jónsson dates this poem to the late 10th century. If the dating is correct, it is the first instance of Harald having the epithet " fairhair " ( hárfagra in the text). However, consensus is that the exact dating is uncertain. It has been suggested that
19625-408: The same route that St Cathroé had taken, except in the opposite direction, possibly with Strathclyde or the Hebrides as his intended destination. The comes Osulf who betrayed Eric was high-reeve of the northern half of Northumbria, centred on Bamburgh, roughly corresponding to the former kingdom of Bernicia. He clearly benefited from his murderous plot against Eric. The Historia regum says that
19782-622: The small trading port of Permina . The Life of St Cathróe of Metz , written c . 1000 at the latest and therefore of near contemporary value, has information about Eric and his wife. It relates that "after keeping him for some time", the King of the Cumbrians conducted Cathróe to Loidam Civitatem , the boundary between the Normanni ("Scandinavians") and the Cumbri ("Britons"): And there he
19939-482: The struggle may have been complex and the outcome was variable, leading an unsympathetic historian like Henry of Huntingdon to judge harshly "their usual faithlessness" ( solita infidelitas ). In 927, having ejected Gofraid ua Ímair from York, King Æthelstan brought Northumbria under English control. His victory in the Battle of Brunanburh in 937, in which he and his half-brother Edmund defeated Gofraid's son King Olaf (III) Guthfrithson of Dublin , seems to have had
20096-406: The synoptic histories ( Ágrip ) and most of the Icelandic sagas, the Heimskringla ( c . 1230) claims that she was Ragnhildr , daughter of Eric, king of (South) Jutland. The possibility that Harald had married a Danish princess may find some support in a skaldic stanza which is usually assigned to Þorbjörn Hornklofi 's Hrafnsmál , a eulogy on Harald's deeds in the form of a conversation between
20253-434: The text makes no such claims. However, later sagas greatly expand upon Eric's activities in the interim between his reigns in Norway and Northumbria, claiming that he initially adopted a predatory lifestyle of raiding, whether or not he was aiming for a more political line of business in the longer run. The jarldom of Orkney , the former Viking base subjected and annexed by Eric's father, came to loom large in these stages of
20410-426: The throne at the age of sixteen, in contrast to other accounts which gives the age of ten. He is here given the otherwise unknown nickname " Dofrafostri " ( Dovre -fostered ). Harald's maternal uncle Guthormr is described as his duke and most important ally. Harald's war with Gandalf Alfgeirsson and his neighboring kings is described as in Heimskringla , through in less detail. Following this Harald's marriage to Gyda
20567-501: The time of Harald Fairhair by Ingólfr Arnarson and Hjörleifr Hróðmarsson . The work describes the history of the Yngling -dynasty from the legendary king Ingvi as Harald's ancestors and Halfdan the Black was his father. Halfdan is here described as ruling a mountainous region of Norway and having drowned in Rondvatnet . Harald's rule is said to have lasted for 73 years and his nickname derived from his beautiful hair. Notably, Harald
20724-402: The town of Haugesund then imagined to be Harald Finehair's burial place, despite opposition from left-wing politicians. The German historian Jan Rüdiger concluded that: His compelling narrative has survived scholarly scrutiny almost unscathed - or rather, professional historical knowledge based on a century of source criticism coexists with Snorri's unscathed narrative in the sense that in
20881-417: The traditional dating of the saga events. The marriage of Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye and Blaeja could not have occurred earlier than 867, which would put the dating Harald's ascension to kingship of Norway in 872 into question. Fagrskinna makes no mention of Blaeja and states that Ragnhild Sigurdsdotter was Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye's daughter and not his great-granddaughter, which seems more plausible in regards to
21038-491: The twentieth centuries, historians broadly accepted the account of Harald Fairhair given by later Icelandic sagas. However, Peter Sawyer began to cast doubt on this in 1976, and the decades around 2000 saw a wave of revisionist research that suggested that Harald Fairhair did not exist, or at least not in a way resembling his appearance in sagas. The key arguments for this are as follows: Scholarly consensus on Harald's historicity now falls into two camps. One suggests that
21195-625: The two Erics, possibly using English sources. This argument, though respected by other historians in the area, has not produced consensus. Contemporary or near-contemporary sources include different recensions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Eric's coinage, the Life of St Cathróe , and possibly skaldic poetry . Such sources reproduce only a hazy image of Eric's activities in Anglo-Saxon England . Strikingly, Eric's historical obscurity stands in sharp contrast to
21352-583: The two fell out. In this time Harald meet jarl Håkon Grjotgardsson (called Hákon the Old in the text) at a feast in Hladir ( Lade ) in Trondheim and gave him part of Atli's fief. Atli defended his old area with violence and both of the jarls were killed. Harald proclaimed he would not cut his hair until having become overlord of Norway and earning tribute from every inland valley and outlying headland, earning him
21509-459: The various districts of the kingdom, and intended Eric, his favourite son, to inherit the throne after his death. At strife with his half-brothers, Eric brutally killed Ragnvald (Rögnvaldr), ruler of Hadeland on his father's orders, and Bjørn Farmann , ruler of Vestfold . Some texts maintain that towards the end of his life, Harald allowed Eric to reign together with him ( Heimskringla , Ágrip , Fagrskinna ) . When Harald died, Eric succeeded to
21666-928: The various sagas name anywhere from 11 to 20 sons of Harald in various contexts, the contemporary skaldic poem Hákonarmál says that Harald's son Håkon would meet only "eight brothers" when arriving in Valhalla , a place for slain warriors, kings, and Germanic heroes. Only the following five names of sons can be confirmed from skaldic poems (with saga claims in parentheses), while the full number of sons remains unknown: The full list of sons (and partial list of daughters) according to Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla : Children with Åsa, daughter of Håkon Grjotgardssson , Jarl av Lade: Children with Gyda Eiriksdottir : Children with Svanhild, daughter of Øystein Jarl: Children with Åshild, daughter of Ring Dagsson: Children with Snæfrithr Svásadottir , daughter of Svåse
21823-414: The wealth of legendary depictions in the kings' sagas, in which he takes part in the sagas of his father Harald Fairhair and his younger half-brother Haakon the Good . These include the late 12th-century Norwegian synoptics – Historia Norwegiæ (perhaps c . 1170), Theodoricus monachus ' Historia de antiquitate regum Norwagiensium ( c . 1180), and Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum ( c . 1190) – and
21980-414: Was Gunnhild , the famous "mother of kings". This account was constructed by the author of Egils saga using an earlier poem called Arinbjarnarkviða "Lay of Arinbjörn", and this poem does not mention Gunnhild by name, implying therefore that the name was introduced by the author of Egils saga . Saga tradition is, however, unanimous that Eric did cohabit with a woman named Gunnhild. Her name occurs in
22137-428: Was a Norwegian king . He ruled as King of Norway from 932 to 934, and twice as King of Northumbria : from 947 to 948, and again from 952 to 954. Historians have reconstructed a narrative of Eric's life and career from the scant available historical data. There is a distinction between contemporary or near contemporary sources for Eric's period as ruler of Northumbria and the entirely saga-based sources that detail
22294-498: Was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from c. 872 to 930 and was the first King of Norway . Supposedly, two of his sons, Eric Bloodaxe and Haakon the Good , succeeded Harald to become kings after his death. Much of Harald's biography is uncertain. A couple of praise poems by his court poet Þorbjörn Hornklofi survive in fragments, but
22451-442: Was already in the original composition, as another manuscript reading has the metrically regular ambáttir Danskar . The account of Heimskringla , which claims that Harald had enjoyed the company of eleven consorts before Ragnhildr, and that of Egils saga are at variance with the suggestion elsewhere that Eric was one of the oldest ( Fagrskinna ), if not the eldest son of Harald ( Historia Norwegiæ , Ágrip ). Whatever one makes of
22608-725: Was buried in Haugesund . In the Saga of Harald Fairhair in Heimskringla (written around 1230), which is the most elaborate although not the oldest or most reliable source to the life of Harald, it is written that Harald succeeded, on the death of his father Halfdan the Black Gudrödarson in Rondvatnet , to the sovereignty of several small, and somewhat scattered kingdoms in Vestfold , which had come into his father's hands through conquest and inheritance. His protector-regent
22765-485: Was commonly stated to have been buried under a mound at Haugar by the Strait of Karmsund near the church in Haugesund , an area that later would be named the town and municipal Haugesund . The area near Karmsund was the traditional burial site for several early Norwegian rulers. The national monument of Haraldshaugen was raised in 1872, to commemorate the Battle of Hafrsfjord which is traditionally dated to 872. While
22922-432: Was crushed beneath the knee by the prow of one of the king's ships and he had to walk on a wooden pegleg for the rest of his life. The 13th century Ragnars saga loðbrókar ok sona hans ( Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons ) mentions Harald Fairhair in chapter 18 as the great-great-grandson of Sigurd Hart through his daughter Aslaug, her son Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye and his daughter Ragnhild. Harald's maternal ancestry
23079-439: Was described as rex totiusque Albionis primicerius in one of his charters, but did not live long enough to enjoy his renewed hold on the northern zone. He was killed in 946. When Eadred succeeded to the throne in 946, Northumbrian as well as Scottish loyalties had proved unstable, though nothing is known for certain of the ambitions of rival rulers at this stage. Eadred "reduced all the land of Northumbria to his control; and
23236-542: Was expected to grant Eric safe passage and perhaps an escort to guide him safely through that part of Northumbria over which he (Osulf) had jurisdiction. It is equally obscure whether Maccus ambushed his victims, or was part of the escort, betraying them ( fraudulenter ) as soon as he saw the opportunity. Towards the end of its portrait of Eric, Fagrskinna cites the Eiríksmál ("Lay of Eric"), an anonymous panegyric written in commemoration of Eric's death and according to
23393-422: Was his mother's brother duke Guthorm . He is described as the descendant of the Yngling -dynasty, whose history is described earlier in the work. The unification of Norway is something of a love story. It begins with a marriage proposal that resulted in rejection and scorn from Gyda , the daughter of Eirik, king of Hordaland . She said she refused to marry Harald "before he was king over all of Norway". Harald
23550-409: Was invited. The Värmlandish chieftain Áki ( Swedish Åke jarl ) invited both king Harald Fairhair and the Swedish saga -king Erik Eymundsson , but had the Norwegian king stay in the newly constructed and sumptuous one, because he was the youngest one of the kings and the one who had the greatest prospects. The older Swedish king, on the other hand, had to stay in the old feasting hall. The Swedish king
23707-620: Was killed on Orkney by Rognvald's son Torf-Einarr and Gudrød was brought to justice by Harald. The estates in Møre are returned to Rognvald's other son Thorir the Silent who was given Harald's daughter Ålov in marriage as compensation . A variation of this story also appears in Orkneyinga saga . Afterwards, Gudrød was kept in Harald's hird , in a position where Harald could prevent him from similar transgressions. The account describes Hákon
23864-427: Was received by a certain nobleman, Gunderic, by whom he was led to king Erichius in the town of York, because this king had as wife a relative of the godly Cathróe Given what is known of Cathróe's own background, this probably means that she was of British ("Cumbrian") or Scottish descent. This contradicts to some extent later saga tradition. According to the early 13th century Egils saga , Eric's consort at York
24021-544: Was settled by "malcontents" from Norway, who resented Harald's claim of rights of taxation over lands, which the possessors appear to have previously held in absolute ownership. It is the earliest non-skaldic account of Harald to use the nickname hárfagri . The Skarðsárbók -version of Landnámabók includes a brief narrative of Harald and his background. Harald is here described as the great-grandson of Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye through his daughter Áslaug, her son Sigurd Hart and his daughter Ragnhild. The text describes Halfdan
24178-536: Was so humiliated that he killed Áki. Harald drove Erik Eymundsson out of Värmland and inserted Áki's son Ubbi ( Swedish : Ubbe ) as jarl. Harald is then said to have made a punitive raid into Västra Götaland , to weaken Erik Eymundsson. As Harald's sons came of age their unruly behavior became a source of instability in Norway. Snæfrith's sons Halfdan Long-Leg and Gudrød Ljome burned Rognvald jarl alive in his hall and took his lands in More and Orkney . Halfdan Long-Legs
24335-531: Was succeeded by his son Ragnall, rí na n-innsi (d. 1005), and probably Gofraid's brother Maccus mac Arailt , who is accorded the title "king of very many islands" ( plurimarum rex insularum ). The Chronicle gives no explanation, but it seems as if the abdications of Amlaíb and Eric are described as essentially northern affairs, apparently without much (direct) West-Saxon intervention, let alone invasion. The historical accounts of Eric's death point to more complex circumstances, but Northumbrian politics are to
24492-536: Was therefore induced to take a vow not to cut nor comb his hair until he was " þjóðkonungr " ( people-king ) of Norway, and when he was justified in trimming it ten years later, he exchanged the epithet " Shockhead " or "Tanglehair" (Haraldr lúfa) for the one by which he is usually known. In 866, Harald made the first of a series of conquests over the many petty kingdoms which would compose all of Norway, including Värmland in Sweden, which had sworn allegiance to
24649-466: Was to be accepted and consecrated as king, probably with Wulfstan as king-maker, acceptance of the Christian faith would have been set as a condition to royal office. The impression is borne out by Wulfstan's earlier removal of Amlaíb Cuarán and Ragnald on grounds that they had become, in Æthelweard's words, deserti "deserters" (see above). In support of this view, it has sometimes been suggested that
#945054