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Harald I of Norway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harald I of Norway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harald Fairhair
King of Norway
King Harald, in an illustration from the 14th century Flateyjarbók.

King Harald, in an illustration from the 14th century Flateyjarbók.
Reign 872930
Coronation none
Born c. 850
Birthplace Eastern Norway
Died 933
Place of death Rogaland, Norway
Buried Karmsund
Predecessor none
Successor Eirik Bloodaxe
Wives Ragnhild Eriksdotter
Åsa Håkonsdotter
Svanhild Øysteinsdotter
various concubines
Issue 21 known sons
3 known daughters
Sons include:
Eirik Bloodaxe
Bjørn Farmann
Olaf Geirstadalf
Haakon the Good
Dynasty Fairhair dynasty
Father Halfdan the Black
Mother Ragnhild Sigurdsdotter

Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair (Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre), (c. 850 – c. 933) was the first king (872930) of Norway.

Little is known of the historical Harald. The only contemporary sources mentioning him are the two skaldic poems Haraldskvæði and Glymdrápa, by Þorbjörn Hornklofi. The first poem describes life at Harald's court, mentions that he took a Danish wife, and that he won a victory at Hafrsfjord. The second relates a series of battles Harald has won. He is not mentioned in any contemporary foreign sources. His life was described in several of the Kings' sagas, but the first of these were not written until the end of the 12th century, over 250 years after his death. Their accounts of Harald and his life differ on several points, and much of the content is clearly mythological. He is credited with having unified Norway into one kingdom. Modern historians assume that his rule was limited to the coastal areas of southern Norway.

[edit] The saga descriptions

The sagas tell us that Harald succeeded, on the death of his father Halfdan the Black Gudrødsson in A.D. 860, to the sovereignty of several small, and somewhat scattered kingdoms in Vestfold, which had come into his father's hands through conquest and inheritance.

The unification of Norway is, according to a tale, somewhat of a love story. The tale 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 was therefore induced to take a vow not to cut nor comb his hair until he was sole king of Norway, and that ten years later, he was justified in trimming it; whereupon he exchanged the epithet "Shockhead" or "Tanglehair" for the one by which he is usually known. Most scholars today regard this story as a literary tale inspired by the Romance stories popular at the courts, by the time Heimskringla was written.

In 866, Harald made the first of a series of conquests over the many petty kingdoms which would compose Norway, including Värmland in Sweden, and modern day south-eastern Norway, which had sworn allegiance to the Swedish king Erik Eymundsson. In 872, after a great victory at Hafrsfjord near Stavanger, Harald found himself king over the whole country. 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 the northern European mainland. However, his opponents leaving wasn't 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.

It was long thought that Harald thus caused the Norse settlement of Iceland and beyond. According to this view, Iceland 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. This view has been largely abandoned by modern historians, as archaeological finds have shown that the settlement of Iceland started before Harald's reign in Norway.

Harald Haarfager later in his life.
Harald Haarfager later in his life.

The latter part of Harald's reign was disturbed by the strife of his many sons. 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 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. Harald died three years later due to age in approximately 933. 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 over the whole country.

Harald's children with Åsa, daughter of Håkon Grjotgardsson, Earl of Lade:

Children with Gyda:

  • Ålov Årbot (Haraldsdotter)
  • Rørek Haraldsson
  • Sigtrygg Haraldsson
  • Frode Haraldsson
  • (Torgils Haraldsson

Children with Ragnhild Eiriksdotter of Jutland:

Children with Svanhild, daughter of Eystein Earl:

Children with Åshild, daughter of Ring Dagsson:

  • Ring Haraldsson
  • Dag Haraldsson
  • Gudrød Skirja
  • Ingegjerd Haraldsdotter

Children with Snøfrid, daughter of Svåse the Finn:

  • Halvdan Hålegg
  • Gudrød Ljome
  • Ragnvald Rettilbeine
  • Sigurd Rise

Children with Tora Mosterstong, his maid:

Other children:

  • Ingebjørg Haraldsdotter

Harald was the grandfather of Harald II.

[edit] Notes

  1. This Torgils Haraldsson is identical to "Thorgest" in the Irish history. Snorre Sturlason, in his Heimskringla, claims that Torgils was Harald's son. This is now thought to be unlikely.

[edit] References

Harald Fairhair
Born: c. 850 Died: c. 933
Regnal titles
New title King of Norway
872-930
Succeeded by
Eric Bloodaxe


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