Harald Fairhair

Harald I
King Harald, in an illustration from the 14th century Flateyjarbók.
King of Norway
Reign 872–930
Successor Eirik Bloodaxe
Spouse Ragnhild Eriksdotter
Åsa Håkonsdotter
Svanhild Øysteinsdotter
various concubines
Issue
Eirik Bloodaxe
Bjørn Farmann
Olaf Geirstadalf
Haakon the Good
Father Halfdan the Black
Mother Ragnhild Sigurdsdotter
Born c. 850
Eastern Norway
Died 943 (aged 82–83)
Rogaland, Norway
Burial Haugesund
Religion Norse paganism

Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair (Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre), (c. 850 – c. 933), son of Halfdan the Black, was the first king (872–930) of Norway.

Contents

Background

Little is known of the historical Harald. The only contemporary sources mentioning him are the two skaldic poems Haraldskvæði and Glymdrápa, which have been attributed to Þorbjörn Hornklofi or alternatively (in the case of the first poem) to Þjóðólfr of Hvinir. The first poem has only been preserved in fragments in 13th century Kings' sagas. It describes life at Harald's court, mentions that he took a Danish wife, and that he won a battle at Hafrsfjord. The second relates a series of battles Harald won. The validity of this evidence is doubtful and the facts offered by the poems are scant. Their unity is in any case questionable, as they have been reconstructed from fragments in the Kings' sagas, where they are attributed to more than one author.[1]

Harald is not mentioned in any foreign sources earlier than the 12th century. His life is 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 have generally assumed that his rule was limited to the coastal areas of southern Norway.[2]

Saga descriptions

In Heimskringla it is claimed that Harald succeeded, on the death of his father Halfdan the Black Gudrödarson, 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 was his mother's brother Guthorm.

The unification of Norway is, according to a tale narrated in Heimskringla, something 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.[3] Most scholars today regard this story as a literary tale inspired by the Romance stories that were 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 all of Norway, including Värmland in Sweden, 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 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.[4]

The earliest narrative source which mentions Harald, Íslendingabók claims that Iceland was settled during his lifetime. It was thus 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.[5]

There are several accounts of large feasting mead halls constructed for important feasts when Scandinavian royalty was invited. According to a legend recorded by Snorri Sturluson, in the Heimskringla, the late 9th-century Värmlandish chieftain Áki invited both the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair and the Swedish king Eric 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 was so humiliated that he killed Áki.

The Norwegian kingdoms

These maps are mainly based on later saga sources, from the 13th century. Their historical accuracy is questionable.

Later life

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 over the whole country. 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.

Harald Harfager 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 in 872.[6][7]

Issue (according to Heimskringla)

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

Children with Gyda Eiriksdottir:

Children with Ragnhild Eiriksdotter of Jutland:

Children with Svanhild, daughter of Eystein Earl:

Children with Åshild, daughter of Ring Dagsson:

Children with Snøfrid, daughter of Svåse the Finn:

Children with Tora Mosterstong, his maid:

Other children:

Ancestors

See also

References

  1. ^ Jakobsson, Sverrir. "„Erindringen om en mægtig Personlighed“: Den norsk-islandske historiske tradisjon om Harald Hårfagre i et kildekritisk perspektiv.“ "Historisk tidsskrift" 81 (2002): 213-30.
  2. ^ See for instance Krag, Claus. "Norge som odel i Harald Hårfagres ætt. Et møte med en gjenganger" "Historisk tidsskrift" 68 (1989): 288-302.
  3. ^ In fact, the epithet was actually first used for the later Harald Hardrada, who is called Harald Finehair in some 11th century Anglo-Saxon sources, cf. Jakobsson, Sverrir, „„Erindringen om en mægtig Personlighed“: Den norsk-islandske historiske tradisjon om Harald Hårfagre i et kildekritisk perspektiv“, Historisk tidsskrift, 81 (2002), 213-30.
  4. ^ According to Peter H. Sawyer, this expedition probably never took place, cf. "Harald Fairhair and the British Isles", in "Les Vikings et leurs civilisation", ed. R. Boyer (Paris, 1976), pp. 105-9
  5. ^ On the relationship between Harald and Icelandic settlers cf. Kreutzer, Gert, "Das Bild Harald Schönhars in der altisländischen Literatur", in "Studien zum Altgermanischen. Festschrift für Heinrich Beck", ed. by Heiko Uecker, Ergänzungsbände zum Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde, 11 (Berlin/New York, 1994), pp. 443-461.
  6. ^ Heimskringla, by Snorri Sturlson
  7. ^ Heimskringla,The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway

Related Reading

Harald Fairhair
Born: c. 850 Died: c. 933
Regnal titles
New title King of Norway
872–930		 Succeeded by
Eirik Bloodaxe
Fairhair dynasty · rival
rulers of other houses
c. 870–985
995–1028
1035–1319
Harald I Fairhair · Eric Bloodaxe · Haakon I the Good · Harald II Greycloak · Haakon Sigurdsson 1 · Olaf I Tryggvason · Eiríkr Hákonarson 1 & Sveinn Hákonarson 1 & Hákon Eiríksson 1 · Sweyn Forkbeard · Olaf II the Saint · Hákon Eiríksson 1 · Canute the Great · Sveinn Álfífuson 1 · Magnus I the Good · Harald III Hardrada · Magnus II Haraldsson · Olaf III Kyrre · Haakon Magnusson & Magnus III Barefoot · Olaf Magnusson · Eystein I Magnusson · Sigurd I the Crusader · Magnus IV the Blind · Harald IV Gille · Sigurd the Noisy · Sigurd II Munn · Eystein II Haraldsson · Inge I Haraldsson the Hunchback · Haakon II Broadshoulder · Magnus Erlingsson · Sigurd Markusfostre · Olav the Unlucky · Eystein the Maiden · Sverre Sigurdsson · Jon Kuvlung · Sigurd Magnusson · Inge Magnusson · Haakon III Sverresson · Guttorm Sigurdsson · Inge II Bårdsson · Erling Stonewall · Philip Simonsson · Haakon IV Haakonsson · Haakon the Young · Magnus VI the Law-mender · Eric II Magnusson · Haakon V Magnusson
Knýtlinga
985–995
1028–1035
Fairhair dynasty · Sweyn Forkbeard 5 · Fairhair dynasty · Canute the Great 5 · Sweyn Knutsson 2 Fairhair dynasty
Bjelbo
1319–1387
The Kalmar union
1387–1448
Margaret 4 · Eric III 4 · Christopher 4 · Charles I 3
Oldenburg
1448–1814
Holstein-Gottorp
Bernadotte
1814–1905
Charles II 3 · Charles III John 3 · Oscar I 3 · Charles IV 3 · Oscar II 3
Schleswig-Holstein-
Sonderburg-Glücksburg
since 1905
1 Regent.  2 Also Danish monarch.  3 Also Swedish monarch.  4 Also Danish and Swedish monarch.5 Also Danish and English monarch.