Hafrsfjord
Hafrsfjord is a fjord or bay located in the municipalities of Stavanger and Sola in Norway. Stretching 9 kilometres. Hafrsfjord fjord is bounded by Tananger, Sola and Madla. The only bridge over the fjord is Hafrsfjord bridge between Kvernevik in Stavanger and Jåsund in the village of Tananger in Sola.
Hafrsfjord is also the name of a neighbourhood (delområde) in the borough Madla in Stavanger. It has a population of 4,003, distributed on an area of 5.78 km².
Hafrsfjord is also the location of the KNM Harald Hårfagre, the Basic Training Establishment for the Royal Norwegian Navy. The camp had been used for military purposes since 1871 and in 1934 it was renamed Madlaleiren. In 1952, Parliament decided that the Navy's boot camp would be added to the camp and also that the Navy would formally take over the camp. Three years later, the camp was named KNM Harald Hårfagre. Today KNM Harald Hårfagre is the principal training camp for both the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Officer Candidate School for the Navy moved the intake and basic education from Horten to KNM Harald Hårfagre during the summer of 2005.
Battle of Hafrsfjord
Historically Hafrsfjord is principally known for its association with the Battle of Hafrsfjord (Slaget i Hafrsfjord). King Harald "Fairhair", the first king of Norway, won a great naval battle during the year 872 which resulted in the unity of Norway into one kingdom. The battle paved the way for Harald to gain control over most of western coast of Norway and rightly call himself king of the country.
In 1983 a monument by Norwegian sculptor and artist Fritz Røed was raised in Møllebukta at the northernmost end Hafrsfjord. The monument is called Sverd i Fjell (Swords in Rock) and represents the Battle of Hafrsfjord. The crowns on the top of the swords represent the three districts that participated in the battle.[1]
The name
The modern form of the name should have been Haffjorden, but because of its historical significance the Norse form of the name has been revived. The first element is the genitive case of hafr m 'male goat.' *Hafr might have been the name of a skerry at the narrow entrance of the fjord.