HARALD III OF NORWAY
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(Redirected from Harald Hardråde)
'Harald III Sigurdsson' (1015 – September 25, 1066), later surnamed 'Harald HardrÃ¥de' (Old Norse: ''Haraldr harðráði'', roughly translated as "stern council" or "hard ruler") was the king of Norway from 1047[1] until 1066. He was also the King of Denmark until 1062. Many details of his life were chronicled in the ''Heimskringla''. Among English-speakers, he is generally known as "Harald Hardrada" and remembered for his invasion of England in 1066. The death of Hardrada is often recorded as the end of the Viking era.
Born in 1015, Harald was the youngest of King Olaf II's three half-brothers born to Ã…sta Gudbrandsdatter. When Harald was 15, King Olaf was killed defending his throne from Canute the Great in 1030 at the Battle of Stiklestad. Harald took part in the battle and although wounded managed to escape before leaving Norway in exile. He was able to form a band of warriors out of men who had also been exiled as a result of Olaf's death. In 1031 Harald and his men reached the land of the Kievan Rus where they served the armies of Yaroslav I the Wise, the King of the Rus. Harald is thought to have taken part in King Yaroslav's campaign against the Poles and was appointed joint commander of defense forces.
Some years after Harald and his men had entered the land of the Rus, they packed up and left for the heart of the Byzantine Empire, the city of Constantinople. At the time, the Byzantine Empire was the wealthiest empire in Medieval Europe and the Near East. Harald and his men pledged themselves to the service of the armies of the empire. Harald's forces joined the elite mercenary unit known as the Varangian Guard. It was not long until Harald had proven himself in battle and gained the respect of his fellow guardsmen. Harald became the leader of the entire force and used this power to undertake his own missions. Harald's forces won a great many victories in North Africa, Syria and Sicily. Through ingenuity, he and his men were able to besiege and defeat a number of castles. A contemporary source reports such tactics as attaching burning resin to birds, setting the castle ablaze, and feigning reluctance to fight, only to launch an attack at the most advantageous moment. Harald was able to build a large fortune in plunder from his victories.
Harald took part in the suppression of the uprising of Peter Delyan, who attempted to restore the Bulgarian Empire in 1040-1041. In the Norse sagas, he is hailed as "Devastator of Bulgaria" and "Scourge of the Bulgarians" due to his participation, and is even thought to have cut down Peter Delyan in the field of battle. Some authors go as far as to theorize that Harald named Oslo after a Bulgarian he fell in love with, possibly named Slava or Oslava, though these theories are not known to have any actual base.[1]
Using the wealth he had built during his service to the Byzantine Empire, Harald returned to Norway in 1045. Harald brought with him a number of men who served with him, and, as a result, became an immediate threat to the sitting king, Magnus I, who was the son of Olaf II and nephew of Harald and had returned from exile in 1035 to reclaim his father's throne after the death of Canute the Great.
Magnus I agreed to share power with his uncle Harald and the two became co-rulers. However, it was only a year later that Magnus would die. The circumstances surrounding his death were never truly explained. Speculation and increased tension between the two rulers led to the widespread belief that Magnus was killed by Harald so that he alone would control Norway.
Harald was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, outside the city of York, England. The battle took place on 25 September 1066. Harald died fighting against the forces of King Harold Godwinson of England. He had come to England with the idea of claiming the English Throne as his own. He based this claim on a supposed agreement between Magnus and Harthacanute whereby if either died without heir, the other would inherit both England and Norway.
He landed in Northern England with a force of around 15,000 men and 300 longships (50 men in each boat), and had won a great victory on 20 September against the first English forces he met at the Battle of Fulford two miles south of York. Some speculate that Harald's defeat at the Battle of Stamford Bridge was the result of his belief that King Harold Godwinson was prepared to surrender. This was not the case, and Harald's army was destroyed at Stamford Bridge. His army was so heavily beaten that fewer than 25 of the 300 recorded longboats Harald used to transport his forces to England were used to carry the survivors back to Norway. Not long after his victory over King Harald, Harold Godwinson was defeated by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. The fact that Harold had to make a forced march against Hardrada, fight at Stamford Bridge and then move at utmost speed back south to meet the Norman invasion, all in a matter of days, is widely seen as a primary factor in William's hard-fought victory at Hastings.
Harald was the last great Viking king of Norway and his invasion of England and death at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 proved a true watershed moment. It marked the end of the Viking age. In Norway, although he was at least nominally Christian, Harald's death also marked the beginning of the Christian era: the High Middle Ages. His body was taken to Trondheim in 1067 and buried in the Church of St. Mary. About 100 years later his body was reinterred in Helgeseter monastery which was demolished sometime in the 1600s.
On September 25, 2006, the 940th anniversary of Harald's death, the newspaper ''Aftenposten'' published an article on the poor state of Norway's ancient royal burial sites, including that of Harald Hardrada, which is reportedly located underneath a road built across the monastery site. In a follow-up article on September 26, the Municipality of Trondheim revealed they would be examining the possibility of exhuming the king and reinterring him in the Nidaros Cathedral. The cathedral is currently the burial place of nine Norwegian kings, among them Magnus I and Magnus II, Harald's predecessor and successor respectively.
In 1980 American science fiction and fantasy author Poul Anderson published ''The Last Viking'', a three-volume historical novel about Harald. Harald also makes a notable appearance in Thomas Holts novel ''Meadowland'' where the tale of Vinlands discovery is used as the plotline.
★ Raven banner
Henry Treece wrote a historical novel about Harald Hardrada called The Last of the Vikings, first published in 1963.
1. Harald became co-ruler in 1046 and sole king in 1047 when Magnus died.
★ Sawyer, P.H. (1994).''Kings and Vikings''. pgs 118-20, 146-47. Barnes and Noble Books, New York.
★ Sturluson, Snorri (2005). ''King Harald's Saga'' (Part of the Heimskringla). pgs 45, 46, 47. Penguin Classics..
★ Saga of Harald Hardrade
★ Encyclopedia Britannica 1911
'Harald III Sigurdsson' (1015 – September 25, 1066), later surnamed 'Harald HardrÃ¥de' (Old Norse: ''Haraldr harðráði'', roughly translated as "stern council" or "hard ruler") was the king of Norway from 1047[1] until 1066. He was also the King of Denmark until 1062. Many details of his life were chronicled in the ''Heimskringla''. Among English-speakers, he is generally known as "Harald Hardrada" and remembered for his invasion of England in 1066. The death of Hardrada is often recorded as the end of the Viking era.
| Contents |
| Early Life |
| Time in the Byzantine Empire |
| Return to Norway |
| Invasion of England |
| Legacy |
| See also |
| Notes |
| Sources |
| External links |
Early Life
Born in 1015, Harald was the youngest of King Olaf II's three half-brothers born to Ã…sta Gudbrandsdatter. When Harald was 15, King Olaf was killed defending his throne from Canute the Great in 1030 at the Battle of Stiklestad. Harald took part in the battle and although wounded managed to escape before leaving Norway in exile. He was able to form a band of warriors out of men who had also been exiled as a result of Olaf's death. In 1031 Harald and his men reached the land of the Kievan Rus where they served the armies of Yaroslav I the Wise, the King of the Rus. Harald is thought to have taken part in King Yaroslav's campaign against the Poles and was appointed joint commander of defense forces.
Time in the Byzantine Empire
Some years after Harald and his men had entered the land of the Rus, they packed up and left for the heart of the Byzantine Empire, the city of Constantinople. At the time, the Byzantine Empire was the wealthiest empire in Medieval Europe and the Near East. Harald and his men pledged themselves to the service of the armies of the empire. Harald's forces joined the elite mercenary unit known as the Varangian Guard. It was not long until Harald had proven himself in battle and gained the respect of his fellow guardsmen. Harald became the leader of the entire force and used this power to undertake his own missions. Harald's forces won a great many victories in North Africa, Syria and Sicily. Through ingenuity, he and his men were able to besiege and defeat a number of castles. A contemporary source reports such tactics as attaching burning resin to birds, setting the castle ablaze, and feigning reluctance to fight, only to launch an attack at the most advantageous moment. Harald was able to build a large fortune in plunder from his victories.
Harald took part in the suppression of the uprising of Peter Delyan, who attempted to restore the Bulgarian Empire in 1040-1041. In the Norse sagas, he is hailed as "Devastator of Bulgaria" and "Scourge of the Bulgarians" due to his participation, and is even thought to have cut down Peter Delyan in the field of battle. Some authors go as far as to theorize that Harald named Oslo after a Bulgarian he fell in love with, possibly named Slava or Oslava, though these theories are not known to have any actual base.[1]
Harald is struck in the throat by an arrow during the Battle of Stamford Bridge on September 25, 1066. Illustration by Wilhelm Wetlesen.
Return to Norway
Using the wealth he had built during his service to the Byzantine Empire, Harald returned to Norway in 1045. Harald brought with him a number of men who served with him, and, as a result, became an immediate threat to the sitting king, Magnus I, who was the son of Olaf II and nephew of Harald and had returned from exile in 1035 to reclaim his father's throne after the death of Canute the Great.
Magnus I agreed to share power with his uncle Harald and the two became co-rulers. However, it was only a year later that Magnus would die. The circumstances surrounding his death were never truly explained. Speculation and increased tension between the two rulers led to the widespread belief that Magnus was killed by Harald so that he alone would control Norway.
Invasion of England
Harald was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, outside the city of York, England. The battle took place on 25 September 1066. Harald died fighting against the forces of King Harold Godwinson of England. He had come to England with the idea of claiming the English Throne as his own. He based this claim on a supposed agreement between Magnus and Harthacanute whereby if either died without heir, the other would inherit both England and Norway.
He landed in Northern England with a force of around 15,000 men and 300 longships (50 men in each boat), and had won a great victory on 20 September against the first English forces he met at the Battle of Fulford two miles south of York. Some speculate that Harald's defeat at the Battle of Stamford Bridge was the result of his belief that King Harold Godwinson was prepared to surrender. This was not the case, and Harald's army was destroyed at Stamford Bridge. His army was so heavily beaten that fewer than 25 of the 300 recorded longboats Harald used to transport his forces to England were used to carry the survivors back to Norway. Not long after his victory over King Harald, Harold Godwinson was defeated by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. The fact that Harold had to make a forced march against Hardrada, fight at Stamford Bridge and then move at utmost speed back south to meet the Norman invasion, all in a matter of days, is widely seen as a primary factor in William's hard-fought victory at Hastings.
Legacy
Harald was the last great Viking king of Norway and his invasion of England and death at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066 proved a true watershed moment. It marked the end of the Viking age. In Norway, although he was at least nominally Christian, Harald's death also marked the beginning of the Christian era: the High Middle Ages. His body was taken to Trondheim in 1067 and buried in the Church of St. Mary. About 100 years later his body was reinterred in Helgeseter monastery which was demolished sometime in the 1600s.
On September 25, 2006, the 940th anniversary of Harald's death, the newspaper ''Aftenposten'' published an article on the poor state of Norway's ancient royal burial sites, including that of Harald Hardrada, which is reportedly located underneath a road built across the monastery site. In a follow-up article on September 26, the Municipality of Trondheim revealed they would be examining the possibility of exhuming the king and reinterring him in the Nidaros Cathedral. The cathedral is currently the burial place of nine Norwegian kings, among them Magnus I and Magnus II, Harald's predecessor and successor respectively.
In 1980 American science fiction and fantasy author Poul Anderson published ''The Last Viking'', a three-volume historical novel about Harald. Harald also makes a notable appearance in Thomas Holts novel ''Meadowland'' where the tale of Vinlands discovery is used as the plotline.
See also
★ Raven banner
Henry Treece wrote a historical novel about Harald Hardrada called The Last of the Vikings, first published in 1963.
Notes
1. Harald became co-ruler in 1046 and sole king in 1047 when Magnus died.
Sources
★ Sawyer, P.H. (1994).''Kings and Vikings''. pgs 118-20, 146-47. Barnes and Noble Books, New York.
★ Sturluson, Snorri (2005). ''King Harald's Saga'' (Part of the Heimskringla). pgs 45, 46, 47. Penguin Classics..
External links
★ Saga of Harald Hardrade
★ Encyclopedia Britannica 1911
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