Battle of Fitjar
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Fitjar
(Slaget ved Fitjar på Stord) took place in Fitjar
at Stord
in the county of Hordaland
, Norway.
for power over Norway.It also formed part of a contest between Norway and Denmark for control the area of Oslofjord
.
Gamle Eiriksson, Sigurd Sleva and Harald Greycloak, three of the sons of Eric Bloodaxe (Eirikssønnene) landed unnoticed on Hordaland
in 961 and surprised the king at Fitjar
. The battle was won by the forces of King Haakon, but he was wounded and eventually died. According to Snorri Sturluson
the king wanted the Norwegians to accept the sons of Eric Bloodaxe to succeed him as king and thus end the war.
After Haakon's death, Harald Greycloak and his brothers became kings of Norway, but they had little authority outside Western Norway. The third son of Eric Bloodaxe, Harald was the most powerful of the brothers by right of being the eldest surviving son. The succession issue was finally settled as Harold ascended the throne as Harald II of Norway
. However the Norwegians were severely tormented by years of war. After the assassination of Harald II, Harald Bluetooth (Harald I of Denmark) managed to force the people of Norway into temporary subjection.
Hákonarmál
is a skaldic poem which the skald Eyvindr skáldaspillir
composed about the fall of king Haakon the Good at the battle of Fitjar and his reception in Valhalla
. At Håkonarparken in Fitjar, a statue of King Haakon serves as a memorial to the Battle of Fitjar.
The coat-of-arms of the municipality of Fitjar show a golden helmet. This is derived from the fact that King Haakon wore a golden helmet at the Battle of Fitjar.
Fitjar
Fitjar is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. The municipality covers the northern part of the island of Stord and surrounding islands, while the municipality of Stord covers the southern part of the island.-History:...
(Slaget ved Fitjar på Stord) took place in Fitjar
Fitjar
Fitjar is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. The municipality covers the northern part of the island of Stord and surrounding islands, while the municipality of Stord covers the southern part of the island.-History:...
at Stord
Stord
Stord is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. Stord is sometimes called "Norway in miniature" - as it has such a variety of landscapes: coastline, fjords, forests, agricultural land, and mountain areas....
in the county of Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
, Norway.
Background
The Battle of Fitjar at Stord was the last battle in a war between the sons of Eric Bloodaxe and their uncle King Haakon the GoodHaakon I of Norway
Haakon I , , given the byname the Good, was the third king of Norway and the youngest son of Harald Fairhair and Thora Mosterstang.-Early life:...
for power over Norway.It also formed part of a contest between Norway and Denmark for control the area of Oslofjord
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....
.
Gamle Eiriksson, Sigurd Sleva and Harald Greycloak, three of the sons of Eric Bloodaxe (Eirikssønnene) landed unnoticed on Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
in 961 and surprised the king at Fitjar
Fitjar
Fitjar is a municipality in the county of Hordaland, Norway. The municipality covers the northern part of the island of Stord and surrounding islands, while the municipality of Stord covers the southern part of the island.-History:...
. The battle was won by the forces of King Haakon, but he was wounded and eventually died. According to Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
the king wanted the Norwegians to accept the sons of Eric Bloodaxe to succeed him as king and thus end the war.
After Haakon's death, Harald Greycloak and his brothers became kings of Norway, but they had little authority outside Western Norway. The third son of Eric Bloodaxe, Harald was the most powerful of the brothers by right of being the eldest surviving son. The succession issue was finally settled as Harold ascended the throne as Harald II of Norway
Harald II of Norway
Harald II Greycloak was a king of Norway.Harald Greycloak was the son of Eirik Bloodaxe and a grandson of Harald Fairhair...
. However the Norwegians were severely tormented by years of war. After the assassination of Harald II, Harald Bluetooth (Harald I of Denmark) managed to force the people of Norway into temporary subjection.
Legacy
Hákonarmál
Hákonarmál is a skaldic poem which the skald Eyvindr skáldaspillir composed about the fall of the Norwegian king Hákon the Good at the battle of Fitjar and his reception in Valhalla. This poem emulates Eiríksmál and is intended to depict the Christian Hákon as a friend to the pagan gods...
is a skaldic poem which the skald Eyvindr skáldaspillir
Eyvindr Skáldaspillir
Eyvindr Finnsson skáldaspillir was a 10th century Norwegian skald. He was the court poet of king Hákon the Good and earl Hákon of Hlaðir. His son Hárekr later became a prominent chieftain in Norway.His preserved works are:...
composed about the fall of king Haakon the Good at the battle of Fitjar and his reception in Valhalla
Valhalla
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Fólkvangr...
. At Håkonarparken in Fitjar, a statue of King Haakon serves as a memorial to the Battle of Fitjar.
The coat-of-arms of the municipality of Fitjar show a golden helmet. This is derived from the fact that King Haakon wore a golden helmet at the Battle of Fitjar.
Other sources
- Enstad, Nils-Petter Sverd eller kors? Kristningen av Norge som politisk prosess fra Håkon den gode til Olav Kyrre (Kolofon forlag, 2008)
- Krag, ClausClaus KragClaus Krag is a Norwegian educator, historian, and writer. He is a noted specialist in Old Norse philology and medieval Norwegian history. Krag earned his Cand.philol. in 1969...
(1995) Vikingtid og rikssamling 800-1130 (Aschehoug's History of Norway, 2.(Oslo: 1995)