Harald II of Norway
Encyclopedia
Harald II Greycloak (died 970) was a king of Norway
.
Harald Greycloak was the son of Eirik Bloodaxe and a grandson of Harald Fairhair
. His mother was Gunnhild Gormsdatter, the daughter of King King Harald Gormsonof Denmark.
After his father's death in 954, Harald and his brothers allied with their grandfather, King Harald Gormson, against King Haakon I of Norway
. They fought several battles against King Haakon including the Battle of Rastarkalv
near Frei
in 955 and the Battle of Fitjar
in 961.
After King Haakon's death at Fitjar
, Harald and his brothers became kings of Norway, but they had little authority outside Western Norway. Harald, by being the oldest, was the most powerful of the brothers. In 961, their uncle King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark traveled to Norway and declared Harald Greycloak to be his vassal king in Norway.
Harald moved to strengthen his rule by killing the local rulers including Sigurd Haakonsson
, Tryggve Olafsson
and Gudrød Bjørnsson
. Harald Greycloak thus took power over the country up to and including Hålogaland
. Harald established control over the trade route along the Norwegian coast. He also undertook a Viking expedition to Bjarmaland
, today the area of Arkhangelsk
in northern Russia
. Harald soon became less dependent on support from Harald Bluetooth.
In 970, he was tricked into coming to Denmark
and killed in Hals
in the Limfjord
in a plot planned by Sigurd Haakonsson's
son Haakon Sigurdsson
, who had become an ally of Harold Bluetooth. Haakon Sigurdsson had become the Jarl of Lade after his own father was killed by Harald Greycloak's men in 961. The surviving brothers of Harald Greyhide fled the country after his death. With the death of Harald Greycloak, King Harald Bluetooth won back power over Norway and he supported Haakon Sigurdsson as his vassal king.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Harald Greycloak was the son of Eirik Bloodaxe and a grandson of Harald Fairhair
Harald I of Norway
Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair , , son of Halfdan the Black, was the first king of Norway.-Background:Little is known of the historical Harald...
. His mother was Gunnhild Gormsdatter, the daughter of King King Harald Gormsonof Denmark.
After his father's death in 954, Harald and his brothers allied with their grandfather, King Harald Gormson, against King Haakon I of Norway
Haakon 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:...
. They fought several battles against King Haakon including the Battle of Rastarkalv
Battle of Rastarkalv
The Battle of Rastarkalv took place in AD 955 on the island of Frei in the county of Møre og Romsdal, Norway.This was one of several battles between the forces of King Haakon the Good and those of the sons of Eirik Bloodaxe...
near Frei
Frei
Frei is a village, island, and former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Kristiansund between the Kvernesfjord and Freifjord...
in 955 and the Battle of Fitjar
Battle of Fitjar
The Battle of Fitjar took place in Fitjar at Stord in the county of Hordaland, 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 Good for power over Norway.It also formed part of a contest between Norway...
in 961.
After King Haakon's death 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:...
, Harald and his brothers became kings of Norway, but they had little authority outside Western Norway. Harald, by being the oldest, was the most powerful of the brothers. In 961, their uncle King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark traveled to Norway and declared Harald Greycloak to be his vassal king in Norway.
Harald moved to strengthen his rule by killing the local rulers including Sigurd Haakonsson
Sigurd Haakonsson
Sigurd Håkonsson was a Norwegian nobleman and Jarl of Lade in Trøndelag.Sigurd Håkonsson was the son of Håkon Grjotgardsson, the first Jarl of Lade. In 900, Håkon came into conflict with Atle Mjove over Sogn and fought a battle at Fjaler , in which Håkon was killed...
, Tryggve Olafsson
Tryggve Olafsson
Tryggve Olafsson was king of Viken, Norway ....
and Gudrød Bjørnsson
Gudrød Bjørnsson
Gudrød Bjørnsson was the son of Bjørn Farmann, the king of Vestfold, and a grandson of Harald Fairhair. Gudrød was the father of Harald Grenske, and the paternal grandfather of Saint Olaf....
. Harald Greycloak thus took power over the country up to and including Hålogaland
Hålogaland
Hålogaland was the northernmost of the Norwegian provinces in the mediaeval Norse sagas. In the early Viking Age, before Harald Fairhair, Hålogaland was a petty kingdom extending between Namdalen in Nord-Trøndelag and Lyngen in Troms.-Etymology:...
. Harald established control over the trade route along the Norwegian coast. He also undertook a Viking expedition to Bjarmaland
Bjarmaland
Bjarmaland was a territory mentioned in Norse sagas up to the Viking Age and - beyond - in geographical accounts until the 16th century. The term is usually seen to have referred to the southern shores of the White Sea and the basin of the Northern Dvina River and - presumably - some of the...
, today the area of Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk
Arkhangelsk , formerly known as Archangel in English, is a city and the administrative center of Arkhangelsk Oblast, Russia. It lies on both banks of the Northern Dvina River near its exit into the White Sea in the north of European Russia. The city spreads for over along the banks of the river...
in northern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Harald soon became less dependent on support from Harald Bluetooth.
In 970, he was tricked into coming to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and killed in Hals
Hals, Denmark
Hals is a harbour and tourist town with a population of 2,521 in Region Nordjylland's Aalborg Municipality on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark.-References:...
in the Limfjord
Limfjord
The Limfjord is a shallow sound in Denmark that separates the island of Vendsyssel-Thy from the rest of the Jutland Peninsula. It extends from Thyborøn Channel on the North Sea to Hals on the Kattegat. It is approximately 180 kilometres long and of an irregular shape with several bays, narrowings,...
in a plot planned by Sigurd Haakonsson's
Sigurd Haakonsson
Sigurd Håkonsson was a Norwegian nobleman and Jarl of Lade in Trøndelag.Sigurd Håkonsson was the son of Håkon Grjotgardsson, the first Jarl of Lade. In 900, Håkon came into conflict with Atle Mjove over Sogn and fought a battle at Fjaler , in which Håkon was killed...
son Haakon Sigurdsson
Haakon Sigurdsson
Haakon Sigurdarsson was the de facto ruler of Norway from about 975 to 995.-Background:Haakon was the son of Sigurd Haakonsson, Jarl of Lade and ruler of Trøndelag and Hålogaland. His mother was Bergljot Toresdatter, daughter of Tore Ragnvaldsson, Earl of Møre...
, who had become an ally of Harold Bluetooth. Haakon Sigurdsson had become the Jarl of Lade after his own father was killed by Harald Greycloak's men in 961. The surviving brothers of Harald Greyhide fled the country after his death. With the death of Harald Greycloak, King Harald Bluetooth won back power over Norway and he supported Haakon Sigurdsson as his vassal king.
Other sources
- 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...
Harald Gråfell in Norsk biografisk leksikonNorsk biografisk leksikonNorsk biografisk leksikon is the largest Norwegian biographical encyclopedia.The first edition was issued between 1921 and 1983, including 19 volumes and 5,100 articles...
2. utg. Bd 4, 2001. - Koht, HalvdanHalvdan KohtHalvdan Koht was a Norwegian historian and politician representing the Labour Party.As a politician he served as the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1935 to 1941. He was never elected as a member of the Parliament of Norway, but was a member of Bærum municipal council in 1917–1919 and...
Harald Graafeld in Norsk biografisk leksikonNorsk biografisk leksikonNorsk biografisk leksikon is the largest Norwegian biographical encyclopedia.The first edition was issued between 1921 and 1983, including 19 volumes and 5,100 articles...
, 1. utg. Bd 5, 1931.