Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The reign ofHarald Hårfagre was such an oddand entertaining time that it was recorded
for posterity in the
Heimskringla,
the Norwegian kings' saga, by Icelander Snorre
Sturluson. According to Snorre, Harald's unification of Norway was inspired by a woman
who taunted the king by refusing to have relations with a man whose kingdom wasn't even
as large as tiny Denmark. Through a series of confederations and trade agreements, he ex-
tended his rule as far north as what is now Trøndelag. His foreign policies were equally
canny, and he even sent one of his sons, Håkon, to be reared in the court of King Athel-
stan of England. There is no record of whether the woman in question was sufficiently im-
pressed. Harald died of plague at Avaldsnes on Karmøy island around 930.
The king who unified the country could do little about his own family, however. He had
10 wives and fathered a surfeit of heirs, thereby creating serious squabbles over succes-
sion. The one who rose above them all was Erik, his last child and only son with Ragnhild
the Mighty, daughter of the Danish King Erik of Jutland. The ruthless Erik eliminated all
of his legitimate brothers except Håkon (who was safe in England). Erik, whose reign was
characterised by considerable ineptitude, then proceeded to squander his father's hard-won
Norwegianconfederation.WhenHåkonreturnedfromEnglandtosortoutthemessasKing
Håkon den Gode (Håkon the Good), Erik was forced to flee to Britain where he took over
the throne of York as King Erik Blood-Axe.
The word 'Viking' derives from
vik,
an Old Norse word that referred to a bay or cove, a reference to Vik-
ings' anchorages during and after raids.
Christianity & the Viking Decline
The Vikings gave Norwegians their love of the sea and it was during the late Viking period
that they bequeathed to them another of their most enduring national traits - strong roots
in Christianity. However, this overturning of the Viking pantheon of gods did not come
without a struggle.
According to some linguists, Viking gods gave their names to the days of the week in English - Tuesday
(Tyr's Day), Wednesday (Odin's Day), Thursday (Thor's Day) and Friday (Freyr's Day).
KingHåkontheGood,whohadbeenbaptisedaChristianduringhisEnglishupbringing,
brought the new faith (as well as missionaries and a bishop) with him upon his return to
Norway.Despitesomeearlysuccess,mostVikingsremainedloyaltoThor,OdinandFreyr.
Althoughthemissionarieswereeventuallyabletoreplacethenamesofthegodswiththose
