The Egil's Saga on Harold Fairhair

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 3 - The beginning of the rule of Harold Fairhair.

• relationship: Harold was the son of Halfdan Swarthy and inherited his father's kingdom

  "Harold, son of Halfdan Swarthy, was heir after his father."

• attestation: Harold vowed not to cut or comb his hair until he became sole king of Norway, earning the name Harold Shockhead

  "He had bound himself by this vow, not to let his hair be cut or combed till he were sole king over Norway, wherefore he was called Harold Shockhead."

• attestation: Harold conquered nearby kings, gained possession of Upland, then moved northward to Throndheim

  "first he warred with the kings nearest to him and conquered them, as is told at length elsewhere. Then he got possession of Upland; thence he went northwards to Throndheim"

• attestation: Harold gained control of Naumdale, Halogaland, and appointed rulers over his realm

  "Harold gained the Naumdalesmen and Halogaland, and he set rulers over his realm there."

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 4 - Battle of king Harold and Audbjorn.

• attestation: The battle between Harold and the allied kings took place at Solskel

  "the armies met inside Solskel. There was fought a great battle, with much slaughter in either host."

• attestation: Harold appointed Earl Rognvald over North and South Maera and Raumsdale

  "he set earl Rognvald over North and South Mæra and Raumsdale"

• attestation: Harold set Earl Hroald over the Firthfolk after subduing them

  "Earl Hroald he set over the Firthfolk."

• attestation: Harold claimed all patrimonies, lands, seas, and freshwater lakes as crown property throughout his realm

  "Harold claimed as his own through every district all patrimonies, and all land tilled or untilled, likewise all seas and freshwater lakes."

• attestation: Harold's tyranny caused mass emigration to Jamtaland, Helsingjaland, the Western Isles, Dublin, Caithness, Shetland, and Iceland

  "many fled abroad from this tyranny, and much waste land was then colonized far and wide, both eastwards in Jamtaland and Helsingjaland, and also the West lands, the Southern isles, Dublin in Ireland, Caithness in Scotland, and Shetland. And in that time Iceland was found."

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 5 - The king's message to Kveldulf.

• attestation: Harold sent messengers from the Firths to summon those who had not yet submitted to him

  "King Harold lay with his fleet in the Firths, whence he sent messengers round the land to such as had not come to him"

• attribution: Harold's messengers praised Kveldulf's renown and high family, offering terms of great honour

  "He has heard,' said they, 'that you are a man of renown and high family. You will get from him terms of great honour"

• attestation: Harold went inland to Sogn in summer and prepared to go north to Throndheim in autumn

  "In the summer he went inland to Sogn, but in autumn made ready to go northwards to Throndheim."

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 8 - Of Bard and Thorolf.

• attestation: Harold summoned the powerful men of Halogaland who had not yet come to him

  "King Harold had that summer sent word to the men of power that were in Halogaland, summoning to him such as had not come to him before."

• attestation: Harold granted Brynjolf the right to travel to the Finns and handle the king's business on the fells and Finn traffic

  "He gave him withal the right of journey to the Finns, with the king's business on the fells and the Finn traffic."

• attestation: Bard remained at court and became one of Harold's guard

  "Bard remained, and was made one of the king's guard."

• attestation: Harold most prized his skalds among all his guard; they sat in the second high seat

  "Of all his guard the king most prized his skalds; they occupied the second high seat."

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 9 - Battle in Hafr's Firth.

• attestation: Harold proclaimed a general levy and gathered a fleet from throughout the land, departing from Throndheim southwards

  "King Harold proclaimed a general levy, and gathered a fleet, summoning his forces far and wide through the land. He went out from Throndheim, and bent his course southwards"

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 11 - The king feasts with Thorolf.

• attestation: Harold traveled to Halogaland in summer and banquets were prepared for him by barons and landowners

  "King Harold went that summer to Halogaland, and banquets were made ready against his coming, both where his estates were, and also by barons and powerful landowners."

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 12 - Hildirida's sons talk with Harold.

• attestation: The banquet was not large but the king was cheerful and pleased with the entertainment

  "The company was not numerous, but the feast went off very well, and the king was quite cheerful."

• attestation: Harold was very angry at Hildirida's sons' accusations but spoke quietly, as was his habit with important matters

  "The king was very angry at these words, but he spoke quietly, as was always his wont when he heard tidings of great import."

• attestation: Harold asked whether Thorolf was at home in Torgar, and Harek said he was likely not

  "He asked whether Thorolf were at home at Torgar. Harek said this was not likely."

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 21 - Hallvard and his brother go after Thorolf.

• attestation: Harold was in Vik while Thorolf was harrying, then went north through Upland to Throndheim for winter

  "King Harold was in Vik while Thorolf was harrying, and in the autumn he went to Upland, and thence northward to Throndheim, where he stayed through the winter with a large force."

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 22 - Death of Thorolf Kveldulfsson.

• attestation: Harold was at Hlada when the forces departed to attack Thorolf, and personally led four ships

  "King Harold was at Hlada when the brothers went away. Immediately after this the king made him ready with all haste, and embarked his force on four ships"

• attestation: Harold crossed the isthmus of Elda by land after leaving his ships at Beitis-sea

  "they rowed up the firth, and so by Beitis-sea inwards to the isthmus of Elda. There he left his ships behind, and crossed the isthmus northwards to Naumdale."

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 30 - Of the coming out of Yngvar, and of Skallagrim's iron-forging.

• attestation: Harold confiscated all lands and property that Kveldulf and Skallagrim left behind in Norway

  "King Harold Fair-hair took for his own all those lands that Kveldulf and Skallagrim had left behind in Norway, and all their other property that he could lay hands on."

• attestation: Harold sought out those who had helped Kveldulf and Skallagrim plan the slaying of Hallvard and Sigtrygg

  "He also sought diligently after those men who had been in the counsels or confidence of Skallagrim and his father before Skallagrim went abroad."

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 33 - Bjorn goes to Iceland.

• attestation: Harold sent messengers to Earl Sigurd in the Orkneys ordering that Bjorn Brynjolfsson be killed wherever found

  "messengers of king Harold, with this errand to earl Sigurd, that the king would have Bjorn Brynjolfsson slain wherever he might be found"

• attestation: Harold also sent the same kill order to the Southern Isles and Dublin

  "the same message Harold sent to the Southern Isles and even to Dublin."

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 36 - Of Eric Bloodaxe and Thorolf.

• attestation: Harold resided in Hordaland or Rogaland at various estates including Outstone, Augvalds-ness, Afreksted, and Seaham

  "King Harold long held his residence in Hordaland or Rogaland, at those large estates that he owned, at Outstone or Augvalds-ness, or at Afreksted in Fitjar, or at Seaham in Lygra."

• attestation: Harold was aging and losing strength, while his son Eric Bloodaxe was still young, being fostered by Lord Thorir

  "King Harold was beginning to age much and fail in strength, but many of his sons were come to vigour. His son Eric, by-named Bloodaxe, was then quite young. He was being fostered with lord Thorir Hroaldsson."

• attribution: Harold grudgingly granted Thorolf peace but refused to meet him, holding enmity for Kveldulf's deeds

  "the king promised them before they parted that Thorolf should be in peace with him. 'But I will not,' said he, ' that he come into my presence.'"

• attribution: Harold warned Eric that Thorolf's family might treat Eric no better than they treated Harold himself

  "one of two things will happen, either they will be softer to thee than to me, or thou wilt rue this thy intercession"

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 59 - King Eric slays his brothers.

• attestation: Harold Fairhair gave the kingdom to Eric after seventy years as king and then settled in retirement in Rogaland or Hordaland

  "It was when Harold had been king for seventy years that he gave over the kingdom into the hands of his son Eric."

• attestation: King Harold died in Rogaland three years after retirement and was buried in a mound by Haugasound

  "three years later king Harold died in Rogaland, and a mound was raised to his memory by Haugasound."

Chapter 1 - Of Kveldulf and his sons. > Chapter 73 - Mission to Vermaland.

• attestation: Harold Fairhair had subdued Vermaland eastward as far as Lake Wener, descended from Olaf Tree-cutter through Halfdan Whitebone

  "King Harold Fairhair had subdued Vermaland eastwards as far as Lake Wener. Vermaland had first been cleared and tilled by Olaf Tree-cutter, father of Halfdan Whitebone"