The Heimskringla on Harald Gormson
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 10. Of Gunhild S Sons.
attestation: King Harald Gormson of Denmark was angered that King Hakon had raided his dominions and reportedly sought revenge
"King Harald Gormson ruled over Denmark at that time. He took it much amiss that King Hakon had made war in his dominions, and the report went that he would take revenge"
attestation: King Harald Gormson took Harald Eirikson as his foster-son, setting the boy on his knee, and raised him at the Danish court
"He also took Harald Eirikson to be his foster-son, set him on his knee, and thereafter he was brought up at the Danish king's court."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 8. Of Hakon Earl Of Hlader.
- attestation: King Harald Gormson angrily refused, saying neither his father Gorm, grandfather Hordaknut, Sigurd Orm, nor Ragnar Lodbrok had been asked to share the kingdom.
"The king was highly incensed at this demand, and said that no man had asked his father Gorm to be king over half of Denmark, nor yet his grandfather King Hordaknut, or Sigurd Orm, or Ragnar Lodbrok"
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 9. Of Gold Harald.
- attestation: King Harald Gormson separately told Hakon he would have Gold Harald killed if the demand was not dropped.
"if Gold Harald persists in his demand, I will have no hesitation in having him killed; for I will not trust him if he does not renounce it."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 10. Councils Held By Hakon And Harald.
- attestation: King Harald objected that Norway was large with fierce people and that Hakon had defended it successfully before, costing the Danes many men.
"Norway is a large country, and the people fierce, and not good to attack with a foreign army. We found that sufficiently when Hakon defended that country; for we lost many people, and gained no victory."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 11. Harald Gormson'S Message To Norway.
- attestation: The Danish king sent magnificently fitted messengers to Norway inviting Harald Grafeld to come and receive investiture of Danish fiefs.
"The Danish king then sent messengers north to Norway to Harald Grafeld, and fitted them out magnificently for their journey."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 15. Division Of The Country.
attestation: King Harald Gormson ordered a levy and sailed with 600 ships (actually 720 by long hundred reckoning).
"Soon after King Harald Gormson ordered a levy of men over all his kingdom, and sailed with 600 ships (1)."
attestation: At Tunsberg the people of Viken surrendered to the Danish king, who gave Hakon the government of seven districts: Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn, Fjord-district, South More, Raumsdal, and North More.
"King Harald gave to Earl Hakon the command of all the men who came to him in Norway, and gave him the government over Rogaland, Hordaland, Sogn, Fjord-district, South More, Raumsdal, and North More."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > Endnotes:
- attestation: The "600 ships" figure in the saga actually means 720 ships, because counts used long hundreds where 100 equals 120.
"(1) i.e., 720 ships, as they were counted by long hundreds, 100=120."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 20. Death Of Skopte.
- attestation: Harald Gormson granted Eirik an earldom over Vingulmark and Raumarike in the spring following his arrival.
"In spring the Danish king sent him north to Norway, and gave him an earldom, and the government of Vingulmark and Raumarike, on the same terms as the small scat-paying kings had formerly held these domains."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 24. Harald Opposes Christianity.
attestation: Emperor Otto of Saxony sent a message demanding King Harald of Denmark accept baptism or face invasion.
"The Emperor Otta (Otto) was at that time in the Saxon country, and sent a message to King Harald, the Danish king, that he must take on the true faith and be baptized, he and all his people whom he ruled"
attestation: King Harald ordered the Danavirke (Danish wall) fortified and his warships prepared in response to the emperor's threat.
"The Danish king ordered the land defence to be fitted out, Danavirke (1) (the Danish wall) to be well fortified, and his ships of war rigged out."
attestation: Harald summoned Earl Hakon from Norway to come with as many men as possible in early spring.
"He sent a message also to Earl Hakon in Norway to come to him early in spring, and with as many men as he could possibly raise."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 26. Otta And Hakon In Battle.
- attestation: King Harald sent Earl Hakon with his Northmen south to Danavirke to defend Denmark.
"Harald, the Danish king, sent Earl Hakon with the army of Northmen that followed him southwards to Danavirke, to defend his kingdom on that side."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 27. Harald And Hakon Are Baptized.
attestation: Emperor Otto defeated the Danish king in battle after crossing from Slesvik into Jutland.
"The Emperor Otta turned back with his troops to Slesvik, collected his ships of war, and crossed the fjord of Sle into Jutland. As soon as the Danish king heard of this he marched his army against him, and there was a battle, in which the emperor at last got the victory."
attestation: The defeated King Harald fled to Limafjord and took refuge on the island of Marsey.
"The Danish king fled to Limafjord and took refuge in the island Marsey."
attestation: Bishop Poppo instructed King Harald in the Christian faith on Marsey, demonstrating his faith by carrying red hot irons with unburned hands.
"There Bishop Poppo instructed King Harald in the holy faith; he bore red hot irons in his hands, and exhibited his unscorched hands to the king."
attestation: King Harald allowed himself and the whole Danish army to be baptized after Bishop Poppo's demonstration.
"Thereafter King Harald allowed himself to be baptized, and also the whole Danish army."
attestation: Harald ordered the earl to bring priests and learned men to Norway and make all people there be baptized.
"and the king gave them priests and other learned men with them, and ordered that the earl should make all the people in Norway be baptized."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 29. The Emperor Otta Returns Home.
attestation: Emperor Otto returned to Saxland and parted on friendly terms with the Danish king.
"The Emperor Otta went back to his kingdom in the Saxon land, and parted in friendship with the Danish king."
relationship: Emperor Otto stood godfather to Svein, King Harald's son, who was baptized with the name Otta Svein.
"It is said that the Emperor Otta stood godfather to Svein, King Harald's son, and gave him his name; so that he was baptized Otta Svein."
attestation: King Harald maintained his Christianity until his death.
"King Harald held fast by his Christianity to his dying day."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 36. Harald Gormson Sails Against Iceland.
attestation: King Harald Gormson learned that Earl Hakon had abandoned Christianity and raided Danish territory.
"The Danish king, Harald Gormson, heard that Earl Hakon had thrown off Christianity, and had plundered far and wide in the Danish land."
attestation: Harald levied an army, sailed to Norway, and devastated Earl Hakon's lands, leaving only five houses standing in Laeradal.
"The Danish king levied an army, with which he went to Norway; and when he came to the country which Earl Hakon had to rule over he laid waste the whole land, and came with his fleet to some islands called Solunder. Only five houses were left standing in Laeradal"
attestation: Harald proposed sailing to Iceland to avenge lampoons the Icelanders had composed mocking him.
"Then the Danish king proposed to sail with his fleet to Iceland, to avenge the mockery and scorn all the Icelanders had shown towards him"
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 37. Harald Sends A Warlock To Iceland.
attestation: King Harald sent a warlock (shape-shifter) to Iceland in the form of a whale to scout the island's defenses.
"King Harald told a warlock to hie to Iceland in some altered shape, and to try what he could learn there to tell him: and he set out in the shape of a whale."
attestation: Harald turned back to Denmark after the warlock's failed reconnaissance, and Hakon resettled the devastated areas paying no further tribute.
"Hakon the earl settled habitations again in the country that had been laid waste, and paid no scat as long as he lived to Denmark."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 38. Harald Gormson'S Death.
attestation: Svein, later called Tjuguskeg (Forkbeard), asked his father Harald for a share of the kingdom but was refused.
"Svein, King Harald's son, who afterwards was called Tjuguskeg (forked beard), asked his father King Harald for a part of his kingdom; but now, as before, Harald would not listen to dividing the Danish dominions"
attestation: King Harald was mortally wounded in the battle; Svein was initially overpowered but Harald died of his wound.
"But King Harald received a wound which ended in his death: and Svein was chosen King of Denmark."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 39. Vow Of The Jomsborg Vikings.
attestation: King Svein held a magnificent succession-feast (heirship-ale) after his father Harald's death.
"King Svein made a magnificent feast, to which he invited all the chiefs in his dominions; for he would give the succession-feast, or the heirship-ale, after his father Harald."
attestation: Before ascending his father's high-seat, Svein drank a bowl to Harald's memory and vowed to invade England within three winters to kill or chase out King Ethelred.
"before King Svein went up into his father's high-seat, he drank the bowl to his father's memory, and made the solemn vow, that before three winters were past he would go over with his army to England, and either kill King Adalrad (Ethelred), or chase him out of the country."
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 59. Olaf Baptizes The Country Of Viken.
attestation: King Harald Gormson had earlier sent earls Urguthrjot and Brimilskjar to proclaim Christianity in Norway, succeeding only in Viken.
"He sent two earls, Urguthrjot and Brimilskjar, with many people to Norway, to proclaim Christianity there. In Viken, which stood directly under the king's power, this succeeded"
attestation: After Harald Gormson's death, when Svein Forkbeard went on foreign campaigns, the Norwegian converts reverted to heathen sacrifice.
"when Svein Forked-beard, immediately after his father King Harald's death, went out on war expeditions in Saxland, Frisland, and at last in England, the Northmen who had taken up Christianity returned back to heathen sacrifices, just as before"
Heimskringla > The Chronicle Of The Kings Of Norway > 139. Here Begins The Story Of Canute The Great.
- attestation: Harald Gormson, Canute's grandfather, conquered Norway after the fall of Harald Grafeld and placed Earl Hakon the Great to defend it.
"Harald Gormson, Canute's grandfather, had conquered Norway after the fall of Harald Grafeld, Gunhild's son, had taken scat from it, and had placed Earl Hakon the Great to defend the country"