Halfdan III of Vestfold

Halfdan the Black Gudrødsson (820 - 860, or 824 - 864 according to the sources), king in the south-east of the Norway at the 9th century, was the father of Harald, first monarch to unify all the country.

Terrible parents

Gudrœd Halfdanson Splendid the, his/her father, was king of the Vestfold. It was killed out of a blow of spear by a servant whereas Halfdan was only one year old. This murder had been carried out on order of the Asa queen who thus avenged her own father, king Harald Barberousse d' Agder, and her Gyrd brother, shot down by the warriors of that which, after having removed it, was going to make of it his wife and the mother of Halfdan.

Heritages

Asa took along Halfdan in the kingdom of Agder of which he became king at eighteen years. At the same time, it divided Vesfold with his Olaf half-brother then, the weapons with the hand, obliged king Gandalf to yield half of Vingulmark to him which his/her father had formerly had. As for Olaf, it was not long in dying by leaving for heir a boy named Rognvald.

Conquests

Halfdan tore off the Raumarike with the king Sigtryg Eysteinsson of Hedmark during a battle where its enemy was killed out of an arrow. It still had to overcome several times Eystein, brother of Sigtrygg, before being able to obtain a treaty which gave him also half of Hedmark. It conquered in more Toten, Hadeland and the province of Land. The wire of king Gandalf also tried to take again its half of Vingulmark to him but it was them which lost theirs.

Marriages

Halfdan had initially a son of his first wife Ragnhild, girl of the king of the Sogn Harald Barbe of gold which designated its grandson for heir. During the same year, Halfdan lost father-in-law, woman and wire but accepted Sogn in heritage of his/her child. He entrusted the management of this kingdom to the jarl of Gaular, his friend Atli the Thin one. Halfdan remaria with another Ragnhild, girl of Sigurd the Stag of Ringerike, which gave him Harald.

Succession

Halfdan drowned with part of its continuation while passing through the ice of a cold bay. It was forty years old. One transported his skin in Ringerike to bury it but notable other areas claimed its body and it had to be divided into four. Ten years old, Harald succeeded to him under the supervision of his/her maternal uncle.

Source

History of the kings de Norvège by Snorri Sturluson, translated, introduced and annotated by François-Xavier Dillmann (Gallimard, 2000)

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