Harald III of Norway

Harald III Sigurdsson (1015 - 1066), in Old norrois Haraldr Sigurðarson , “the flash of North”, called well later “hardraada” (old norrois: harðráði , with the hard command, which is often translated by “the pitiless one”), or the “Last of the Viking S”, was king of Norway of 1046 with 1066, and the half-brother of Olaf II (Holy Olaf). Harald III of Norway married Thora (girl of Thorberg).

When his/her half-brother was killed at the time of a battle, Harald was exiled. It chooses to leave for Constantinople, where he became chief of the Garde varangienne. Later, it returned to Norway where it shared the capacity with the son of Olaf II, Magnus {{Ier}}. With died of this last in 1047, Harald became the only one directing country. Harald was killed with the Bataille of Stamford Bridge in the Yorkshire, as a combatant against Harold Godwinson, a few day before the defeat of this last with Hastings.

Harald was also a prolific Scalde and of talent.

A tumultuous youth

Harald is the son of Sigurd Syr Halfdansson, under-king of the Ringerike, and Asta Gudbrandsdottir, which had had Olaf the large one of a first marriage with Harald Grenske, king of the Vestfold.

Harald is thus the half-brother of Olaf the Saint who is driven out of Norway by his subjects in 1028, with the support of the king of the Denmark, Knut {{Ier}} Large the. Those Ci had indeed refused forced the evangelization campaign carried out by their monarch. Olaf reverts 1030 to Norway to the head of an army of tramp, well defined demolishing the pagan . At that time, Harald has 15 years and combat at the sides of his/her brother. The pagan ones however succeed in demolishing them with the Bataille of Stiklestad where Olaf is killed (he is canonized one year later by the Catholic church and becomes one of patron saint of Norway) while Harald is seriously wounded and constrained with the exile.

The exile

Harald leaves then for the Russia where he enlists in the army of the king Iaroslav with Kiev. Besides he will marry later a girl of this last. It is for him the occasion to achieve its first feats of arms and to gain prestige as a warrior.

He forms then part of the guard varègue of the empress Zoe with Constantinople. During ten years, it fights for the empire on various theaters of battle: in Italy, Sicily (1038/40) and in North Africa, which enables him to increase its prestige and its richnesses.

Araltes was the son of king de Varangia; his/her brother was Julavos which inherited the kingdom to dead of his/her father and made of his Araltes brother his right-hand man in this kingdom. But when he was still Araltes young man decided to undertake voyages and to go to present its regards to the happy emperor, to Lord Michel Paphlagon and to initiate themselves with the Roman administration. It brought with him an escort of 500 valiant men. The Emperor accepted it with all the honors and sent it with its troop in Sicily where the Roman army held countryside. And Araltes there went and achieves many exploits. When Sicily had been conquered, it turned over with its troop in the Emperor who made his manglavites of it. Then Delianos started a revolt in Bulgaria and Araldr and its troop there went with the Emperor and achieved important facts against the enemy, as it seyait with a man of its courage and noble chalk-lining. After the death of the Michel Emperor and his nephew, Araltes wanted to obtain from their successor Constantin Monomaque, the permission to return in its native land but one prohibits it to him and one made him difficulties. He arranged himself all the same to leave in secrecy and became king in his own country, in the place of his Julavos brother. he maintained his confidence and his friendship with the Romain Empire as long as he was king. (Byzantine Chronicle, about 1075)

In 1042 or 1044, Harald sets out again for Kiev where in 1045 it marries Elizabeth (or Ellisif), the girl of the king Iaroslav.

From this union will be born:

Ingeberg, it married Olaf Ier of Denmark, then married Philippe of Sweden

Magnus II of Norway

Olav III of Norway

The return to the country

1046 mark the year of the return to the country to claim there the throne of Norway or that of Denmark. After a temporary alliance with Sven II of Denmark against its nephew Magnus, Harald breaks that Ci against the promise of Magnus to let it reign on half of the kingdom. In fact, it reign together on Norway until Magnus dies in 1047, which makes of Harald the king of Norway in title. It is then devoted to subject the local main leaders, who hold the reality of the capacity.

During this same period, it continues to try to seize Denmark. However, in spite of the ceaseless raids that it operates, the country resists after a fashion, what leads it to make peace with Sven II in 1064.

The invasion of England

The death of Edouard the Confessor, king of England and the election with the head of the country of Harold Godwinson turns the warlike ambitions of Harald towards a new theater. It is combined with Guillaume of Normandy and the younger brother of Harold, Tostig, to deposit Harold of the throne. If Guillaume aspired to the crown, Harald did not wish it less, perhaps with the suggestion of Tostig. Indeed, in 1038 or 1039, a promise had been exchanged between Magnus Ier of Norway (the nephew of Harald) and the king of England Knud II Bold the. The latter had agreed: if one of them died without direct heir, the other would inherit the kingdom. Knud died without heir before Magnus, which served as a pretext for Harald to claim the crown of England and to invade the country by North. However this promise had only little value, the kings of England being elected. In addition Sven II of Denmark, as a descendant of Knut and successor of Magnus, had at least as many reasons to be prevailed of this promise.

After having made name his/her son Magnus king de Norvège, Harald thus sets sail towards England with can be 300 ships and 9000 men: it is the last great forwarding Viking. He touches ground in the the Shetland, then the the Orkneys, where they leaves his wife and her daughters. He skirts then the coasts of Scotland, devastation while passing the district of Cleveland, puts fire at Scarborough, goes up the Humber then his affluent the Ouse and unloads with Ricall with about fifteen km in the south of York around September 1066. He demolishes the forces northumbriennes in Fullford, to 3 km in the south of York, on September 20th. The 24, the inhabitants of York and all the population of the district are subjected. However Harald does not occupy the city and waits the bridge of Stamford until hostages are brought to him. Defendant the very same day where Harald unloads in Ricall, Harold goes up to forced marches on York while raising troops in the passing. The 25 worms midday it surprises Harald with the bridge of Stamford with approximately 6000 men including 3000 housecarles.

Carnage is atrocious on both sides. The Norwegian survivors hold on 24 ships out of the 300 which had arrived. Harald and Tostig die during the battle, but Olaf, the son of Harald, which kept the ships, survives.

October 1st, Harold learns the unloading from Guillaume. Its army remakes with foot of 14 days the 380 km which separate it from Hastings and arrives exhausted by these two forced marches and this terrible battle. The fresh troops of Guillaume do not have then any evil to crush the English army at the time of the Bataille of Hastings, where Harold dies in its turn. Adam of Bremen indicates that Guillaume took possession of gold that Harald had piled up since its forwarding with Byzance, and that it had carried with him, and that one needed twelve men to carry it.

The body of Harald is brought back to Norway one year, and is later buried in Nidaros, its capital (Trondheim).

The man

This warlike king who had hardly reached about fifty years was first king de Norvège to reach such a advanced age since Harald Ier. If its comes up of iron harms its popularity in its own country, he did not remain about it less one exceptional warrior and a remarkable general. This was worth to him a place particulère in the saga of the kings de Norvège written by Snorri Sturluson, which describes it ainsi :

It was the general opinion which king Harald had exceeded all the other men in wisdom and sagacity, which it had to act quickly or make of the long-term plans, for itself or others. With the weapons, it was most valiant of the men. He was likely also to gain the victory

King Harald was a beautiful man, of noble imposing presence, fair of hair and barb, with long moustache; one of its eyebrows was a little higher than the other; he had large hands and large feet, well done the ones and the others. He five ells was high (two meters ten?). He was cruel for his enemies and pitiless for any opposition that one made him.

The Théodoricus monk, contemporary of Snorri, writing, lui : It was a valiant man, of good council, bold with the weapons, firm of matter and ambitious .

The Ágrip note that it still controlled with great firmness that peacefully. And there was not an other king who, of all the men, was also tall by sagacity and the company spirit.

On the other hand Adam of Bremen, contemporary of the king, in fact a character much less advisable. King Harald was of a cruelty as it is little of examples by his arrogant tyranny. He made destroy many churches and torture with dead many Christians. as soon as it had returned at his place, it made the war continuously, passed as the fire on the countries of North and was, by all the Danish islands, a large instigator of misdeeds. Also it reigned on many nations, hated for all kinds of cupidities and cruelties. It also notes that the archbishop stigmatized it to adapt the offerings brought on the tomb of Olaf Saint to distribute them to his men of war.

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