Haakon Sigurdsson
Encyclopedia
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
from about 975 to 995.
Background
Haakon was the son of Sigurd HaakonssonSigurd Haakonsson
Sigurd Håkonsson was a Norwegian nobleman and Jarl of Lade in Trøndelag.Sigurd Håkonsson was the son of Håkon Grjotgardsson, the first Jarl of Lade. In 900, Håkon came into conflict with Atle Mjove over Sogn and fought a battle at Fjaler , in which Håkon was killed...
, Jarl of Lade and ruler of Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
and Hålogaland
Hålogaland
Hålogaland was the northernmost of the Norwegian provinces in the mediaeval Norse sagas. In the early Viking Age, before Harald Fairhair, Hålogaland was a petty kingdom extending between Namdalen in Nord-Trøndelag and Lyngen in Troms.-Etymology:...
. His mother was Bergljot Toresdatter, daughter of Tore Ragnvaldsson, Earl of Møre. Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
wrote that he was "of the stock of Ivar (possibly Ivar the Boneless
Ivar the Boneless
Ivar Ragnarsson nicknamed the Boneless , was a Viking leader and by reputation also a berserker. By the late 11th century he was known as a son of the powerful Ragnar Lodbrok, ruler of an area probably comprising parts of modern-day Denmark and Sweden.-Invader:In the autumn of AD 865, with his...
) and descended from a race of giants". In the sagas, Haakon claimed descent from the divine linage of Sæming
Sons of Odin
Various gods and men appear as Sons of Odin or Sons of Wodan/Wotan or Sons of Woden in old Old Norse and Old High German and Old English texts.-Thor, Baldur, and Váli:...
, son of Odin
Odin
Odin is a major god in Norse mythology and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Anglo-Saxon "Wōden" and the Old High German "Wotan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz"....
. The Hakon Jarl Runestones
Hakon Jarl Runestones
The Hakon Jarl Runestones are Swedish runestones from the time of Canute the Great.Two of the runestones, one in Uppland and one in Småland mention a Hakon Jarl, and both runologists and historians have debated whether they are one and the same, or two different men. Moreover, all known Hakon...
in Sweden may refer to him.
Reign
Harald II of Norway
Harald II Greycloak was a king of Norway.Harald Greycloak was the son of Eirik Bloodaxe and a grandson of Harald Fairhair...
's men in 961. He warred with King Harald for some time, until he was forced to flee to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Harald Bluetooth. In Denmark he conspired with Harald Bluetooth against Harald Greyhide.
Jarl Haakon arranged the death of Harald Greyhide around 971 with the connivance of Harald Bluetooth, who had invited his foster-son to Denmark to be invested with new Danish fiefs. Civil war broke out between Jarl Haakon and the surviving brothers of Harald Greyhide, but Haakon proved victorious. After this, Haakon Jarl ruled Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
as a vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
of Harald Bluetooth, but he was in reality an independent ruler. For Harald, he attacked Götaland
Götaland
Götaland , Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gautland or Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden and comprises provinces...
and killed its ruler Jarl Ottar
Jarl Ottar
Jarl Ottar or Ottar Jarl was a jarl of Götaland who appears in the Heimskringla and in the Jomsvikinga Saga....
. When Haakon was in Denmark, Harald Bluetooth forced him to accept baptism and assigned him clergymen to take to Norway to spread Christianity. When a favourable wind came for Haakon to leave, he commanded the clergymen to return ashore.
Around 973-974, he went to Denmark to help Harald Bluetooth of Denmark in his defense against the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II. Otto's forces successfully opposed an attempt by Harald to throw off the German yoke. After that Haakon paid no taxes to Denmark.
Haakon was a strong believer in the old Norse gods, and when Harald Bluetooth attempted to force Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
upon him around 975, Haakon broke his allegiance to Denmark. In 977 Vladimir I of Kiev
Vladimir I of Kiev
Vladimir Sviatoslavich the Great Old East Slavic: Володимѣръ Свѧтославичь Old Norse as Valdamarr Sveinaldsson, , Vladimir, , Volodymyr, was a grand prince of Kiev, ruler of Kievan Rus' in .Vladimir's father was the prince Sviatoslav of the Rurik dynasty...
fled to him, collecting as many of the Viking warriors as he could to assist him to recover Novgorod, and on his return the next year marched against Yaropolk I of Kiev
Yaropolk I of Kiev
Yaropolk I Svyatoslavich was a young and rather enigmatic ruler of Kiev between 972 and 980. His royal title is traditionally translated as "Prince"....
. In 986, a Danish invasion fleet led by the fabled Jomsvikings
Jomsvikings
The Jomsvikings were a possibly-legendary company of Viking mercenaries or brigands of the 10th century and 14th century AD, dedicated to the worship of such deities as Odin and Thor. They were staunchly pagan, but they reputedly would fight for any lord able to pay their substantial fees, and...
was defeated at the Battle of Hjörungavágr
Battle of Hjörungavágr
The Battle of Hjörungavágr is a semi-legendary naval battle that took place in the late 10th century between the Jarls of Lade and a Danish invasion fleet led by the fabled Jomsvikings...
.
In 995, a quarrel broke out between Haakon and the Trønders just as Olaf Tryggvason
Olaf I of Norway
Olaf Tryggvason was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken , and, according to later sagas, the great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first King of Norway.Olaf played an important part in the often forcible, on pain of torture or death, conversion of the...
, a descendant of Harald Fairhair
Harald I of Norway
Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair , , son of Halfdan the Black, was the first king of Norway.-Background:Little is known of the historical Harald...
arrived. Haakon quickly lost all support, and was killed by his own slave and friend, Tormod Kark
Tormod Kark
Tormod Kark was the slave and friend of Håkon Sigurdsson . Hoping for a reward, Kark killed the wanted earl and brought his head to enemy Olaf Tryggvason, later king of Norway. The murder happened at Rimul in Melhus...
, while hiding in the pig sty in the farm Rimul
Rimul
Rimul is a farm in the municipality of Melhus in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is the scene of the murder of Håkon Sigurdsson by his slave Tormod Kark , as described in the Saga of king Olav Tryggvason in Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla.-Location:There is still a farm named Romol in the western...
in Melhus
Melhus
Melhus is a village and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Gauldalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Melhus...
. Jarlshola is the location in Melhus thought to have been the hiding place of Haakon Jarl and Tormod Kark on their last night before the infamous murder at Rimul. After his death, Haakon Jarl's two sons Eirik Håkonson and Sveinn Hákonarson, fled for protection to the king of Sweden, Olof Skötkonung.
Children
- Eirik Håkonson (960s – 1020s), would avenge his father at the Battle of SvolderBattle of SvolderThe Battle of Svolder was a naval battle fought in September 999 or 1000 in the western Baltic Sea between King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway and an alliance of his enemies...
and then govern Norway with his half-brother, Sveinn Hákonarson - Sveinn HákonarsonSveinn HákonarsonSveinn Hákonarson was an earl of the house of Hlaðir and co-ruler of Norway from 1000 to c. 1015. He was the son of earl Hákon Sigurðarson. He is first mentioned in connection with the battle of Hjörungavágr, where the Heimskringla says he commanded 60 ships...
(died c. 1016), co-ruler of Norway - Aud HaakonsdottirAud Haakonsdottir of LadeAud Haakonsdottir of Lade, also called Öda Haakonsdottir of Lade , was a legendary Swedish Viking age queen consort, according to the sagas the last spouse of King Eric the Victorious of Sweden....
, married the Swedish king Eric the Victorious, according to Yngvars saga víðförlaYngvars saga víðförlaYngvars saga víðförla is a legendary saga said to have been written in the twelfth century by Oddr Snorrason. Scholars have been skeptical towards this claim but in recent years it has gained more acceptance.... - Bergljót Haakonsdottir, married Einar TambarskjelvarEinar TambarskjelvarEinar Eindridesson Thambarskelfir was an influential Norwegian noble and politician during the 11th century. He headed the feudal lords in their opposition to Olaf Haraldsson.Several references are made to him in Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla...
- Sigrid Haakonsdottir, mother of Ivar Hvide, Jarl of OpplandOpplandis a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
- Sigurd Haakonsson
- Ragnhild haakonsdatter
- Erling Haakonsson
- Erland Haakonsson
- Hemming Haakonsson
- Ramvieg Haakonsdatter
- Source: Foundation for Midieval genealogy
Poets
Skáldatal
Skáldatal is a short prose work in Old Norse. It is preserved in two manuscripts: DG 11, or Codex Uppsaliensis, which is one of the four main manuscripts of the Prose Edda , and AM 761 a 4to , which also contains Skaldic poems...
, Haakon had the following court poets:
- Eyvindr Finnsson
- Einarr skálaglamm
- Tindr HallkelssonTindr HallkelssonTindr Hallkelsson was an Icelandic skald active around the year 1000. He was the court poet of earl Hákon Sigurðarson and fragments of his drápa on the earl are preserved in Jómsvíkinga saga, the kings' sagas and the Prose Edda...
- Skafti Þóroddsson
- Þórólfr munnr
- Eilífr Guðrúnarson
- Vigfúss Víga-GlúmssonVigfúss Víga-GlúmssonVigfúss Víga-Glúmsson was an Icelandic skald, active around the year 1000. He was the son of Víga-Glúmr, the protagonist of Víga-Glúms saga. According to various sources, Vígfúss was the court poet of Hákon Sigurðarson,...
- Þorleifr jarlsskáldÞorleifr jarlsskáldÞorleifr Rauðfeldarson or Þorleifr jarlsskáld was an Icelandic skald. He was one of the court poets of Hákon Sigurðarson, though only a couple of his verses on the ruler have come down to us. The following is quoted in Heimskringla....
- Hvannár-Kálfr
Korsvikaspillet
Jarl Haakon is a central figure in Håkon og Kark which is performed annually at the Korsvikaspillet festival in KorsvikaKorsvika
Korsvika is a small residential area of in the Lade neighborhood of Trondheim, Norway. Korsvika has several small beaches, and the Ladestien trail runs through the area. In Korsvika there is also a kindergarten named "Korsvika barnehage".-History:...
in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. The play is based on the story of Jarl Haakon and Tormod Kark as portrayed in the Sagas
Sagàs
Sagàs is a small town and municipality located in Catalonia, in the comarca of Berguedà. It is located in the geographical area of the pre-Pyrenees.-Population:...
by Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
. The first play was a poetic tableau that was made in connection with the 800-year anniversary of the Lade Church
Lade Church
Lade Church is located in the Lade neighborhood in the city of Trondheim in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway, just southeast of Korsvika and east of Ladehammeren. The church is part of the Lade parish in the Nidaros deanery in the Diocese of Nidaros....
(Lade kirke) in 1989 and repeated two years later. In 1995, Idar Lind wrote a new script. The music is composed by Frode Fjellheim.
Primary sources
Source basis for Jarl Haakon are considerable. He was given coverage in several sagas, including by Snorri SturlusonSnorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
in Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
, Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum
Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum
Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum or Ágrip is a synoptic history of the kings of Norway, written in Old Norse. The preserved text starts with the death of Hálfdan svarti and ends with the accession of Ingi krókhryggr but the original is thought to have covered a longer period, probably up to the reign of...
and more. According to Hallfreðar saga
Hallfreðar saga
Hallfreðar saga vandræðaskálds is one of the Icelanders' sagas. It relates the story of Hallfreðr vandræðaskáld, an Icelandic poet active around the year 1000. The saga has some resemblance to the sagas of other poets, such as Kormáks saga and Gunnlaugs saga, but in Hallfreðar saga there is less...
the poet Hallfreðr composed a drápa on the earl. Several disjoint stanzas by Hallfreðr in Skáldskaparmál
Skáldskaparmál
The second part of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda the Skáldskaparmál or "language of poetry" is effectively a dialogue between the Norse god of the sea, Ægir and Bragi, the god of poetry, in which both Norse mythology and discourse on the nature of poetry are intertwined...
are often thought to belong to this otherwise lost poem. Jarl Haakon's life also received literary treatment by Danish poet Adam Oehlenschläger.
Other sources
- Foote, P. G., and D. M. Wilson (1970) The Viking Achievement (Macmillan Company) ISBN 978-0312035105
- Gjerset, Knut (1915) History of The Norwegian People (Macmillan Company) ISBN 978-0217932462
- Jones, Gwyn (1973) A History of the Vikings (Oxford University Press) ISBN 0192850636
- Krag, Claus (2000) Norges historie fram til 1319 (Universitetsforlage) ISBN 978-8200129387
- Larsen, Karen (1948) A History of Norway (Princeton University Press) ISBN 978-0691051277