Håkon Grjotgardsson
Encyclopedia
Håkon Grjotgardsson (838–900), nicknamed Håkon the Rich (Hákon jarl hinn riki) was the son and heir of Grjotgard Herlaugsson Lade. Håkon became the ruler of the petty kingdom of Trøndelag
, the Earl of Lade
in the eastern part of Trondheim
, Norway, when he succeeded his father. His daughter Åsa, married Harald Fairhair and was the mother of Guttorm Haraldsson
. Håkon was also the father of Sigurd Håkonsson, who was the father of Haakon Sigurdsson
.
Håkon had his royal residence at Ørlandet in Ørland
at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord
. The exact extent of his control over the area is not well known.
Håkon sought to extend his kingdom southwards. Harald Fairhair advanced across the mountains of Eastern Norway to subjugate Trøndelag. After some fighting, Håkon and Harald entered a union of joint forces. Håkon was made earl of Sunnfjord
and Nordfjord
.
After Harald Fairhair conquered Møre
and Fjordane, he assigned the governance of the former to Rognvald Eysteinsson and the latter to Håkon. Atle Mjove
continued to govern Sogn
. Hákon and Atle Mjove soon came into conflict over Sogn and fought the battle of Fjaler
(Old Norse: Fjalir), in which Hakon was killed. Atle Mjove was severely wounded in the battle and taken to Atløy
where he died.
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...
, the Earl of Lade
Jarls of Lade
The Jarls of Lade or Old Norse Hlaðir were a dynasty of Norwegian rulers, who ruled Trøndelag and Hålogaland from the 9th century to the 11th century. -Lade Gaard:...
in the eastern part of 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...
, Norway, when he succeeded his father. His daughter Åsa, married Harald Fairhair and was the mother of Guttorm Haraldsson
Guttorm Haraldsson
Guttorm Haraldsson was the first son of king Harald Fairhair of Norway and Åsa, daughter of Håkon Grjotgardsson. C. 890 Harald made Guttorm king of Ranrike, which he had wrested from the Swedish king Erik Eymundsson, and gave him the responsibility of defending Norway from Sweden. He fell in a sea...
. Håkon was also the father of Sigurd Håkonsson, who was the father of Haakon Sigurdsson
Haakon Sigurdsson
Haakon Sigurdarsson was the de facto ruler of Norway from about 975 to 995.-Background:Haakon was the son of Sigurd Haakonsson, Jarl of Lade and ruler of Trøndelag and Hålogaland. His mother was Bergljot Toresdatter, daughter of Tore Ragnvaldsson, Earl of Møre...
.
Håkon had his royal residence at Ørlandet in Ørland
Ørland
Ørland is a municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Fosen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Brekstad. Other villages include Uthaug, Opphaug, and Ottersbo...
at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheimsfjord , an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way...
. The exact extent of his control over the area is not well known.
Håkon sought to extend his kingdom southwards. Harald Fairhair advanced across the mountains of Eastern Norway to subjugate Trøndelag. After some fighting, Håkon and Harald entered a union of joint forces. Håkon was made earl of Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord
Sunnfjord is a traditional district in Western Norway located in Sogn og Fjordane county. It includes the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, Flora, Førde, Gaular, Jølster, Naustdal, and the southernmost parts of Bremanger...
and Nordfjord
Nordfjord
Nordfjord is a fjord and a traditional district in the northern part of Sogn og Fjordane county in Western Norway. The district comprises the municipalities of Selje, Vågsøy, Bremanger, Eid, Gloppen, Hornindal, and Stryn. Nordfjord covers an area of and is home to a population of approximately...
.
After Harald Fairhair conquered Møre
Møre
Møre is the name of two traditional districts in different parts of Scandinavia.*Møre og Romsdal, Norway.*Möre, Sweden....
and Fjordane, he assigned the governance of the former to Rognvald Eysteinsson and the latter to Håkon. Atle Mjove
Atli the Slender
Atli the Slender was a ninth-century Norwegian jarl mentioned in several Old Norse sources, including Heimskringla and Egil's Saga....
continued to govern Sogn
Sogn
Sogn is a traditional district in Western Norway . It is located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, surrounding the Sognefjord. Sogn consists of the municipalities of Aurland, Balestrand, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Gulen, Leikanger, Luster, Lærdal, Sogndal, Solund, Vik, and Årdal. The district covers ...
. Hákon and Atle Mjove soon came into conflict over Sogn and fought the battle of Fjaler
Battle of Fjaler
The battle of Fjaler was an engagement related to Harald Fairhair's unification of Norway.After having subdued the kingdom of Firda, Harald left for the east, placing Håkon Ladejarl in possession of Firda. Håkon sent a messenger to earl Atle Mjove in Sogn, telling him the king Harald had given the...
(Old Norse: Fjalir), in which Hakon was killed. Atle Mjove was severely wounded in the battle and taken to Atløy
Atløy
Atløy is an island in Askvoll municipality, Norway....
where he died.
Related reading
- Viking Empires, Angelo Forte, Richard Oram and Frederik Pedersen (Cambridge University Press. June 2005)
- The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings, Peter Sawyer, Editor (Oxford University Press, September 2001)