(1) Norway: Political History and Notable Figures

872 - 930 - Harald Fairhair (All Facts)

• First King and Founder of the Kingdom of Norway

• He united the various princedoms after his victory in the Battle of Hafrsfjord

931 - 933 - Eric “Bloodaxe” Haraldsson (All Facts)

• 2nd King of Norway

• He ruled not only Norway, but also York in Northumbria

  • However, he and his forces were decisively defeated by Eadred and his English forces long after his rule over Norway, in 954

961 - 980 - Harald Bluetooth (All Facts)

• 5th King of Norway

  • He was also King of Denmark

• He converted to Christianity, having accepted baptism, and thus made Denmark a Christian Kingdom by the start of his reign, having forsaken the old gods of Norse paganism

  • Some said he was converted as the result of an argument with a missionary, Bishop Poppo, during which the namesake challenged Poppo to prove his faith by ordeal

    • When the missionary agreed, he thrust his hand into a white-hot iron glove and when he withdrew his hand, it was unharmed

    • Witness to such a miracle, the namesake king conceded that Christ was the one true God and that Christ alone should be worshipped in Denmark

  • Others said he was converted as a result of his defeat to Otto the Great and was forced to convert as part of the price of defeat

    • While there was much grumbling among those who feared the revenge of the old Norse Gods during his reign, he was eager to be on good terms with Otto the Great and Germany and the Holy Roman Empire while he simultaneously expanded his influence in northern Europe

• He commissioned the second of the two “Jelling Stones” in the town of Jelling in Denmark, which commemorated

  • His parents, his predecessor father and his wife, the namesake’s mother, Thyra

  • His conversion of the Danes to Christianity

  • His unification of Denmark and conquest of Norway

• He embraced Christianity and promoted its spread, helping establish an organized church structure in Denmark

• He spread his influence north by supporting his widowed sister Gunnhild and her five sons in their fight for the throne of the Kingdom of Norway

  • He also designed to expand his territory into modern-day Sweden

995 - 1000 - Olaf Tryggvason (All Facts)

• 6th King of Norway

• He forcibly converted his own people, the Norse, to Christianity

• He defeated Aethelred II “The Unready” and his English forces in the Battle of Maldon

• He allied with Sweyn Forkbeard and the Danes to take London, failing, but ravaging throughout southern England and collective massive tribute from them under the reign of Aethelred II “The Unready”

1000 - 1013 - Sweyn Forkbeard (All Facts)

• 7th King of Norway

  • He was also King of Denmark and King of England

• He and Olaf the Norsemen of the Vikings attacked England under the reign of their King Aethelred II “The Unready,” even after Aethelred II had paid the Vikings off, ravaging throughout southern England and collecting massive tribute payments from Aethelred II

  • They failed to take London initially

• He and his Danish forces eventually took control of all of England following the English surrender of London to them

  • Their King Aethelred II “The Unready” was deposed and was reported to have fled to France to join Queen Emma and their children, who have taken refuge with her brother, the Duke of Normandy

  • He and his forces subjugated the English forces and were not prepared or willing to take bribes from them

  • He planned to consolidate his hold on England as an act of revenge against Aethelred II “The Unready”

    • This was because he wished to avenge his sister Gunnhild and the Danes killed by Aethelred II “The Unready” in the secret St. Brice’s Day Massacre of Danes living in England which he ordered

    • He retaliated by burning homestead throughout southern England before accepting a substantial bribe to withdraw

    • However, when Aethelred II “The Unready” persuaded one of his top commanders, Thorkell the Tall, to defect, he felt he had no choice but to invade England, and he landed on Humberside and marched south

• He thus became King of England for a short time, usurping the throne, overthrowing the House of Wessex and replacing it with the House of Denmark

1015 - 1028 - St. Olaf Haraldsson (All Facts)

• 8th King of Norway

• He took to the sea at age 12

• He his forces fought against Denmark, Sweden, Finland, England, France, and Gotland

  • When he fought against the Swedes, he ended the fighting and married their king’s daughter

• He was baptized in France

• He was a ruthless warriors but an enlightened king and a firm believer in the law

• He was the first Norwegian King of Norway (as opposed to Danish or English King of Norway) to embrace Christianity, which he introduced to Norway and in which he created a state church

• He joined Anund Jacob and the Swedes to attack Canute the Great and Denmark, but this failed

• He died and his forces were defeated by Canute the Great and his “Farmer Army” in the Battle of Stiklestad

  • He was made a hero and saint as a result of his fighting and death

1028 - 1035 - Canute the Great (All Facts)

• 9th King of Norway

  • He was also King of Denmark and King of England

  • He thus built a unified Danish Empire

• He was the son of Sweyn Forkbeard and was offered the English throne after defeating his predecessor Edmund Ironside

  • The death of Harald II of Denmark enabled him to unite England and Denmark

  • He defeated Edmund Ironside and his English forces in the Battle of Ashingdon, and they agreed to split England in half

  • When Edmund Ironside was murdered soon afterwards, the namesake took the other half of England

  • He further consolidated his rule by eliminating potential rivals

  • He married Aethelred II’s widow, Emma of Normandy

• He oversaw a reign distinguished by skillful statecraft and utter ruthlessness

  • He espoused Christianity

  • He established equal rights for both Danes and Englishmen

  • He sent most of his army back to Denmark, confident in his position as ruler

1046 - 1066 - Harald Hardrada (All Facts)

• 11th King of Norway

• He tried and failed to invade England after he and his Norwegian forces were defeated by Harold II and his English forces in the Battle of Stamford Bridge