Chapter 34
Chapter 34 of History of the Norwegian People, Volume 1, by Knut Gierschit. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter 34. The Sons of Erik Bladaxe, Håkon Jarl, the leader of the aristocracy, loss of national unity and independence. After Håkon's death, the Sons of Erik Bladaxe became kings of Norway.
They all bore the royal title and each maintained his own herd. But Harald Graufeld, the oldest living brother, was regarded as overking. After their father was driven from the throne, they had been in foreign lands, and they were known in Norway mainly as Viking chieftains and as enemies of the country. This, together with the general odium in which Erik and Gunnhild were held,
made them very unpopular, and they showed no ability to win the people's goodwill by their own conduct as kings. They were disposed to be rash and violent, they showed little wisdom or self-control, and would resort to mean plots and bloody assaults in true Viking fashion. The best one was Harold Graufeld, who seems to have been generous, good-natured, and well-intentioned.
The aristocracy, who still held firm to their own inherited rights and privileges, who were opposed to a strong central government exercised by a national king, and watched with more jealousy their own interests than the welfare of the nation, tolerated the new kings, and probably found their own popularity convenient. As Harold Graufeld and his brothers could find little popular support,
their kingship could be little more than an empty title. The aristocracy, who had been compelled to bow under the mailed fist of Harald Horfogre, but who had driven Erik from the throne and had elected Haakon the Good, could now find new opportunity to fully regain their old prestige and power. Even in Haakon's time, Sigurd Jarl had exercised almost sovereign power in Trondelagin.
Now he did not even swear allegiance to the new kings, but ruled his large domain as an independent sovereign. Tryggve Olofsson, a grandson of Harald Horfogre, ruled as independent king in Romerike, and in the districts east of the Fuldenfjord, Christianiafjord. The districts west of the fjord were ruled by Gudrud Bjornsson, another grandson of Harald, and in Oplenener the Fulcus kings exercised their old unrestricted authority. The sons of Erik were, in fact, kings only in the
districts of southwestern Norway, but they aspired to maintain the unity of the kingdom and to rule, as King Harald had ruled, over all Norway. First of all, they would curb the pride and arrogance of the powerful Jarl Sigurd. They enticed to their side his younger brother, Gjortgard, and with his aid King Harald Graufeld suddenly fell upon the unsuspecting Sigurd and burnt him and his men in the house where they were assembled for a feast. Sigurd's son, Håkon Jarl,
gathered a large following, and after a struggle lasting for three years he made himself master of Tryndelagen. But he was unable to successfully continue the conflict and fled to Denmark. The kings had also defeated and slain the kings Tryggve and Gudrud in southern Norway, and together with their mother Gunnhild, they now established their residence in Viken. In 964, King Harald Graufeld made an expedition to the Permians, Bjarmeland,
and defeated them on the banks of the Viena, thus pushing the boundaries of Norway to the White Sea, Gondvik. The expedition was much talked of and was mentioned with praise in the Songs of the Scalds. Harald seems to have made an earnest effort to rule well, but the popular ill will was, nevertheless, growing. The brothers had been baptized in England, but they were unable to introduce Christianity in Norway, and undertook instead to destroy the heathen temples and to heap other indignities upon the old religion.
This, together with many acts of violence committed especially by the younger brothers, tended to further alienate the people, who complained that the kings did not respect the laws of King Haakon the Good. King Sigurd Sleva was killed by his irate subjects in southwestern Norway. There were crop failures and hard times, and the people blamed the kings, who were thought to have aroused the anger of the gods by their wickedness and misrule.
Håkon watched closely the developments in Norway. This able but crafty and unscrupulous Jarl was a more formidable opponent than the kings imagined. He was, in all respects, a representative of the old order of things, a strict adherent of the Asa faith, and a champion of the rights of the aristocracy. He despised, no doubt, the new religious tendencies,
as thoroughly as he hated the idea of submission to a national king. Harald Blotand, Bluetooth, had succeeded his father Gorm on the Danish throne. Gorm had ruled both long and well, and at the end of his reign Denmark was the most populous and powerful of the northern kingdoms, a circumstance which probably gave rise to the not uncommon misconception that he had brought about the union of the Danish kingdom. His queen was the able and popular Thyra Dainbod, who rebuilt Deneverke, a castellated wall stretching across the narrowest part of the peninsula,
from the city of Schleswig to the mouth of the river Eider, forming the old boundary between Denmark and Germany. Harold Blotten seems to have emulated his great contemporary Otto, the Great of Germany. He was dreaming of empire and sought to enlarge his possessions, especially in northern Germany, which at this time was inhabited by the Wends, a Slavonic people. In 960 he made an expedition to the mouth of the Oder, where he is said to have won a great
jarldom. On the island of Wohlen, over against the river mouth, lay the important commercial town Jullin. Close to this town, Harald built a strong castle called Jumsberg, which later became famous as the seat of a remarkable body of Viking warriors, the Jumsvikings. Jumsberg was, doubtless, built to protect Jullin and the neighboring districts against the Vends. It had a fine harbor where 300 Viking vessels could ride at anchor, and was surrounded by great walls.
Harald Blotend, who had received baptism, labored earnestly and with great success to introduce Christianity in Denmark. During his reign, the greater part of the people seemed to have accepted the Christian faith. It was natural that in his efforts to enlarge his kingdom he should also think of Norway as a legitimate field for conquest. The district of Vestfold had been a Danish province since very early times, and circumstances in Norway seemed to offer an opportunity to regain
at least this province. A son of his elder brother returned to Denmark from his many Viking expeditions and claimed a share in the kingdom. He was known as Gold Harald because of his wealth. Håkon Jarl saw his opportunity. He persuaded King Harald to rid himself of this inconvenient rival by seizing Norway, which he then might make a tributary kingdom under the rule of his nephew.
The plan was accepted, and Harald Graufeld was enticed to Denmark, where he was killed by Gold Harald. Now the plotting Håkon Jarl came forward with his real plan. He showed the king that his ambitious nephew would, as king of Norway, be a dangerous rival rather than a faithful vassal. Why not make Håkon Jarl ruler of Norway?
He could not aspire to kingship in either country, and all danger of arrival would be averted. After he had come to some sort of understanding with the king, Håkon attacked Goldharald, who was defeated and slain. The king now set sail for Norway with a fleet of 700 ships. The two remaining sons of Erik Bloodaxe could offer no resistance,
but fled to the Orkneys with their mother Gunnhild, and Harald Gormstenblotland was hailed as overking of Norway. Håkon Jarl was to rule a large part of the country as King Harald's vassal. According to agreement, he should pay the king a tax amounting to half of the income from the lands which he received, but Håkon reduced it to the nominal sum of twenty falcons a year.
King Harald himself ruled Wiggen through his own jarls, and Uplinenna maintained their own autonomy. Tryndelaginn and Hlagerland were Håkon's own patrimony, where he exercised all authority. From the king he received seven filker. Rigefilke, Hordefilke, Sagen, Fjerdefilke, Söndmör, Romsdal, and Nordmörr. Norway had ceased to be a united kingdom even under Danish overlordship.
Harald Horfager's great work was destroyed. The new rule was welcomed by the aristocracy, who had now regained their former power. Håkon Jarl was one of their own number, and the Danish king's overlordship was a mere name, as he was too far away to exercise any control. Håkon was now very popular.
He rebuilt the temples which the sons of Erik Bloodaxe had destroyed, and tried as far as possible to establish the old conditions. But nothing is more difficult than the attempt to arrest a development caused by the forces of life and growth. Hawken might rebuild the temples, but he could not revive the old faith. It was dying. In many people's minds it was already dead. The outer forms alone remained.
The aristocracy might feel elated over their success, but new thoughts of a national kingdom were germinating and striking roots. Such ideas are in league with destiny. Hawken tried to buttress the old social structure, only to be finally buried under its ruins. For a time, he was loyal to his overlord, the King of Denmark. When the German emperor, Otto the Great, died, war broke out between his successor, Otto II, and King Harald Gormsson.
As a vassal, Håkon was called to Denmark, where he fought valiantly in defense of Donovirke. After the campaign was over, King Harald demanded of Håkon that he should be baptized, and exacted from him a promise that he would introduce Christianity in Norway. Håkon seems to have consented with all desirable alacrity, and on his return, priests went along to do missionary work in Norway. But as soon as he touched the home shore, Håkon drove away the priests and declared himself and Norway independent of Denmark.
King Harald made efforts to reconquer the country and to introduce Christianity in Wiken. The work of the missionaries which he sent to this district bore some fruit, but he failed in the attempt to regain the lost territory. Harald Blotten died about 986 from a wound received while he was fighting against his rebellious son, Svein Hügesheg, Forkbeard. As soon as Svein became king, he renewed the attempt to subdue Norway. The Jumsvikings, who seemed to have promised to aid him in this undertaking,
moved swiftly to the attack with a fleet of sixty ships and an army of professional warriors led by their chief, Sigvald de Jarl. They found Håkon in Hürungavog, near the present city of Alessund, where he had collected 180 ships. But this armament had been gathered in a hurry, and most of the vessels were merchant ships. Håkon was assisted by his sons, Erik, Svein, and Arnljot. A fierce battle ensued, in which Erik Jarl especially distinguished himself both by bravery and generalship.
The outcome of the battle was long doubtful. Tradition says that Håkon Jarl even sacrificed his son to the gods to gain victory, but this is no doubt an invention. The Jomsvikings finally suffered a crushing defeat. Twenty-five of their ships were taken, and Sigvald Jarl made good his escape with the remaining thirty-five. This battle became very famous.
Ivan Skaldespieler composed the song Hjalligatal about Håkon Jarl and his victory after the pattern of the Inglingatal to show that Håkon's family, the Håligings,
also descended from the gods. Through this memorable victory, Norway had successfully maintained her independence. After the Battle of Hjöringvåg, Håkon Jarl exercised full sovereign power,
but he did not assume the title of king. As he was now relieved of the pressure of foreign enemies, he paid little heed to the aristocracy and attempted to rule with all the authority of Harald Horfagre himself. This kind of rule, which the aristocracy had regarded as tyranny when exercised by a national
king, they considered as unbearable arrogance in a mere Jarl, who was of no higher lineage than many others of their number. Håkon Jarl's popularity soon waned, and his greed, cruelty, and licentiousness further aggravated the growing discontent. The hearts of the people again returned to the Englings, who, since King Harald's time,
had stood as the representatives of a national kingdom and other progressive ideas. End of chapter 34
