Harald Fairhair\'s campaign in Götaland

Harald Fairhair's campaign in Götaland was an attack that took place in the 870's. Events By Place Europe Prague Castle is founded The Great Summer Army invades England and conquers

Snorri Sturluson writes in Harald Fairhair's saga that Harald Fairhair disputed the Swedish king Eric Eymundsson's hegemony in what is today southern Norway. Snorri Sturluson (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian poet and politician Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair ( Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre) (c Eric Anundsson / Eymundsson (d 882 was a Swedish king who ruled during the 9th century

He attacked and forced Viken to accept his rule and then plundered and burnt in Ranrike. Viken (the bay or the wick) is a historical district surrounding the Oslofjord in southeastern Norway. Ranrike ( Old Norse Ránríki) was the old name for a part of Viken, corresponding to southeast Norway (Oslofjord area and the northern half of the modern Because of this the Norwegian skald Þorbjörn hornklofi boasted that the Swedes stayed indoors whereas the Norwegians were out on the sea. The skald was a member of a group of Poets whose courtly poetry (Icelandic dróttkvæði) is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic Þorbjörn Hornklofi was a 9th century Norwegian Poet. He was the court poet of King Harald Fairhair.

Úti vill jól drekka,

ef skal einn ráða,

fylkir framlyndi ,

ok Freys leik heyja,

Ungr leiddisk eldvelli

ok inni at sitja,

varma dyngju

eða vöttu dúnsfulla. [1]

The Norseman's king is on the sea,

Tho' bitter wintry cold it be.

On the wild waves his Yule keeps he. Yule is a winter festival historically celebrated primarily in northern Europe but now celebrated in many other countries in various forms

When our brisk king can get his way,

He'll no more by the fireside stay

Than the young sun; he makes us play

The game of the bright sun-god Frey. "Frey" redirects here For other uses of Frey and Freyr, see Frey (disambiguation.

But the soft Swede loves well the fire

The well-stuffed couch, the doway glove,

And from the hearth-seat will not move. (Samuel Laing's translation)

The Gauts (Geats) did not accept this and assembled their forces. Geats, Geatas, Gautar, Goths, Gotar, Gøtar, Götar were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting Götaland In the spring, they put stakes in Göta älv to stop Harald's ships. The Göta älv is a River that drains lake Vänern into Kattegat, and the North Sea, at the city of Gothenburg on the western Harald Fairhair put his ships alongside the stakes and plundered and burnt everything he could reach. The Norwegian skald said of this:

Grennir þröng at gunni

gunnmás fyrir haf sunnan,

sá var gramr, ok gumnum,

geðvörðr, und sik jörðu.

Ok hjálmtamiðr hilmir

hólmreyðar lét ólman

lindihjört fyrir landi

lundprúðr við stik bundinn. [2]

The king who finds a dainty feast,

For battle-bird and prowling beast,

Has won in war the southern land

That lies along the ocean's strand.

The leader of the helmets, he

Who leads his ships o'er the dark sea,

Harald, whose high-rigged masts appear

Like antlered fronts of the wild deer,

Has laid his ships close alongside

Of the foe's piles with daring pride. (Samuel Laing's translation)

The Geats arrived to the ships with a great army to fight king Harald, but they lost after great losses.

Ríks, þreifsk reiddra öxa

rymr, knáttu spjör glymja,

svartskygð bitu seggi

sverð, þjóðkonungs ferðar,

Þá er, hugfyldra hölda,

hlaut andskoti Gauta,

hár var söngr um svírum,

sigr, flugbeiddra vigra. [3]

Whistles the battle-axe in its swing

O'er head the whizzing javelins sing,

Helmet and shield and hauberk ring;

The air-song of the lance is loud,

The arrows pipe in darkening cloud;

Through helm and mail the foemen feel

The blue edge of our king's good steel

Who can withstand our gallant king?

The Gautland men their flight must wing. (Samuel Laing's translation)

Then the Norwegians travelled far and wide in Götaland, winning most of the battles. Götaland ( Gothia, Gothland, Gothenland, Gotland, Gautland, Geatland is one of three lands of Sweden In one of the battles, the Geatish commander Hrani the Geat fell. Harald then proclaimed himself the ruler of all land north of Göta älv and north and west of lake Vänern and placed Guttorm Haraldsson to defend the region with a large force. The Göta älv is a River that drains lake Vänern into Kattegat, and the North Sea, at the city of Gothenburg on the western Vänern (IPA) is the largest Lake in Sweden and the third largest lake in Europe. Guttorm Haraldsson was the first son of king Harald Fairhair of Norway and Åsa daughter of Håkon Grjotgardsson.

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