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Harald III Sigurdsson Hårdråde King of Norway


Preferred Parents:
Father: Sigurd Syr Halfdansson King of Ringerike, b. 970 in Ringerike, Buskerud, Norway   d. 18 FEB 1018 in Bønsnes, Buskerud, Norway
Mother: Åsta Gudbrandsdatter Queen of Norway, b. ABT 970 in Vestfold, Norway   d. ABT 1030 in Ringerike, Buskerud, Norway

Family 1: Dronning Thora Torbergsdotter,    b. 1026 in Sunnmøre, Møre og Romsdal, Norway    d. Eft. 1066 in Sweden
  1. Olav Kyrre Haraldsson of Norway III, b. 1050 in Folkinsberg, Eidsberg, Ostfold, Norway     d. 22 SEP 1093 in Tanum, Västra Götaland, Sweden
Family 2: Alfhild ,      
Family 3: Elisabeth Yaroslavna of Kiev,    b. 1032 in Kiev, Ukraine    d. ABT 1070 in Østlandet, Norway
  1. Alma Haraldsdottir, b. 1040 in Østfold, Norway     d. 1100 in Sør, Trøndelag, Norway
  2. Asta Haraldsdottir, b. 1050 in Norway     d. 1093
  3. Elizabeth Haraldsdatter, b. ABT 1053 in Hedmark, Norway    
  4. Ragnhild Maria Av Norge, b. 1047 in Bergen, Hordaland, Norway     d. 25 SEP 1086 in Orkney Islands, Orkney, Scotland
Family 4: Bodil Håkonsdatter,    b. ABT 1014 in Norway   
  1. Thorgaut Ulfsson Jarl of Denmark, b. 1030 in Viborg, Midtjylland, Denmark     d. 1088
Sources:
  1. Title: The Blood-Soaked Saga Of Harald Hardrada, The King Of Norway Whose Death Ended The Viking Age By Marco Margaritoff
    Publication: Name: https://allthatsinteresting.com/harald-hardrada;
    Note: King Harald III Sigurdsson of Norway, better known as Harald Hardrada, traveled as far as Iraq and Sicily before becoming the last Viking king to attempt to seize the English throne in 1066. As King of Norway, Harald Hardrada led a horde of Norsemen in an invasion of England to claim the crown in 1066 A.D. And his death in battle was so consequential that it signaled the definitive end of the Viking Age. Hardrada, whose name translates to “hard ruler” or “resolute,” had proven himself a trustworthy leader with integrity and courage in battles that saw him travel from Norway to Russia, Iraq, Jerusalem, and Sicily. And in September 1066, he arrived on English shores with an arguable claim to the throne and nearly 10,000 men willing to fight for it. But on Sept. 25, the Vikings were caught off-guard by the English King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Stamford Bridge by a much larger army than expected. The Norwegians were slaughtered. England never suffered a Viking threat again — and King Harald Hardrada became known as “the last Viking.” Nonetheless, his campaign had significant ramifications even in failure. Just three weeks later, Godwinson himself was defeated by William the Conqueror of Normandy, ushering in hundreds of years of Norman rule in England and changing the course of history. And on Feb. 25, this whole bloody saga will play out on Netflix in the series Vikings: Valhalla. The Early Life And Exile Of Harald Hardrada Born Harald Sigurdsson in 1015 in Ringerike, Norway, the young Viking was raised by his mother, Asta Gudbrandsdatter, and her second husband, Sigur Syr. He shared three half-brothers through Gudbrandsdatter. Chiefly among them was King Olaf II of Norway, who was crowned within months of Hardrada’s birth. While his epithet of “Hardrada” was rooted in the Norse haròráòi, historical scholars have debated its most precise translation for decades. Though some have argued for “tyrannical” or “tyrant,” as well as “hard ruler” or “ruthless,” other researchers have suggested “severe”— which Harald Hardrada would undoubtedly become. Hardrada was only 15 years old when he joined his half-brother in a deadly pursuit. King Olaf II had not only been toppled by Cnut the Great of Denmark but also exiled from Norway. Hardrada tried to assist him in his bloody struggle to regain power until the banished king fell in the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030 A.D. Though he had shown considerable prowess in battle, Hardrada was severely injured. Escaping the Danish onslaught, he went on the run — uncertain if he would die an early death or live to tell the tale. “From copse to copse I crawl and creep now, worthless,” he wrote. “Who knows how highly I’ll be heralded one day.” Hardrada sought refuge in Staraya Ladoga, Russia, where Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise welcomed him with open arms in 1031. Yaroslav’s wife was distantly related to Hardrada, who would later marry their daughter. But first, Hardrada would serve in Yaroslav’s army for two years, and then travel south — to Byzantium. How A Viking Warrior Joined The Byzantine Imperial Guard Sailing along the Dnieper River, Hardrada crossed the Black Sea and arrived in Constantinople in August 1034. The Byzantine capital was then known to Scandinavians as Miklagard, the “Great City,” and had become the very heart of Christendom — with the Eastern Roman Empire at the height of its power, riches, and intrigue. Hardrada had grown into a drifting warrior but found purpose in the Varangian Guard, which was comprised of elite Norse warriors who protected the city and the emperor. With an empire stretching from Italy to Jerusalem, this Scandinavian presence was no surprise nor anomaly. Hardrada joined the guard to bloody adventure. “They attacked with reckless rage and neither cared about losing blood nor their wounds,” a contemporary source explained. And Harald Hardrada himself was described as “the thunderbolt of the north, a pestilence to all.” Hardrada spent nearly a decade in the guard, warring against pirates on the Mediterranean Sea and Arab forces in the Parthian Empire. He fought as far east as the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in Mesopotamia and as far west as Sicily, then ruled by an Islamic kingdom. According to Frank McLynn’s 1066: The Year of the Three Battles, he was “forceful, self-willed, determined, courageous, far-sighted, a talent for war, was attractive to women but was also a ferocious disciplinarian, wildly ambitious and coldly ruthless, greedy and avaricious, with a lust for loot that became legendary.” Hardrada had indeed amassed fortunes during his time in the Varangian Guard, but he grew impatient at the lack of promotion following years of his service. When Byzantine Emperor Michael IV died in December 1041 A.D., Hardrada fell out of favor in the royal court — and would have to escape after being imprisoned. Fortunately, he had secured his wealth by shipping his spoils back to Yaroslav the Wise. Hardrada returned to his kingdom in 1042 A.D. and married his daughter Elizabeth. He imparted Yaroslav with vital information to lead an assault on Constantinople but heard troubling news from home and departed for Norway. The Return Of King Harald Hardrada And The Fall Of The Vikings In 1045 A.D., Harald Hardrada learned that the son of his half-brother Olaf II, Magnus, had been crowned King of Norway and Denmark. With Hardrada’s new riches, he allied with Sweyn II, pretender to the throne of Denmark, to lead an assault on Magnus. But Magnus, badly in need of money for the royal treasuries, offered a compromise. Magnus and Harald would serve as co-rulers of Norway, while Sweyn, whom Magnus had already beaten once in battle, would inherit the Kingdom of Denmark after Magnus’ death. And less than two years later, King Magnus died — making Hardrada the one, true king of Norway. After the death of his nephew, King Harald III of Norway, as Hardrada became known, realized that he had a valid claim to the English throne. Years earlier, the Norse King of Denmark and England, Harthacnut, had vowed to bestow Magnus with his kingdoms. But Magnus wasn’t interested in England, preferring to focus his efforts on ruling Scandinavia. Instead, Edward the Confessor, a half-brother to Harthacnut, became King of England. As Magnus’ successor, Hardrada felt cheated. And he had aimed to restore the great “North Sea Empire” established by Harthacnut’s father, Cnut the Great, by uniting the Kingdoms of England, Norway, and Denmark once more. But when Edward died in 1066 A.D., an English nobleman named Harold Godwinson took the throne. As he would only give it up over his dead body, Hardrada launched an invasion of England with Edward’s estranged brother Tostig — and thousands of troops on hundreds of Viking ships. The audacious effort would ultimately end in disaster at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Moments before 12,000 men engaged in carnage over the English throne, King Harold cleverly offered to give Tostig back his earldom, provided he capitulated. Loyal to Hardrada, Tostig inquired what the king would bequeath Hardrada. “Seven feet of English ground, as he is taller than other men,” replied King Harold. It was a generous offer for a grave. Determined to take the throne, Hardrada plotted a surprise attack on Sept. 25, 1066 A.D. While legend has it that he fought like a true berserker to attain the crown, the Norse leader died trying alongside his trusty Tostig. Meanwhile, any surviving invaders were given safe passage back to Norway — never to rise again.
  2. Title: Harald Hardrada From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Hardrada#Personal_life;
    Note: Harald Sigurdsson, also known as Harald of Norway (Old Norse: Haraldr Sigurðarson; c. 1015 – 25 September 1066) and given the epithet Hardrada (harðráði; modern Norwegian: Hardråde, roughly translated as "stern counsel" or "hard ruler") in the sagas, was King of Norway (as Harald III) from 1046 to 1066. Additionally, he unsuccessfully claimed both the Danish throne until 1064 and the English throne in 1066. Before becoming king, Harald had spent around fifteen years in exile as a mercenary and military commander in Kievan Rus' and of the Varangian Guard in the Byzantine Empire. When he was fifteen years old, in 1030, Harald fought in the Battle of Stiklestad together with his half-brother Olaf Haraldsson (later Saint Olaf). Olaf sought to reclaim the Norwegian throne, which he had lost to the Danish king Cnut the Great two years prior. In the battle, Olaf and Harald were defeated by forces loyal to Cnut, and Harald was forced into exile to Kievan Rus' (the sagas' Garðaríki). He thereafter spent some time in the army of Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise, eventually obtaining rank as a captain, until he moved on to Constantinople with his companions around 1034. In Constantinople, he soon rose to become the commander of the Byzantine Varangian Guard, and saw action on the Mediterranean Sea, in Asia Minor, Sicily, possibly in the Holy Land, Bulgaria and in Constantinople itself, where he became involved in the imperial dynastic disputes. Harald amassed considerable wealth during his time in the Byzantine Empire, which he shipped to Yaroslav in Kievan Rus' for safekeeping. He finally left the Byzantines in 1042, and arrived back in Kievan Rus' in order to prepare his campaign of reclaiming the Norwegian throne. Possibly to Harald's knowledge, in his absence the Norwegian throne had been restored from the Danes to Olaf's illegitimate son Magnus the Good. In 1046, Harald joined forces with Magnus's rival in Denmark (Magnus had also become king of Denmark), the pretender Sweyn II of Denmark, and started raiding the Danish coast. Magnus, unwilling to fight his uncle, agreed to share the kingship with Harald, since Harald in turn would share his wealth with him. The co-rule ended abruptly the next year as Magnus died, and Harald thus became the sole ruler of Norway. Domestically, Harald crushed all local and regional opposition, and outlined the territorial unification of Norway under a national governance. Harald's reign was probably one of relative peace and stability, and he instituted a viable coin economy and foreign trade. Probably seeking to restore Cnut's "North Sea Empire", Harald also claimed the Danish throne, and spent nearly every year until 1064 raiding the Danish coast and fighting his former ally, Sweyn. Although the campaigns were successful, he was never able to conquer Denmark. Not long after Harald had renounced his claim to Denmark, the former Earl of Northumbria, Tostig Godwinson, brother of the newly chosen (but reigning not for long) English king Harold Godwinson (also known as Harold of Wessex), pledged his allegiance to Harald and invited him to claim the English throne. Harald went along and invaded Northern England with 10,000 troops and 300 longships in September 1066, raided the coast and defeated English regional forces of Northumbria and Mercia in the Battle of Fulford near York on 20 September 1066. Although initially successful, Harald was defeated and killed in a surprise attack by Harold Godwinson's forces in the Battle of Stamford Bridge on 25 September 1066, which wiped out almost his entire army. Modern historians have often considered Harald's death, which brought an end to his invasion, as the end of the Viking Age. Harald was born in Ringerike, Norway in 1015 (or possibly 1016) to Åsta Gudbrandsdatter and her second husband Sigurd Syr. Sigurd was a petty king of Ringerike, and among the strongest and wealthiest chieftains in the Uplands. Through his mother Åsta, Harald was the youngest of King Olaf II of Norway / Olaf Haraldsson's (later Saint Olaf) three half-brothers. In his youth, Harald displayed traits of a typical rebel with big ambitions, and admired Olaf as his role model. He thus differed from his two older brothers, who were more similar to their father, down-to-earth and mostly concerned with maintaining the farm. The Icelandic sagas, in particular Snorri Sturluson in Heimskringla, claim that Sigurd, like Olaf's father, was a great-grandson of King Harald Fairhair in the male line. Most modern scholars believe that the ancestors attributed to Harald Hardrada's father, along with other parts of the Fairhair genealogy, are inventions reflecting the political and social expectations of the time of the authors (around two centuries after Harald Hardrada's lifetime) rather than historical reality. Harald Hardrada's alleged descent from Harald Fairhair is not mentioned and played no part during Harald Hardrada's own time, which seems odd considering that it would have provided significant legitimacy in connection with his claim to the Norwegian throne. Following a revolt in 1028, Harald's brother Olaf was forced into exile until he returned to Norway in early 1030. On hearing news of Olaf's planned return, Harald gathered 600 men from the Uplands to meet Olaf and his men upon their arrival in the east of Norway. After a friendly welcome, Olaf went on to gather an army and eventually fight in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030, in which Harald took part on his brother's side. The battle was part of an attempt to restore Olaf to the Norwegian throne, which had been captured by the Danish king Cnut the Great (Canute). The battle resulted in defeat for the brothers at the hands of those Norwegians who were loyal to Cnut, and Olaf was killed while Harald was badly wounded. Harald was nonetheless remarked to have shown considerable military talent during the battle. To Kievan Rus' After the defeat at the Battle of Stiklestad, Harald managed to escape with the aid of Rögnvald Brusason (later Earl of Orkney) to a remote farm in Eastern Norway. He stayed there for some time to heal his wounds, and thereafter (possibly up to a month later) journeyed north over the mountains to Sweden. A year after the Battle of Stiklestad, Harald arrived in Kievan Rus' (referred to in the sagas as Garðaríki or Svíþjóð hin mikla). He likely spent at least part of his time in the town of Staraya Ladoga (Aldeigjuborg), arriving there in the first half of 1031. Harald and his men were welcomed by Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise, whose wife Ingegerd was a distant relative of Harald. Badly in need of military leaders, Yaroslav recognised a military potential in Harald and made him a captain of his forces. Harald's brother Olaf Haraldsson had previously been in exile to Yaroslav following the revolt in 1028, and Morkinskinna says that Yaroslav embraced Harald first and foremost because he was the brother of Olaf. Harald took part in Yaroslav's campaign against the Poles in 1031, and possibly also fought against other 1030s Kievan enemies and rivals such as the Chudes in Estonia, and the Byzantines, as well as the Pechenegs and other steppe nomad people. In Byzantine service After a few years in Kievan Rus', Harald and his force of around 500 men moved on south to Constantinople (Miklagard), the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (later known as the Byzantine Empire), probably in 1033 or 1034,[26] where they joined the Varangian Guard... Back to Kievan Rus' Harald became extremely rich during his time in the east, and secured the wealth collected in Constantinople by shipments to Kievan Rus' for safekeeping (with Yaroslav the Wise acting as safekeeper for his fortune). Harald arrived back in Kievan Rus' later in 1042. During his second stay there, he married Elisabeth (referred to in Scandinavian sources as Ellisif), daughter of Yaroslav the Wise and granddaughter of the Swedish king Olof Skötkonung. Shortly after Harald's arrival in Kiev, Yaroslav attacked Constantinople, and it is considered likely that Harald provided him with valuable information about the state of the empire. It is possible that the marriage with Elisiv had been agreed to already during Harald's first time in Rus', or that they at least had been acquainted. During his service in the Byzantine Empire, Harald composed a love poem which included the verse "Yet the goddess in Gardarike / will not accept my gold rings" (whom Snorri Sturluson identifies with Elisiv), although Morkinskinna claims that Harald had to remind Yaroslav of the promised marriage when he returned to Kiev. According to the same source, Harald had spoken with Yaroslav during his first time in Rus', requesting to marry Elisiv, only to be rejected because he was not yet wealthy enough. It is in any case significant that Harald was allowed to marry the daughter of Yaroslav, since his other children were married to figures such as Henry I of France, Andrew I of Hungary and the daughter of Constantine IX.... Harald married Elisiv of Kiev (c. 1025 – after 1066) around 1044/45,[141] and they had an unknown number, possibly several children. According to Snorri Sturluson, they had two daughters:[142] Ingegerd (c. 1050 – c. 1120). Married first to the future Olaf I of Denmark, and after his death, to the future Philip of Sweden.[143] Maria (died 25 September 1066). Promised away for marriage to Eystein Orre (brother of Tora Torbergsdatter), but reportedly died on Orkney the same day that Harald (and Eystein) died at Stamford Bridge. According to the sagas, Harald married Tora Torbergsdatter (c. 1025 – after 1066) around 1048.[144] Some modern historians have disputed this, since Harald in that case would be in a bigamous marriage, as he was still married to Elisiv.[145] It is nonetheless possible that such a marriage could take place in Norway in the 11th century, and although Harald had two wives, only Elisiv is noted to have held the title of Queen.[146] Har
  3. Title: Wikipedia - his mother
    Author: online
    Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_de_Bohun,_Countess_of_Devon;
    Note: various
    Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Hardrada
  4. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Harald Hardraade - birth-name: Harald Hardraade
    Author: media.type.Ancestry.com, One World Tree (sm), Ancestry.com, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, n.d.
    Note: birth-name: Harald Hardraade birth: 0996; Norway death: 25 September 1066; Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire, England birth-name: Harald Hardraade birth: 0996; Norway death: 25 September 1066; Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire, England
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3244466516
  5. Title: Harald Hardrada page 13 pdf retrieved Feb 21, 2023 Volume 1 Cleveland family line King of Norway
    Author: file:///C:/Users/jjpar/Pictures/Saved%20Pictures/View%20media%20-%20Ancestry.com_files/cleveland-volume1%20(1).pdf
    Publication: Name: https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/168656192;
    Note: King
  6. Title: Harald of Norway, "Find A Grave Index"
    Author: "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVV9-16JT : 13 April 2023), Harald III of Norway, ; Burial, Trondheim, Trondheim kommune, Sør-Trøndelag fylke, Norway, Domkirkegården; citing record ID 9503940, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
    Publication: Name: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVV9-16JT;
  7. Title: Wikipedia.org - Harald Hardrada
    Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Hardrada;
  8. Title: Harald of Norway, "Find A Grave Index"
    Author: "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVV9-16JT : 13 April 2023), Harald III of Norway, ; Burial, Trondheim, Trondheim kommune, Sør-Trøndelag fylke, Norway, Domkirkegården; citing record ID 9503940, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
    Publication: Name: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVV9-16JT;
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