Harald Hardrada (c. 1015-1066) was King of Norway from 1046 until his death. As a young man exiled after a failed uprising in Norway, he served for years as a commander in the Byzantine Empire's elite Varangian Guard, fighting in campaigns across the eastern Mediterranean and amassing considerable wealth before returning north to claim the Norwegian throne. In 1066 he invaded England, allying with the exiled English earl Tostig Godwinson and claiming the English crown, but his army was defeated and he was killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge by King Harold Godwinson, only weeks before Harold was himself defeated by William the Conqueror at Hastings. His death is often taken by historians as marking the end of the Viking Age.
Facts
Birth YearCirca; sources give c. 1015 as an approximate year, not an exact one. Death PlaceStamford Bridge, Yorkshire, England 1 Role
Role (category) FAQs
What did Harald Hardrada do as king of Norway before he invaded England?
He fought Sven of Denmark for years, subdued Norway's warrior chieftains and founded Oslo on the site of an old marketplace.
After returning from Byzantine service, Harald allied himself with Sven of Denmark against his nephew Magnus, who was then king of Norway. Magnus later offered him part of Norway for a considerable sum of money, and Harald left Sven's side to accept. When Magnus died, Harald took over the rest of Norway. He then fought a long and devastating war against Sven that lasted until 1064. During the same period he brought the warrior chieftains of Norway to terms and founded the city of Oslo on the site of an old marketplace, according to the Encyclopedia of World Biography entry on Harold III.
Connections
Associated With
The Viking Age, Eras The Viking Age ended with the death of Harald Hardrada in 1066.
In Era
Source Wikipedia: Harald Hardrada
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Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Source Wikidata: Harald Hardrada
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Harald Hardrada
Wikipedialead sentence: role clause
Harald Sigurdsson (Old Norse: Haraldr Sigurðarson; c. 1015 - 25 September 1066), also known as Harald Hardrada or Harald III, was King of Norway from 1046 to 1066.
infobox: born
birth_date = c. 1015
infobox: died
Married first to the future Olaf I of Denmark, and after his death, to the future Philip of Sweden of the House of Stenkil Maria (died 25 September 1066).
lead sentence: alternate name clause
Harald Sigurdsson (Old Norse: Haraldr Sigurðarson; c. 1015 - 25 September 1066), also known as Harald Hardrada or Harald III, was King of Norway from 1046 to 1066.
lead sentence: patronymic name clause
Harald Sigurdsson (Old Norse: Haraldr Sigurðarson; c. 1015 - 25 September 1066), also known as Harald Hardrada or Harald III, was King of Norway from 1046 to 1066.
Harald Hardrada: Gender
1015-1066) was King of Norway from 1046 until his death.
In Era: The Post-Classical and Medieval Period, lead paragraph, lifespan
Infobox: born c. 1015; died 1066-9-25
View the Source Wikidata: Harald Hardrada
Wikidata Q203647, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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