Norway was more remote from the continent than Denmark, although it had connections in the west with the British Isles, and it was also harder to unite politically because of its geography: huge distances, isolated valleys, and mountainous terrain. Thus, at the beginning of the Viking Age, there was, again in contrast to Denmark, no evidence of any central political power in Norway. The country appears to have been divided up into small territories, ruled by local chieftains, which were separated by large tracts of unoccupied mountainous land.
However, we learn about the emergence of a more powerful king in southern Norway in the 880s. He was called Harald Fine-Hair. Harald was king of Vestfold, a district that lies to the west of present-day Oslo. Around the year 900, he is said to have fought and won a battle at Hafrsfjord, near modern Stavanger, on the southeastern coast of Norway. Here, Harald defeated an alliance of petty chieftains, and he promptly declared himself king of Norway. In reality, his kingdom probably only consisted of southern Norway, and there remained considerable opposition to his rule. In particular, the Earls of Lade, who controlled the district of Tr0ndelag (around modern Trondheim), resisted all attempts to be incorporated into the kingdom of Norway. Harald died around 930, and his immediate successors were unable to build on his achievements: his son, Erik Blood-Ax, was deposed and set off to find fame and fortune (and ultimately his death in 954) in England, while Erik’s brother, Hakon the Good, returned to Norway from England and ruled as king until Erik’s sons killed him in 960. The following decades saw political power in Norway more or less divided between the Earls of Lade and the Danish king, who was looking to extend his realm—the coastal lowlands around Oslo naturally attracted Danish attention. In particular, Harald Blue-Tooth of Denmark defeated various sons of Erik Blood-Ax and drove them out of Norway, setting up Hakon Jarl of Lade as his regent.
At the end of the 10th century, Norway took a decisive step toward political unity when the great-grandson of Harald Fine-Hair, Olaf Tryg-gvason, returned to Norway after campaigning in England, secured a base in Tr0ndelag, and challenged Danish rule of the country. Olaf had been baptized in a period of exile in England, and he tried to force Norwegians to accept Christianity—a policy that enjoyed only mixed success. But his was a short-lived reign, ended by Olaf’s death in the Battle of Svold in 1000, when the combined forces of the Danish king, Svein Forkbeard, and the Swedish king, Olof Skotkonung, together with Jarl Erik of Lade, defeated the Norwegians. The following 15 years again saw Norway divided into different political spheres of influence, under Svein of Denmark, with the Earls of Lade dominant in central and northern Norway and the Swedish king, Olof Skotkonung, holding power in the province of Ranrike (along the eastern coast of Oslofjord). The next Norwegian king to emerge was another Olaf who had been campaigning as a Viking for many years. Olaf Haraldsson was also a Christian and tried to convert Norway to his religion during his 13-year reign between 1015 and 1028. However, this provoked opposition, particularly in Tr0ndelag, and in 1028, Olaf was temporarily driven out of the country by Cnut of England and Denmark. On his return in 1030, he was defeated and killed in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. However, the tide turned against the Danes shortly after this, in protest at the oppressive rule of Cnut’s son and consort. The dead Olaf was promoted to sainthood, and his son Magnus the Good was called back from exile in Russia and made king of Norway. Magnus was strong enough and Denmark weak enough to reverse the traditional Danish domination of Norway, and Magnus appears to have ruled Denmark too between 1042 and 1047. His uncle, Harald Hard-Ruler, succeeded him. Harald is most famous for dying in the Battle of Stamford Bridge in East Yorkshire in 1066—defeated by King Harold God-winsson of England a few days before Harold fought William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. This date is often used to mark the end of the Viking Age in England, because it was the last real Scandinavian invasion of England. One of Harald’s sons, Olaf the Peaceful, ruled Norway until 1093. As his nickname suggests his reign was a relatively uneventful, if prosperous, period. His son, Magnus Bare-Foot, was more active abroad and tried to extend Norwegian royal authority over the Scandinavian colonies in the British Isles. However, he was killed while campaigning in Ireland, and after this date the kings of Norway were increasingly preoccupied with conflict and civil war at home.
World History
