The Battle of Hafrsfjord has been a very central event in the history of the unification of Norway. The only direct source to this event is from a lay written by Þórbjörn hornklofi (Norwegian: Torbjørn Hornklove) shortly after King Harald "Fairhair" beat his enemies. The lay is very simple, dramatic and illustrative (first part translated into English here): Harald I (b. ...

Heyrði þú í Hafrsfirði,		Did you hear in Hafrsfjord
hvé hizug barðisk		how hard they fought
konungr enn kynstóri		the high born king
við Kjötva enn auðlagða;		against Kjotve the Rich.
knerrir kómu austan,		ships came from the east
kapps of lystir,		wanting to fight,
með gínöndum höfðum		with its threatening throats
ok gröfnum tinglum.		and of dragon fierce.

One of the best sources from the viking age, Heimskringla written by Snorri Sturluson, describes the battle in detail (although historians continue to debate the historical accuracy of Sturlason's work): Kjotve the Rich (Kjotve den Rike / Kjötvi hinn auðgi) was a king of Agder, a county in the southernmost tip Norway, in the late 800s. ... The knarr (plural: knarrer) was the generic name for viking trade and mercantile ships. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Heimskringla is the Icelandic name of a collection of sagas recorded in Iceland around 1225 by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson (1179-1242). ... Snorri Sturlason (1178 – September 23, 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet and politician. ...

"Sverd i fjell": a monument in memory of the naval battle that took place in Hafrsfjord in 872 when King Harald "Fairhair" unified Norway into one kingdom

News came in from the south land that the people of Hordaland and Rogaland, Agder and Thelemark, were gathering, and bringing together ships and weapons, and a great body of men. The leaders of this were Eirik king of Hordaland; Sulke king of Rogaland, and his brother Earl Sote: Kjotve the Rich, king of Agder, and his son Thor Haklang; and from Thelemark two brothers, Hroald Hryg and Had the Hard. Now when Harald got certain news of this, he assembled his forces, set his ships on the water, made himself ready with his men, and set out southwards along the coast, gathering many people from every district. King Eirik heard of this when he same south of Stad; and having assembled all the men he could expect, he proceeded southwards to meet the force which he knew was coming to his help from the east. The whole met together north of Jadar, and went into Hafersfjord, where King Harald was waiting with his forces. A great battle began, which was both hard and long; but at last King Harald gained the day. There King Eirik fell, and King Sulke, with his brother Earl Sote. Thor Haklang, who was a great berserk, had laid his ship against King Harald's, and there was above all measure a desperate attack, until Thor Haklang fell, and his whole ship was cleared of men. Then King Kjotve fled to a little isle outside, on which there was a good place of strength. Thereafter all his men fled, some to their ships, some up to the land; and the latter ran southwards over the country of Jadar.

There have been attempts to dive in Hafrsfjord to find remains from the battle. However, nothing has been found, and it is therefore uncertain more specifically where in Hafrsfjord the battle took place. Also the actual year of the battle, 872, has been disputed. This year does not logically fit with the age of King Harald, who would only be 10 years old in 872. Later predictions have moved the date closer to year 900. Picture taken by Onar Vikingstad and released to public domain File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Picture taken by Onar Vikingstad and released to public domain File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Hordaland is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. ... Rogaland is a county in Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. ... Agder is: A landscape of Norway, see Sørlandet, Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder. ... Telemark is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. ... Sverd i fjell: a monument in memory of the naval battle that took place in Hafrsfjord in 872 when King Harald Fairhair unified Norway into one kingdom Hafrsfjord is a fjord located in the municipalities of Stavanger and Sola in Norway, stretching 9 kilometers. ... Events Battle of Hafrsfjord in Norway, Harald Finehair first king of Norway. ... For other uses, see number 900. ...

Earlier it was believed that the battle was a very decisive event to unify the country. But later evidence have shown that the battle only represented the last convulsions from the enemies of Harald. Before the battle, King Harald controlled large parts of the south-east of Norway, and with the battle of Hafrsfjord it marks the fact that he has destroyed the opposition from the eastern part of Norway. This makes it possible for him to control a large part of the country, and hence being the truly first legitimate King of Norway. This article is a list of rulers of Norway up until the present, including: The Norwegian kingdom (with the Faroe Islands) The Union with Iceland and Greenland (1262-1814) The Norwegian kingdom (with Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands 1262-1814) The Union of Sweden and Norway (1319-1343) The...

External links:

• Heimskringla - Battle in Hafersfjord (http://www.worldwideschool.org/library/books/hst/european/heimskringla/HeimskringlaVolume1/chap29.html)