Unification of Norway
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Unification of Norway
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| Government | Kingdoms unification | ||||||||
| Kings | |||||||||
• Before 872 | petty kings and earls | ||||||||
• From 872 | Harald Fairhair | ||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
| 860s | |||||||||
| 870s | |||||||||
| 870s | |||||||||
| 870s | |||||||||
| 872 | |||||||||
| 880s | |||||||||
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The Unification of Norway (
Norwegian Bokmål: Rikssamlingen) is the process by which Norway merged from several petty kingdoms into a single kingdom, predecessor to the modern Kingdom of Norway.[1]
History
King
Harald Fairhair is the monarch who is credited by later tradition as having first unified Norway into one kingdom.[2] According to the sagas, he ruled Norway from approximately 872 to 930. Modern historians, including Claus Krag, assume that his rule may have been limited to the coastal areas of western and southern Norway. The tendency in recent research has been to perceive unification of the nation to have been a more time-consuming process.[3]
The sagas recount that Harald succeeded, on the death of his father
Erik Eymundsson. In 872, after a great victory at the Battle of Hafrsfjord near Stavanger, Harald found himself king over the whole country.[4]
According to Sverre Bagge, unification of Norway was made easy by excellent sea communications, as well as seas that rarely froze in winter.[2]
His realm was, however, threatened by dangers from outside, as large numbers of his opponents had taken refuge, not only in
Hebrides Islands and Faroe Islands. His opponents' leaving was not entirely voluntary. Many Norwegian chieftains who were wealthy and respected posed a threat to Harald; therefore, they were subjected to much harassment, prompting them to vacate the land. In time, Harald was forced to make an expedition to subdue these islands.[5]
After Harald's death, the unity of the kingdom was not preserved. In following centuries, the kingdom was variously ruled, wholly or in part, by descendants of King Harald or by
Saga descriptions
In the Saga of Harald Hårfagre from
Maps of the Norwegian kingdoms
These maps are mainly based on later saga sources, from the 13th century. Their historical accuracy has not been established.
-
Norwegianpetty kingdoms c. 820 AD at the death of Gudrød the Hunter. Major kingdoms: Vestfold (red), Hålogaland (purple), Alvheim (yellow) Agder(green). -
Petty kingdoms c. 860 AD at the death of Halfdan the Black. In red is the kingdom inherited by Harald Fairhair. -
Petty kingdoms c. 872 AD (the unified kingdom shown in red) before the defining Battle of Hafrsfjord. -
Division of the kingdom c. 930 AD., petty kingdoms assigned to Harald's sons and kinsmen (yellow), Harald's direct rule (red), Earls ofLade (purple), Earls of Møre(orange) -
The division of the kingdom after thejarl of Lade(purple). -
Unified Norway during the reign ofSami") most of which paid tributeto the kings of Norway.
See also
References
- ^ Per G. Norseng. "Norsk historie fra 800 til 1130". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
- ^ JSTOR j.ctt3fgk28.
- ^ Rikssamling (Det Norske Kongehus)
- ^ Samlinga av Noreg (vikingtida.wikispaces.com)
- ^ Rikssamlingen i Norge fra ca. 900 til ca. 1300 (Prezi Inc.)
- ^ Rikssamlingen (Cappelendamm.no)
- ^ History of The Royal House of Norway (Det Norske Kongehus)
- ^ Bruken av en heroisk fjern fortid: Kulturarvskonflikter omkring Harald Hårfagres minnetradisjon (Haugalandmuseene)
- ^ Norway – Rulership and power before Christianization (S. Bagge and S. Nordeide)
Primary sources
- Andersen, Per Sveaas (1977) Samlingen av Norge og kristningen av landet 800–1130 (Universitetsforlaget) ISBN 978-8200024125
- ISBN 978-8200129387
- ISBN 82-03-22015-0
- Krøger, Jens Flemming (1997) Rikssamlingen: høvdingmakt og kongemakt (Stavanger: Dreyer) ISBN 9788278590027
- Lidén, Hans-Emil (1995) Møtet mellom hedendom og kristendom i Norge (Universitetsforlaget) ISBN 82-00-22430-9
- ISBN 978-8205065154
Further reading
- Finlay, Alison (2004) Fagrskinna, a Catalogue of the Kings of Norway (Brill Academic) ISBN 90-04-13172-8
- Hermannsson, Halldór (2009) Bibliography of the sagas of the kings of Norway and related sagas and tales (BiblioBazaar) ISBN 978-1113624611
- Libaek, Ivar; Oivind Stenersen (1992) History of Norway From The Ice Age To The Oil Age (Grondahl Dreyer) ISBN 978-8250418523
- Kouri, E. I., Torkel Jansson and Knut Helle (2003) The Cambridge History of Scandinavia (Cambridge University Press) ISBN 0-521-47299-7
- Noyes, David (2010) The History of Norway (Nabu Press) ISBN 978-1149405765
- Sawyer, Birgit; Sawyer, Peter H. (1993) Medieval Scandinavia: from Conversion to Reformation, Circa 800–1500 (University of Minnesota Press) ISBN 0-8166-1739-2
External links
- Rikssamling og kristning (mennesket.net)
- Norway - The First Kingdom (All Empires. Medieval Europe: Political History)
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