Harald Hardrada A Game of Northern Thrones 1041 1061 DOCUMENTARY

Harald had fled his homeland at 15, the destitute son of a petty nobleman. But after a decade spent in exile, fighting his way across the distant corners of the world, he was finally ready to return home. With treasure in hand, he would get the girl, get the crown, and finally rise to heights of power and glory his forefathers could only dream of. No matter the cost, no matter the obstacle, this was his destiny. The story of Harald Hardrada has been a fascinating one for me to explore, as I had previously known so little about his saga besides the footnote of his involvement in England. There are tons of other historical figures and dramas which unfortunately go overlooked. Thankfully, our sponsor Blinkist has a solution. Blinkist is an app that puts the vast library of human history at your fingertips. What's more, it takes thousands of non-fiction books and uses experts to distill them down to the most essential ideas for you to easily digest with text or audio in just 15 minutes. It's been a great tool for me to explore a wide range of topics from the 27 sections offered by Blinkist. As a great example, I was recently able to listen to Powers and Thrones by Dan Jones which looks at the movers and shakers of the medieval world. I also got to enjoy Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford which reframed my view of this fascinating empire. I'm sure that when you try Blinkist you'll also be able to find many hidden gems of your own. So check it out now by clicking the link in the description below to get a 7th day free trial. In addition, the first 100 people will get 25% off a full membership. Enjoy! Upon slipping past the great chains of Constantinople, Harold and his men sailed north to claim their destiny. Their first stop would be in the land of the Rus. Here they would find refuge in the embrace of their ally Yaroslav and be able to collect the years of accumulated treasure he had banked for them. Harold would also be able to make good on the deal he had that he could marry the princess Elisaveta if he could make a name and a fortune of his own. In this regard, the now 27-year-old Harold had exceeded all expectations. By any measure, he was worthy. Yet the sagas claimed that he was nonetheless nervous, writing 16 songs on his journey north, all of which ended with the following lines. Yet to the Russian queen I fear, my gold adorned, I am not dear. Luckily for the young Norwegian, these concerns proved ill-founded. Yaroslav greeted his arrival with open arms and a wedding was soon in order. Few details remain, but it must have been a grand affair featuring a fascinating blend of Rus, Norse, and Christian traditions. There was much to celebrate and it's sure that tales and treasures flowed like wine that night. Shortly after all parties had sobered up, they began to plan for their next moves. For Harold, this meant making a play for the throne back home, while for Yaroslav, this meant expanding his empire. In these matters, the two would help each other out. The grand prince had already done much, but was prepared to offer the additional political and military support necessary to achieve the exiled Norwegian's aims. But this was not merely out of goodness of his heart. Such assistance was an investment. In the short term, this likely meant getting from Harold valuable insight into the inner workings of the Byzantine military, its strength, weaknesses, and overall disposition. While the sagas say that the former Varangian guard still held the empire dear to his heart, it seems that his loyalties ended with his last contract. The fact that Yaroslav would launch a campaign against Constantinople itself shortly after Harold's arrival is a likely indication of how much actionable intel was shared. With wealth and wife in hand, Harold quickly departed Kiev and made his way back to Scandinavia. He arrived in the winter of 1045. It had been 15 years since his departure, and much had changed. Knut the Great, the man whose conquest had precipitated Harold's exile, had died in 1035, leaving behind a fresh scramble for control of the North Sea Empire. His son, Knut III, took Denmark, while Harold Hereford took England, and Magnus Olafsson, the nephew of Harold Hardrada, took Norway. For years, these would be locked in a struggle for ultimate control. Eventually though, both Knut III and Harold Hereford would die early, leaving Magnus to now snap up the throne of Denmark, while Edward the Confessor lay claim to England. News of such turnings of the throne were likely what had given Harold Hardrada such urgency in his homeward journey. The returning prince's ship was said to have first docked in Sweden, its overflowing cargo of gold unbalancing it at the moorings. Here, Harold would plot to overthrow Magnus. This would be done by negotiating the backing of the Swedish king while joining forces with the exiled Danish noble Sweyn Estredsson. The terms of their alliance seemed to have been 50-50. Harold would take Norway, while Sweyn would take Denmark. Thus agreed, the two leveraged their wealth and political connections to raise a great force. In the spring, it would be unleashed upon the lands of the north. Starting in Denmark, these raided the coast in a blatant challenge to the authority of Magnus. Here is how the Skalds describe the scene. Helms burst, shields broke, Fiona's bounds were filled with death's terrific sounds. Red flashing in the southern sky, the clear flame sweeping broad and high. From fair Roskilde's lofty towers, on lowly huts its fire rain pours, and shows the housemates' silent train, in terror scouring over the plain. Seeking the forest's deepest glen, to house with wolves and escape with men. Few were they of escape to tell, for sorrow warn the people fell. The only captives from the fray were lovely maidens led away, and in wild terror to the strand, down to the ships the link ban, of fair-haired girls as roughly driven, their soft skins and irons riven. Such was the way kingship was contested, and lands were conquered in the north. Sweyn and Harold never had to invade Denmark proper, or plant their flag in every town. They merely had to convince the locals that a new, stronger boss was in town, and that it was in their best interest to pay taxes to him when his ships rolled into harbor. With Denmark thus beginning to bend the knee for Sweyn, it was now time for Harold to reclaim his homeland of Norway. At the time of Harold's return, Magnus had been abroad on campaign. However, upon hearing word of the threat to his realm, the king quickly returned with the full force of his fleet and army. Uncle and nephew now prepared for a bloody civil war. Many feared the fallout of such a confrontation, with the author Theodul writing the following, quote, Thankfully, advisors managed to bring the two of them to the peace table before further blood could be shed. Ultimately, this meant devising a power-sharing agreement, in which both men would serve jointly as king and split their treasuries. In theory, it was a good deal. Magnus traded power for money, while Harold traded money for power. Each got what they wanted, without shattering the delicate nature of the Northern Empire. The arrangement began amicably at first, with the two regents sharing many feasts together and touring the countryside in a show of unity. However, for men of such ambition, it was not long before they began to quarrel. But for now at least, this could be put aside in favor of tackling their common rivals. In light of this news, Swain to the south had grown restless. It was said that he and Harold had had a falling out, and that the latter only narrowly avoided an assassination attempt by placing a dummy in his usual place of rest. Now that Harold was apparently co-ruler with Magnus, Swain figured it was only a matter of time before the two turned on him. These suspicions proved well-founded, as the northern pair would sail against Denmark in 1047. Yet the campaign would come to a screeching halt with the sudden death of Magnus. He had been without an heir, and in his last days supposedly decided that the lands of Norway would pass to Harold, while the lands of Denmark would remain in the hands of Swain. A cruel way to twist the knife even after death. But the wishes of the dead matter little to the bold. Harold spared little time in exploiting the situation. He immediately assembled the lords of the realm, and proclaimed himself king of both Norway and Denmark. With access to the full treasury once more, and many warriors at his back, few opposed the move openly. Among those that did though, was the nobleman Einar Thambarskjálfur. He had long been involved in the northern game of thrones, and now sought to elevate his position as the face of the resistance. Thus when Harold now agitated to make renewed war against Swain in Denmark, Einar made a powerful speech, in essence saying that his priorities lay instead with seeing to the proper burial of the beloved king Magnus. This move won him the support of the people, and many of the former monarch's loyal troops. Undaunted, Harold continued with his plans to consolidate power. This meant raising the Nordic levy in 1048, and launching renewed raids upon Denmark. These attacks would be a near constant feature of his reign, with Harold lashing out each spring for nearly 15 years. The assaults savaged the southern coasts, plundering their wealth, and destroying many important trade centers such as Hedeby. The following lines are recorded by the skalds, quote, But Harold's fury was not just directed outwards. At home, he ruled with an iron fist that would earn him the title Hardrada, or harsh ruler. It was said that, quote, Instead, the main focus of the sagas would be his ongoing feuds with various rivals. This had only escalated with time. For instance, on one occasion, the noble Einar had gone to visit Harold in his court in Nidaros, but brought with him nearly 500 armed men. This was a clear flex, meant to show he was ready to fight. Harold had but to name the time and place. Yet the king proved himself more than a simple brute. With cool nerves, he refused to flinch, or take the bait. But in his mind, a scheme was hatched that would make Loki proud. The sagas offer different versions of what happened next. We have chosen to proceed with perhaps one of the more dramatic tales. In this account, Einar was drawn to the capital by the arrest of one of his men, who had been accused of theft. Naturally, the noble was weary of a trap, and brought with him a strong retinue of huscarls under the command of his own son, Eindridi. They escorted Einar all the way to the king's hall. However, when the final summons came to enter, the guard took up positions by the doors outside. They trusted the bonds of honor and hospitality to protect their liege beyond the threshold. This would be a fatal mistake. As Einar stepped into the room, silver blades flashed in the dark. In an instant, these were upon him, gutting the old boar where he stood. Eindridi, hearing the commotion, rushed after his father with sword in hand. However, he too was struck down with ruthless efficiency. Quick, merciless. Meanwhile, the remaining huscarls outside were surrounded. Now leaderless and without hope of escape, they surrendered. Of course, such bloody tyranny could not go unanswered. Einar was well-loved and a well-connected man, whose death served as a match to ignite the North against the harsh rule of Harald. Such an outcome was to be expected, and the king moved quickly to deal with the consequences. Where violence had solved one problem, now money would solve the other. His countermove would be orchestrated by the nobleman Finn Arneson, a well-respected man of the North, whom Harald now entrusted to convince the various rebellious factions to sheathe their blades. He first rode to the lands of Einar's people, paying them a generous ware guild from the treasury and convincing them to allow cooler heads to prevail. From there, he rode to the other powerful figures of the realm, making political and economic concessions as needed to keep the peace. For this great service, Harald allowed Finn's exiled brother Kalv to return to his homeland and recover his property. This was quite the concession, as it had been this Kalv who supposedly dealt the killing blow to the king's half-brother Olaf so many years ago. But Harald was a patient man. He would have his vengeance one way or another. It seems that the harsh ruler had learned his lesson from the Einar affair. The realm was in a fragile state of peace at the moment, and if Harald so flagrantly crossed the line again, civil war would be inevitable. There was no amount of politicking or bribery capable of putting out the fires of revolt this time. Something more subtle would be required to snuff out the candle. Thus Harald took his inspiration from the stories of ancient King David. On the annual raid against Feyn in Denmark, he would bring Kalv along with him. Here, a great force had arisen to meet them on the shores. Nonetheless, Harald was prepared to fight, and graced Kalv with the honor of leading the First Division into the fray to secure the beachhead. They did so, and began to engage the foe, knowing that behind them were ranks upon ranks of reinforcements. However, as the fighting escalated, and men began to fall, they glanced nervously at the seas. Where was the fleet? Unfortunately, there had been a most regrettable mixup. Reinforcements were delayed by the winds, the tides, or some other matter that would later be forgotten. No one was coming. Seeing this, the Danes were further emboldened, and quickly hacked the outnumbered landing force to pieces. Kalv and his men died there on the beach, alone and betrayed. This was the king's justice. This was the way Harald ruled. I'd like to quote directly from his own verses on this matter. I have in all the deathstroke given To foes of mine at least eleven Two more, perhaps, if I remember May yet be added to this number I prize myself upon these deeds My people such examples need Bright gold itself they would despise Or healing liquor under prize If not still brought before their eyes These events seem plucked right out of some overwrought TV drama, and yet they appear to have been a simple reflection of the dynamics in the North at the time. A period in which familial alliances and honor packs were held aloft as great virtues, but barbed words and knives in the dark were what won men their crowns. In such matters, Harald was a master of his craft. Now, let us follow his deeds as he set his sights on the greatest prize of all, the throne of the entire Great North Sea Empire. A big thanks to the patrons for funding the channel, and to the researchers, writers, and artists for making this episode possible. 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