Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Morkinskinna The Earliest Icelandic Chronicle of the Norwegian Kings by Theodore Murdock Andersson Morkinskinna: The Earliest Icelandic Chronicle of the Norwegian Kings by Theodore Murdock Andersson. Our systems have detected unusual traffic activity from your network. Please complete this reCAPTCHA to demonstrate that it's you making the requests and not a robot. If you are having trouble seeing or completing this challenge, this page may help. If you continue to experience issues, you can contact JSTOR support. Block Reference: #a00838b0-cfac-11eb-9ad0-f9b294c1356a VID: #(null) IP: 116.202.236.252 Date and time: Thu, 17 Jun 2021 20:43:09 GMT. Royalty in Norway. Norway's first king, Harald I -- also known as Harald Fairhair -- was born in the ninth century. His father, Halfdan the Black, ruler of Vestfold in southeast Norway, was descended from Sweden's royal Yngling family. When Harald was 10, his father died and Harald succeeded him as king. Before he reached his mid-20s, Harald had defeated rival kings in battle and united Norway under his rule. After the death of King Haakon V in 1319, the Norwegian crown passed to his grandson Magnus, who was also king of Sweden. In 1397, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden formed the Kalmar Union under Margaret I, a Danish princess who had married King Magnus's son Haakon VI. Although her relative Eric of Pomerania was the official king, it was Margaret who ruled until her death in 1412. Sweden elected its own king in 1523, but Norway remained united with Denmark until 1814, when Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden. In 1905, Norway became independent from Sweden. Its new government offered the crown to Prince Carl, second son of Denmark's future King Frederick VIII. After being approved in a popular vote by the Norwegian people, the prince ascended the throne as King Haakon VII. Royal family returns to Norway in 1945 Photo Source: Wikimedia Commmons. Norway remained neutral in the First World War. It was invaded by Germany during World War II. Haakon VII fled to England, where he remained in exile for exactly five years. He received a warm welcome when he returned to Norway in 1945. King Haakon died in 1957 and was succeeded by his son Olav V. King Olav died in 1991; the present king is his son, Harald V. Norway is a constitutional monarchy; the king does not rule, but represents the country and plays a ceremonial role. King Harald and his wife, Queen Sonja, have two children, Princess Märtha Louise (born in 1971) and Crown Prince Haakon (born in 1973). The crown prince married Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby in 2001. Their first child, Ingrid Alexandra, was born on January 21, 2004. Their second child, a son named Sverre Magnus, was born on December 3, 2005. Crown Princess Mette-Marit also has a son named Marius Borg Høiby from a previous relationship. Books About Norwegian Royalty. Unless otherwise noted, these books are for sale at Amazon.com. Your purchase through these links will result in a commission for the owner of the Royalty.nu site. History & Kings of Norway. Early Kings of Norway by Thomas Carlyle. This classic book tells the stories of Harald Haarfagr, Eric Blood-Axe, and other early kings. Unpredictability and Presence: Norwegian Kingship in the High Middle Ages by Hans Jacob Orning. In the 12th century, the king, under strong clerical influence, was depicted as just and omnipresent, but he based his dominion on unpredictability and presence. The Royal House of Norway by Morten Ole Morch. About the Norwegian royal family from 1929, when Crown Prince Olav married Sweden's Princess Martha, until her death in 1954. Includes newspaper articles, diary entries, and more than 500 illustrations. The Psalter of Christina of Norway in the Collection of the Royal Library, Copenhagen by Marina Vidas. The first detailed analysis of an exquisitely illuminated 13th century Parisian manuscript which was owned by Christina of Norway (1234-1262), daughter of Haakon IV and wife of Philip of Castile and Leon. Queen Maud. Style & Splendour: The Wardrobe of Queen Maud of Norway 1896-1938 by Anne Kjellberg and Susan North. Queen Maud was one of the best-dressed women of her age. Using photographs of her clothes and accessories, this book shows the evolution of women's fashion from the 1890s to the 1930s. Icelandic Sagas of Norwegian History. Morkinskinna: The Earliest Icelandic Chronicle of the Norwegian Kings (1030-1157), translated by Theodore M. Andersson and Kari Ellen Gade. Written around 1220, this is an account of the early kings of Norway. Heimskringla, or the Lives of the Norse Kings by Snorri Sturlason. A 13th century history of the kings of Norway, from prehistoric times to 1177. King Harald's Saga by Snorri Sturlason, translated by Magnus Magnusson and Paulsson Herman. This is part of the Heimskringla. It records the life of King Harald Hardradi of Norway, who served and fought in every corner of Europe, from Russia to Sicily, but was defeated by King Harold of England three weeks before the Battle of Hastings. Scandinavia. Queen Margrethe I, 1353-1412, and the Founding of the Nordic Union by Vivian Etting. The fascinating story of Queen Margrete I's rise to power in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, which culminated in the founding of the Nordic Union in 1397. Gives a vivid picture of medieval society in Scandinavia. Well illustrated. Vikings. Books by Norwegian Royals. QSPA 5 by HM Queen Sonja, Magne Furuholmen, and Lars Saabye Christensen. An avid printmaker, Queen Sonja of Norway, wife of King Harald V, collaborated with Magne Furuholmen (formerly of a-ha) to create colorful graphic design works. The proceeds from this volume contribute to the Queen Sonja Print Award. The Spiritual Password: Enter Your New World of Bliss by Princess Märtha Louise and Elizabeth Nordeng. A guide to meditation techniques. Princess Martha Louise is the daughter of Norway's King Harald V. Children's Books. Why Kings and Queens Don't Wear Crowns by Princess Martha Louise. A fictional story for children ages 4 to 8. The author is the daughter of the current king of Norway. Stenkil. Stenkil (Old Norse: Steinkell ) was a King of Sweden who ruled c. 1060 until 1066. [1] [2] [3] He succeeded Emund the Old and became the first king from the House of Stenkil. [4] He is praised as a devout Christian, however with an accommodating stance towards the old Pagan religion. His brief reign saw an armed conflict with Norway. [5] Contents. Family background Support for the Bremen mission The war with Harald Hardrada Death and burial Family Notes and references. Family background. The Hervarar saga (13th century) describes Stenkil as the son of Ragnvald the Old and Astrid Njalsdotter, the daughter of Njal Finnsson from Hålogaland in Norway and a cognatic descendant of Harald Fairhair. Later historians have identified the father of Stenkil Ragnvald Ulfsson who was the earl of Staraya Ladoga and the grandson of the legendary Viking Skoglar Toste. But this presumed family-connection is not supported by any other sources and must therefore be regarded as very uncertain. [6] The Icelandic sagas mention a wife and two sons to Ragnvald Ulfsson but none are identical with Stenkil and his mother Astrid. The contemporary chronicler Adam of Bremen says Stenkil was the nephew ( nepos ) or stepson ( privignus ) of the former King Emund the Old, [7] while the Hervarar saga asserts that he was related to the previous dynasty by marriage to Emund's daughter. [2] Stenkil was probably from Västergötland rather than Uppland or the Mälaren area. [1] The short chronicle appended the Westrogothic law (c. 1240) clearly states that he spent time in Levene in Västergötland where he was long remembered as the king who "loved West Geats before all his other subjects", [8] and he was lauded as a great archer whose hit marks were long shown with admiration. [1] [2] The tradition that Stenkil was beloved by the Geats appears to be supported by Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla . In a speech by Thorvid, the lawspeaker (lagman) of Västergötland before a battle with Harald Hardrada (see below), the lawspeaker expresses the Geats' (Gautland people) loyalty to Stenkil: The lagman of the Gautland people, Thorvid, sat upon a horse, and the bridle was fastened to a stake that stood in the mire. He broke out with these words: "God knows we have many brave and handsome fellows here, and we shall let King Steinkel hear that we stood by the good earl bravely. I am sure of one thing: we shall behave gallantly against these Northmen, if they attack us; but if our young people give way, and should not stand to it, let us not run farther than to that stream; but if they should give way farther, which I am sure they will not do, let it not be farther than to that hill." [9] The statement of the Hervarar saga that Stenkil was originally Jarl in Svíþjóð (in the first hand, the provinces around Lake Mälaren) nevertheless calls for some caution. Historian Peter Sawyer argues that the traditions associating Stenkil with Västergötland may not be reliable, but rather express a later need to advocate Västergötland as the hub of the Swedish kingdom. His active advocacy for a bishopric in Sigtuna may speak for a strong association with the Mälaren Valley. [10] Support for the Bremen mission. Stenkil appears in history around 1056, during the reign of Emund the Old. At that time he provided support and protection for a delegation from the Archdiocese of Bremen which had been turned away by King Emund and his bishop Osmundus. Later on a reconciliation between the king and Bremen took place, and Sweden received Adalvard the Elder as its new bishop. Emund died shortly after, in about 1060. As his son and heir Anund was already dead, Stenkil succeeded to the throne without any known commotion. Adam characterises Stenkil as God-fearing and pious. A much less flattering image of the new king is provided by the Icelandic manuscript Morkinskinna (c. 1220), which says: "King Stenkil was a portly man and heavy on his feet. He was much given to drinking parties and not much involved in the business at hand . he himself liked to be left in peace." [11] The king duly supported the Christianization of Sweden [2] and cooperated with bishops from the Archbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen. [3] With the help of Stenkil's emissaries, Adalvard the Younger created the Sigtuna bishopric, one day's journey from the old cult center of Uppsala. According to a historically much-debated passage in Adam's chronicle, Uppsala was the site of a renowned pagan temple where sacrifices of humans and animals were performed every ninth year. [12] After having formally converted the population around Sigtuna, Adalvard the Younger suggested Bishop Egino in Scania that they should proceed to raze or burn down the temple. This, they hoped, would have the effect of pushing the population into conversion. However, Stenkil apprehended that the people in the area resented the aim of the bishops, and managed to talk them out of the project. As he argued, the bishops would be executed and he himself deposed since he had allowed miscreants into the land. Moreover, those already Christian would surely revert to paganism. [3] The fears were probably justified. According to the Hervarar saga , Stenkil's son Inge the Elder was deposed and exiled for wanting to cancel the pagan sacrifices at the temple. [13] [14] As it was, Adalvard and Egino reluctantly had to follow Stenkil's advice. Instead, they traversed the lands of the Geats which were apparently less resistant to the new faith, and broke any pagan idols they found, making thousands of converts in the process. [15] The war with Harald Hardrada. The later Norse sagas relate that a brief but serious conflict flared up with the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada in 1064–65. One of Harald's foremost chiefs, Håkon Ivarsson Jarl, was married to the king's grandniece Ragnhild and followed Harald on his military expeditions against the Danish ruler Sweyn Estridsen. According to Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla the Norwegians were victorious at the Battle of Nissan in 1062, but Håkon Jarl secretly allowed the defeated Sweyn to escape alive. When this was later reported to Harald Hardrada, the enraged king gave orders to kill Håkon, who however managed to escape to Sweden. The escapee stayed with King Stenkil who made him Jarl of Värmland. [16] According to another saga, Morkinskinna , Håkon Jarl left Norway for Denmark where he was created Jarl of Halland. Meanwhile, Harald Hardrada concluded peace with Sweyn Estridsen in 1064 and then started to harry in Stenkil's realm in Götaland. The worried Stenkil arranged a meeting with King Sweyn and asked for his support. Sweyn replied that he could not break the recent peace treaty, but advised Stenkil to appoint the valiant Håkon Jarl as sub-ruler of Västergötland, from where he could confront King Harald. This was arranged, and Håkon assembled men from Denmark as well as from the two Geatic provinces. He spoke to his troops at an assembly, where he self-assuredly said: "Even though I have a lesser title than King Stenkil, it may be that I will be of no less assistance, for he is used to an easy life, while I am accostumed to battles and hard conditions". [17] According to all the saga versions, Harald Hardrada reacted to Håkon Jarl's Swedish position by assembling a fleet and invading Stenkil's kingdom in the cold of the winter. At the entrance of the Göta älv, he took the lighter boats and brought them upriver, to Lake Vänern. The ships then rowed eastwards, to the place where he heard that Håkon's troops had assembled. With Håkon was the law-speaker ( lagman ) of the Geats, Thorvid. However, the Geats were lightly clothed, "as is always the case with the Geats", while Harald's troops were more numerous and better equipped. The Geatic law-speaker lost his head and took to his heels before the battle had begun. In the fight that followed, Håkon's troops were defeated with losses. Nevertheless, Harald did not push his advantage further, but returned to the lake shore with his men. The end of the expedition was inauspicious. Part of Harald's troops were led into a trap, ambushed and massacred by Håkon's men. As the Norwegians sailed down the Göta älv, some more were killed by Geatic archers. [18] In the following year 1066 Harald Hardrada undertook his ill-fated invasion of England, which left the striking power of the Norwegian kingdom crippled. Håkon Jarl ended his life as a magnate in Denmark. It is not clear how much of the internally differing saga accounts can be regarded trustable, but a preserved scaldic verse by þjóðólfr Arnórsson confirms the outlines: Stenkil's men who would give support to the Jarl have been assigned to death the ruler caused this. Håkon withdrew quickly when support failed. Thus says the one who wants to depict this nicely. [19] Morkinskinna indicates that the relations between Stenkil and Sweyn Estridsen were amicable. It is likely that the Swedish ruler had an interest in supporting Sweyn against the attempts of Harald Hardrada to subjugate Denmark between 1047 and 1062. Historian Aksel E. Christensen has concluded that the Norwegian-Danish peace treaty of 1064 was a success for the Swedish policy to prevent one king from ruling the kingdoms to the north and the south of Skagerrak. [20] Strangely, the Knytlinga Saga tells that "King Sweyn also had a dispute with the Swedish King Stenkil, who went with his army against King Sweyn, although he did not appropriate any of his territories". [21] Death and burial. Adam of Bremen, Snorri Sturluson and the Hervarar saga all state that Stenkil passed away at the time of the Battle of Hastings in England (1066). [22] His death triggered a violent civil war, perhaps caused by rising tension between Christianity and adherents of the pagan religion. [23] According to a legend Stenkil was buried in the "royal hill" near Levene in Västergötland. [2] His two sons Halsten and Inge the Elder would both become kings of Sweden. In a letter to Halsten and Inge from c. 1081, Pope Gregory VII apparently praised Stenkil, since he expressed hope that they might compete with their "predecessor" in honourable lives and deeds. [24] The Hervarar saga has a great deal to tell about Stenkil: Steinkell hét ríkr maðr í Svíaríki ok kynstórr; móðir hans hét Ástríðr, dóttir Njáls Finnssonar ins skjálga af Hálogalandi, en faðir hans var Rögnvaldr inn gamli. Steinkell var fyrst jarl í Svíþjóð, en eptir dauða Eymundar konungs tóku Svíar hann til konungs. Þá gekk konungdómr ór langfeðgaætt í Svíþjóð inna fornu konunga. Steinkell var mikill höfðingi. Hann átti dóttur Eymundar konungs. Hann varð sóttdauðr í Svíþjóð nær því, er Haraldr konungr fell á Englandi. Ingi hét sonr Steinkels, er Svíar tóku til konungs næst eptir Hákon. [25] There was a great man of noble family in Sweden called Steinkel. His mother's name was Astrith, the daughter of Njal the son of Fin the Squinter, from Halogaland; and his father was Rögnvald the Old. Steinkel was an Earl in Sweden at first, and then after the death of Emund the Old, the Swedes elected him their King. Then the throne passed out of the line of the ancient kings of Sweden. Steinkel was a mighty prince. He married the daughter of King Eymund. He died in his bed in Sweden about the time that King Harold fell in England. Steinkel had a son called Ingi, who became King of Sweden after Haakon. [13] Family. Stenkil was married to a daughter of Emund the Old, and had at least two children: Halsten, King of Sweden, or parts of Sweden, died after 1081 Inge I, King of Sweden, died around 1110. It has been speculated that one of the two pretenders called Eric (around 1066-67) was his son, although there is nothing to support this assumption. [26] A later king, Håkan the Red (1070s), is associated with Stenkil's abode Levene in Västergötland and might have been a close kinsman. [8] The Saga of Olaf Tryggvason. Oddr Snorrason, a Benedictine monk in northern Iceland in the late twelfth century, composed a landmark Latin biography of the legendary Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason (died 1000 C.E.). This biography was soon translated into Icelandic, and the translation (though not the Latin original) is preserved in two somewhat differing versions and a small fragment of a third. The Saga of Olaf Tryggvason is the first English translation of this text, augmented by an introduction and notes to guide the reader. There is a strong possibility that Oddr's biography was the first full-length saga of the Icelandic Middle Ages. It ushered in a century of saga writing that assured Iceland a unique place in medieval literature and in the history of prose writing. Aside from being a harbinger of the saga tradition, and indeed of the modern novel, The Saga of Olaf Tryggvason has its own literary merits, including an epic description of the great Battle of Svoldr, in which King Olaf succumbed. In significant ways the narrative of this battle anticipates the mature style of the classical sagas in the thirteenth century.