Viking Heraldy of Lewis & Cinda - Bruce Rognan

Harald Sigurdson Hardrade (1015-1066)
Harald the Ruthless was born in 1015 in Ringerike (Buskerud). His first marriage was to Yelisaveta Yaroslavsdatter
of Kiev circa 1045. Secondly, he was married to Tora Torbergsdatter of Giske in 1047. His harsh suppression
of lesser Norwegian chieftains cost him their military support in his unsuccessful struggle to conquer Denmark
(1045-62). The son of Sigurd Syr, a chieftain in eastern Norway, and of Estrid, Harald fought at the age of
15 against the Danes with Olaf II in the celebrated Battle of Stiklestad (1030) in which Olaf was killed. He then
fled to Russia, where he served under the grand prince of Kiev, Yaroslav I the Wise, whose daughter Elizabeth
he later married. After enlisting in the military service of the Byzantine emperor Michael IV (reigned 1034-41),
he fought with the imperial armies in Sicily and Bulgaria and made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
Upon his arrival in Southeastern Norway, Harald, the wealthiest Viking, gave half of his wealth to Magnus the
Good. They both entered into a joint alliance as co-kings. Magnus was murdered by Harald the Ruthless, 2
years later and Harald Sigurdsson (the Ruthless) then led Norway to significant military battles in the future.
He spent the next 15 years attempting to wrest the Danish throne from Svein II. After Svein’s defeat in the Battle
of Niz (1062), the two rulers recognized each other as sovereign in their respective countries. Harald also
quarreled with Pope Alexander II and Adalbert, the archbishop of Bremen and the Holy Roman emperor's vicar
for the Scandinavian countries. Harald antagonized the two prelates by maintaining the independence of the
Norwegian church.
Harald expanded Norway's colonial possessions in the
Orkney, Shetland, and Hebrides islands and in 1066 attempted
to conquer England, allying himself with the
English rebel earl Tostig against the new English king,
Harold II. After gaining initial victories, Harald's forces
were routed by the English king in September 1066 at
Stamford Bridge, where Harald was killed. His son Magnus
(c. 1048-69) succeeded him and ruled jointly with
Olaf III, another of Harald's sons, until Magnus' death in
1069.
Nineteen days after his death the battle of Hasting was
fought and William the Conqueror gained the throne of
England. Duke William was a descendant of the Viking
Rollo Rognalvaldsen (a nephew of King Harld the Fairhaired.
Rognavald, a might sea-king and pirate, who
had been banished from Norway by King Harald Haarfagre, because
he had raided on of his provinces. settled in Rouen, Normandy with his followers; there he received a
land grant from Roger de Hauteville, Duke of France, and later married his daughter. This century was a trying
time for the British, their shores were continually raided by sea pirates and ambitious kings from Scandinavia.
It is interesting to note, that all of the fighting in Europe at this time was between family members. William the
Conqueror was a descendant of Harald. Harald Sigurdsson was also closely related with the Normans, and
Russians. The Norsemen (Normans) in France have now become more French than Norwegian, adopting their
cultures and traditions. Likewise the Rus in Russia, and Anglos and Saxons in England are have lost most of
their Norwegian/Viking influence. The Vikings in Sicily have also diluted their customs and culture. The Wars in
Europe are now fought by various forms of Vikings, in the name of Christianity. The rising world threat from the
Moslem world, leads all of these Vikings to unite again in 1095 for the crusades - the ultimate Viking Battles.
The Viking age came to an end in 1066. After this year there were never any more raids or plundering initiated
by the Scandinavian Vikings. Because they have become so integrated with other Europeans, they are no
longer called Vikings. Once the religion of the Norse Mythologies had been replaced by Christianity, the Vikings
no longer had a purpose or a cause. Their culture died, and they merged with the rest of Chrsitendom.
Olaf Kyrre Haraldson (1050-1093)
THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY