Gunnhild, Mother of Kings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gunnhildr Gormsdóttir
Queen consort of Norway
Tenure	931–934
Born	c. 910 Jutland, Denmark
Died	c. 980 (Aged ~70) Orkney, Scotland
Spouse	Eric Bloodaxe
Issue	Gamle Eirikssen Guttorm Eirikssen Harald II Ragnfrød Eirikssen Ragnhild Eriksdotter Erling Eirikssen Gudrød Eiriksson Sigurd Sleva Rögnvald Eriksson (?)
Dynasty	Knýtlinga
Father	Gorm the Old

Gunnhildr konungamóðir (meaning mother of kings) or Gunnhildr Gormsdóttir (born around 910, died around 980) was an important figure in Viking Age history. She is known from the old Icelandic Sagas. These stories say she was the wife of Eric Bloodaxe. Eric was a king of Norway from 930 to 934. He also ruled as 'King' of Orkney and Jórvík (a Viking kingdom in England).

Gunnhild lived during a time of big changes in Norway. Her father-in-law, Harald Fairhair, had recently united much of Norway. But soon after Harald died, Gunnhild and Eric were forced to leave Norway. She spent many years living away from home in places like Orkney, Jorvik, and Denmark. Several of her sons with Eric later became co-rulers of Norway.

Who was Gunnhild?

Many details about Gunnhild's life are debated by historians. Even if she was a real person is sometimes questioned. Most of what we know comes from old Icelandic stories. These stories often showed Gunnhild in a negative way. This might be because the Icelandic settlers felt Harald Fairhair had been unfair to their ancestors.

The sagas sometimes changed her background. They said she was from a farming family in northern Norway. This made it seem more believable that she learned magic from Finnish wizards. Some historians think this was a way for the saga writers to explain why their heroes faced defeats.

Gunnhild's Family Background

According to a 12th-century book called Historia Norwegiæ, Gunnhild was the daughter of Gorm the Old. He was the king of Denmark. This book says Eric and Gunnhild met at a feast given by Gorm. Many modern historians agree with this idea. They believe her marriage to Eric was a way to connect two powerful royal families. This would have helped both Norway and Denmark become stronger kingdoms. Eric himself was also from a marriage that united royal families.

However, other sagas like Heimskringla and Egil's Saga tell a different story. They say Gunnhild was the daughter of a local leader named Ozur Toti from northern Norway. Egil's Saga says Eric found Gunnhild during a battle in a faraway land. He then brought her home with him.

Some sagas also say Gunnhild lived with two Finnish wizards for a while. They say she learned magic from them. She supposedly convinced Eric to kill them. Then Eric took her to her father's house and said he wanted to marry her. Older sagas just say Eric met her in the Finnish north. She was being raised and taught by Mǫttull, the king of the Finns. Some historians think these stories about her learning magic are just fables. They might have been created to blame Gunnhild for Eric's bad rule.

Marriage to Eric Bloodaxe

Gunnhild and Eric had many children together. Their sons included Gamle, Guthorm, Harald, Ragnfrod, Ragnhild, Erling, Gudrod, and Sigurd Sleva. One saga also mentions a son named Rögnvald. It is not clear if he was one of the others or a different son.

Eric's Rule and Exile

Gunnhild was often said to have magical powers. After Eric's father, Harald Fairhair, died, Eric became king. He started to fight with his half-brothers. The sagas say Gunnhild encouraged him. Eric had several of his brothers killed. Because of Eric's harsh rule, the nobles of Norway chose his half-brother, Haakon the Good, as their new king. Eric was then forced to leave Norway.

Life in Orkney and Jorvik

The sagas say Eric, Gunnhild, and their family sailed to Orkney. They lived there for several years. Eric was known as the "King of Orkney" during this time. Gunnhild also went with Eric to Jorvik (modern-day York in England). There, Eric became a client king, ruling northern England. It is possible that both Eric and Gunnhild were baptized while in Jorvik.

After Eric lost Jorvik and died in battle in 954, Gunnhild and her sons went back to Orkney. They collected taxes from the new local ruler, Jarl Thorfinn. But Gunnhild decided to move again. She married her daughter Ragnhild to Thorfinn's son, Arnfinn. Then she took her other children and sailed to Denmark.

Some modern historians question if the Eric who ruled Jorvik was the same Eric Bloodaxe from Norway. English records do not say he was Norwegian. This means Gunnhild's time in Orkney and Jorvik might be a mix of different stories.

Conflict with Egill Skallagrímsson

Gunnhild had a big rivalry with a famous Viking poet named Egill Skallagrímsson. His saga shows her in a very negative light. Egil was friends with Eric at first. But Egil got into a fight over an inheritance and killed one of the king's men.

Gunnhild then ordered her brothers to kill Egil. But Egil killed them instead. This made Gunnhild want revenge even more. Eric declared Egil an outlaw in Norway. Egil then killed Eric's son, Rögnvald, while escaping.

Egil then performed a special Viking curse against Eric and Gunnhild. He put a horse's head on a pole and said: "Here I set up a níð-pole, and declare this níð against King Erik and Queen Gunnhildr. I declare this níð at the land-spirits there, and the land itself, so that all will fare astray, not to hold nor find their places, not until they wreak King Eric and Gunnhild from the land."

Egil and Gunnhild met again around 948 in Jorvik. Egil was shipwrecked nearby and brought before Eric. Eric sentenced him to death. But Egil wrote a long poem praising Eric in one night. When he recited it, Eric gave him his freedom. He even forgave Egil for killing Rögnvald, even though Gunnhild did not want him to.

Life After Eric's Death

In Denmark

After her husband Eric died, Gunnhild and her sons found safety with Harald Bluetooth, the king of Denmark. Harald Bluetooth was fighting a war against Norway. He may have used Gunnhild's sons to help him against the Norwegian king. One of her sons, Gamle, died fighting King Haakon around 960.

Return to Norway

Gunnhild returned to Norway in triumph. Her remaining sons killed King Haakon in 961. Even though Haakon's forces won the battle, his death created a chance for Gunnhild's son Harald to become king. With her sons now ruling Norway, Gunnhild became known as konungamóðir, or "Mother of Kings."

During the rule of her son, Harald Greyhide, Gunnhild was very powerful in the court. The sagas say she "mixed herself much in the affairs of the country." Gunnhild's sons killed or removed many local leaders. They took over their lands. There was also a famine during Harald's rule, possibly made worse by these conflicts.

One of the kings killed was Tryggve Olafsson. His wife, Astrid, fled with her baby son, Olaf Tryggvason. The sagas say Gunnhild sent soldiers to capture or kill the baby.

Gunnhild also showed great favor to Hrut Herjolfsson, an Icelandic chieftain. She helped him get an inheritance. Gunnhild also gave Hrut many gifts when he returned home. However, she also caused problems in his marriage. Gunnhild also helped Hrut's nephew, Olaf the Peacock, with his trade trips.

Final Exile and Death

Around 971, Haakon Sigurdsson, a powerful jarl, arranged for Harald Greyhide's death. Harald Bluetooth helped him. Civil war broke out between Jarl Haakon and Gunnhild's remaining sons. But Haakon won. Gunnhild had to flee Norway again with her sons Gudrod and Ragnfred. They went back to Orkney.

It seems Gunnhild was more interested in living quietly this time. Her sons used the islands to launch attacks against Haakon. But the rule of Orkney stayed with Jarl Thorfinn.

According to the Jómsvíkinga saga, Gunnhild returned to Denmark around 977. The saga says she was killed there by order of King Harald.

In 1835, a body was found in a bog in Jutland, Denmark. This body is now known as the Haraldskær Woman. Because of the stories about Gunnhild's death, people thought this was Gunnhild. King Frederick VI even ordered a special coffin for her. This is why the body is so well preserved. However, later scientific tests showed that the Haraldskær Woman lived much earlier, in the 6th century BCE. So, it was not Gunnhild.

Gunnhild's Reputation for Sorcery

Gunnhild is often linked to magic in the Icelandic sagas. This idea might come from her connection to the Finns. The sagas say she lived with two Finnish wizards and learned magic from them. One saga describes Eric finding her in a hut with these wizards. She was described as very beautiful. Gunnhild supposedly used magic to make the wizards fall asleep. Then she told Eric's men to kill them. Some historians believe this story was made up to blame Gunnhild for Eric's bad decisions.

Other sagas also show Gunnhild using magic. For example, in Heimskringla, she is blamed for King Hákon's death. Hákon became king after Eric and Gunnhild were exiled. Many battles followed. The saga says an arrow hit Hákon in battle. It says a kitchen boy, "through the sorcery of Gunnhildr," shot the arrow. The unusual way Hákon died made people think magic was involved.

In Egil's Saga, Egil is cursed by Gunnhild. This happened after he killed one of her supporters. Gunnhild put a curse on Egil, saying he would "never find peace in Iceland until she had seen him." This curse supposedly made Egil want to travel to England, where Gunnhild and Eric were. Egil later had to ask for forgiveness from Eric and Gunnhild. He was given one night to write a poem praising Eric, or he would die. During that night, Gunnhild supposedly turned into a bird. She tried to distract Egil from writing his poem. Egil's friend saw a "shape-shifter in the form of a bird" leaving the house.

Gunnhild's Legacy

Historians have looked at how much power Gunnhild had as a queen. In Norway, powerful women were often the king's mothers, not their wives. Gunnhild is a special case because she was powerful during both Eric's rule and her sons' rule. She became even more politically active after Eric died. She helped her sons become kings in Norway. Gunnhild also arranged her daughter's marriage to a powerful earl in Orkney. This shows she understood how to use politics to her advantage. Gunnhild worked hard to keep her power for the rest of her life. She was like a queen regent for her son Harald. She continued to give important political advice.

Gunnhild in Stories and Shows

Books

Gunnhild appears as a character in several books:

• She is a villain in Robert Leighton's 1934 novel Olaf the Glorious.
• She is the main character in Mother of Kings by Poul Anderson. This book shows her as a witch.
• She also appears in Cecelia Holland's The Soul Thief.
• In The Demon of Scattery by Poul Anderson and Mildred Downey Broxon, the main characters become Gunnhild's grandparents.
• She is a central character in Robert Low's "Crowbone".

Television

• The Icelandic actress Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir plays Gunnhild in the TV series Vikings.