Halfdan Long-Leg facts for kids
Halfdan Long-Leg (Old Norse: Hálfdan háleggur, Norwegian: Halvdan Hålegg) was a Viking-Age warrior who lived in the late 800s. He was the son of Harald Fairhair, a famous Viking king, and a Sami woman named Snæfrithr Svásadottir.
According to the old stories in Heimskringla by Snorri Sturluson, Halfdan was one of King Harald's many sons. These brothers often had disagreements and struggled for power among themselves. After their mother passed away, King Harald Fairhair had a difficult relationship with Halfdan and his brothers.
Halfdan and his brother Gudrød Ljome were involved in a serious conflict over land. This conflict led to the death of Rognvald Eysteinsson and many of his followers. When King Harald learned about this event, he was very angry. He sent a large force against Gudrød and kept a close eye on him. Later, Rognvald's son, Torf-Einarr, defeated Halfdan in battle and took his life as revenge for his father. After these events, King Harald made Rognvald's other son, Thorirm, the Earl of Møre and gave his daughter Alof to him in marriage.
Viking Family Life
Viking families, especially royal ones, could be quite complicated. Kings often had many children, and these children would sometimes fight for control over lands and power. This was a common challenge in the Viking Age, as leaders tried to keep their kingdoms strong and united.
Historical Sources
Much of what we know about Halfdan Long-Leg comes from the Heimskringla, a collection of sagas (old Norse stories) written by the Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century. These sagas are important for understanding the history and culture of the Viking Age, even though they were written down long after the events happened.
See also
Other sources
- Crawford, Barbara (1987) Scandinavian Scotland (Leicester University Press) ISBN: 9778-0-7185-1282-8
- Muir, Tom (2005) Orkney in the Sagas: The Story of the Earldom of Orkney as told in the Icelandic Sagas (The Orcadian. Kirkwall) ISBN: 978-0-9548862-3-3
- Pálsson, Hermann and Edwards, Paul Geoffrey (1981) Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney (Penguin Classics) ISBN: 978-0-14-044383-7
