Harald Wartooth facts for kids

Harald Wartooth at the Battle of Bråvalla. This picture was drawn by Lorenz Frølich in the 1800s.

Harald Wartooth was a famous king from old legends in Denmark. He is also known as Harold Hiltertooth. His name in Old Norse was Haraldr hilditǫnn. In modern Swedish and Danish, he is called Harald Hildetand. In Norwegian, he is Harald Hildetann.

Harald is said to have become king of Zealand after his father. He then made his kingdom much bigger. Some stories say he ruled over Jutland, parts of Sweden, and a German area called Wendland. He is most famous for a huge battle called the Battle of Bråvalla, where he was defeated and died.

The Meaning of Harald's Name

The old writer Saxo Grammaticus wrote about Harald in his book Gesta Danorum. He gave two ideas for why Harald was called "Wartooth".

One story says Harald lost two teeth in a fight. This was against a lord named Veseti from Scania. After the battle, two new teeth grew in their place!

Another idea is that Harald had teeth that stuck out. This might have given him the name "Wartooth". Some experts today think the name means "war hero" instead.

Harald's Family and Early Life

Most old stories say Harald was the son of Auðr the Deep-Minded. Her father was Ivar Vidfamne. However, the Hervarar saga calls Harald's mother Alfhild.

Other stories, like Sögubrot and Njal's Saga, say Harald's father was Hrœrekr Ringslinger. He was a king of Zealand.

According to Sögubrot, Harald's mother, Auðr, had to flee with young Harald. This happened after her husband, King Hrœrekr, was killed by her own father, Ivar Vidfamne. Auðr and Harald went to Garðaríki, a place in what is now Russia. There, Auðr married King Raðbarðr.

Harald had several children mentioned in different sagas. One son, Eysteinn Illruler, later became a king in Sweden.

How Harald Became King

When Harald's grandfather, Ivar Vidfamne, died, Harald was still young. He was only about 15 years old. Harald traveled back to Zealand and was accepted as king there.

Then, he went to Scania, a place his mother's family had ruled. People there welcomed him and gave him many soldiers and weapons. Harald then sailed his ships to Sweden to claim his family's lands. Many smaller kings tried to fight him. They thought it would be easy to defeat a young king.

But Harald was very successful! He won back all the lands his grandfather had ruled. In the end, he controlled even more land than his grandfather. No king in Denmark or Sweden dared to challenge him. They either paid him tribute or became his loyal followers. He also took control of parts of England that had belonged to his family.

The Gesta Danorum tells more details. It says Harald was favored by the god Odin. This meant that metal weapons could not hurt him. In return, Harald promised Odin the souls of the warriors he killed.

Harald was a very powerful ruler. He spent 50 years in peace, training his soldiers hard.

The Great Battle of Bråvalla

When Harald felt he was getting too old to rule, he wanted to die like a hero. He did not want to die in his bed. He wanted to go to Valhalla, the hall of heroes in Norse mythology. So, he challenged his nephew, Hring, who was king of Sweden, to a huge battle.

This battle was planned to happen at a place called Bråvalla moor. This is how the legendary Battle of Bråvalla began.

In the Gesta Danorum, the story is a bit different. It says Odin, disguised as a man, caused trouble between Harald and Hring. This led to seven years of planning for the war. Harald was old and had become harsh, so his people were tired of him.

Hring gathered warriors from Sweden, Västergötland, and Norway. Harald brought troops from Denmark, the Baltic region, and Germany.

The two huge armies met at Bråvalla. Some stories say the ships were so many that you could walk across the sea from Zealand to Scania on them!

The battle was fierce. Spears and arrows flew first, then swords were drawn. Blood flowed everywhere. A very strong warrior on Harald's side was Ubbe the Frisian. He killed many enemies before being shot down by archers.

Old King Harald, who was blind, rode into the fight in a chariot. He held a sword in each hand and fought bravely. According to Gesta Danorum, Odin himself killed Harald with a club, because Harald could not be hurt by steel.

After Harald fell, Hring stopped the fighting. The next day, Hring found Harald's body. He placed it on a funeral pyre with Harald's horse. Hring told Harald to ride straight to Valhalla. All the chiefs threw weapons and gold onto the fire.

After the battle, Sigurd Hring became the ruler of both Denmark and Sweden. He is traditionally known as the father of the famous Ragnar Lodbrok.

Is This Story True?

Historians have long debated if Harald Wartooth and the Battle of Bråvalla really happened. Some once thought it was a real event around 740 or 750 AD.

However, many modern historians in Scandinavia do not think these stories are fully true. This is because the old sources that tell these tales were written much later. They are more like legends than historical records.

Frankish records from the 8th century mention some Danish kings. These include Angantyr, Sigfred, and a Harald. But it is not clear if this Harald is the same as Harald Wartooth from the legends.

See also

In Spanish: Harald Hilditonn para niños

• List of legendary kings of Denmark
• List of legendary kings of Sweden

Images for kids

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  Harald Wartooth at the Battle of Bråvalla. This picture was drawn by Lorenz Frølich in the 1800s.