Stone swords January 31st, 2018

How do you like the special effects from the movie about the Vikings? Reminiscent of the footage of "The Lord of the Rings", there were also giant stone sculptures of warriors.

Well, okay, okay... that's pretty good real place and real monument.

The monument, created by the sculptor Fritz Røed, was unveiled in 1983 by King Olaf V. It consists of three swords stuck into the ground, made in accordance with real Viking swords that were found during excavations in different parts countries. The monument was erected in memory of the Battle of Hafrsfjord in 872, which took place in this place, which played a decisive role in the history of Norway: after the victory of King Harald I Fair-Haired in it, the warring Norman tribes finally united - this is how Norway was born.

The highest sword symbolizes Harald, and the other two, smaller ones, the local rulers he defeated. The monument has one more meaning: it personifies the desire for peace, because the swords will forever remain in the rock and no one will be able to use them.

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The first settlers settled in these parts at the end of the Ice Age. During the Viking Age, local rulers waged a desperate struggle for universal dominance among themselves, until around 872 AD. in the vicinity of Stavanger, not on the coast of Havrs Ford, the fateful battle did not take place.

King Harald Horfager (850-933) defeated two of his main rivals in this battle. As a sign of final reconciliation, the warriors stuck their swords into the ground. These events laid the foundation for the unification of the Norwegian lands in single state and Harald became the first king.

It is believed that it was then that the toponym "Norway" came into use (literally - " north way"). By the way, according to legend, before the unification of the Norwegian lands, the brave viking victor swore not to comb his hair, for which he was nicknamed "Shaggy". After the Battle of Havrsfjord, there was a corresponding change in the epithet to "Fine-Haired".

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Despite the fact that most scholars consider the unification of Norway to be a long process that lasted for many centuries, the battle of Havrsfjord has great importance in the culture and history of the peoples of Norway. In the memory of the Vikings, this battle remained as the largest in history.

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According to Snorri Sturluson's The Circle of the Earth, before the battle, King Harald controlled most of the southeast of modern Norway. According to other sources, East End Norway controlled Danish king. The Battle of Havrsfjord led to the final defeat of Harald's opponents in the southwestern part of Norway (Rugaland, some leaders from the Fjord region, etc.). After that, the king was able to collect taxes from most of Norway and subjugate the country. The opponents of the king fled to Iceland. Historiography considers King Harald the first legitimate king of Norway.

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Installed on the coast of Norway in Havrsfjord. King Olav himself opened this monument in 1983.

10 meters high, firmly built into the rocky shore and symbolize peace. And they also remind you of the victory of King Harald the Fair-Haired at the Battle of Havrsfjord (IX century).

Harald put an end to her in the conquest of neighboring lands, united them under his rule and became the first recognized ruler of Norway.

As the sagas say, it all started because of the bold words of a proud girl.

One day ruler (king) Harald of Westfold sent messengers to a proud and beautiful named Guda. It was not about the wedding - the saga quite honestly reports that Harald was going to make her his concubine.

But the girl was not a mistake - she answered the messengers that some king was not the one to whom she would give her virginity. And she added that she did not understand why among the leaders of Norway there was no one who would want to become its sole ruler.

Seeing the messengers back, Gyuda asked her to tell Harald that she would become his wife, but not before “He will subjugate all of Norway for her sake and will rule it with the same sovereignty as Eirik king - the Swedish Power or Gorm king - Denmark.”

The messengers were greatly hurt by the girl's words. So they suggested to Harald that he send a large army after her and bring her to him in disgrace. But the king took her words quite calmly:

“It seems to me amazing now that it didn’t occur to me before what she reminded me of,” he said. - I vow and call to witness God, who created me and rules over everything, that I will neither cut nor comb my hair until I take possession of all of Norway with taxes, taxes and power over it, otherwise I will die.

And from that very day, King Harald, soon nicknamed Shaggy, began to conquer Norway.

Span by span, he invaded the lands of his neighbors and killed them. However, he accepted under his banners everyone who agreed to serve him.
From battle to battle, his army became stronger and stronger.

Drakkar battle

Once Harald learned that the ships of four independent territories - Herdaland, Rogaland, Agdir and Telamerka, were going on a campaign against him.

Wasting no time, King Harald set out to meet them at the head of a large army. The skald Torbjorn Hornclovy, who sang of Harald's victory immediately after the battle, describes the events as follows:

Who hasn't heard
About the fight in Havrsfjord
Great king
With Kyotvi Rich?
Hurry from the east
To the battle of the plane -
All dragon mouths
Yes, sharp pins.

When the enemy entered the Havrsfjord, he was met by Harald's Drakkar and his entire fleet.

One of the kings, Thorir the Long-faced, brought his drakkar close to Harald's ship. The opponents tied the sides together and began to fight on them as if on land.

Thorir the Longface was also a berserker, so all hell was going on around him. But Thorir was not saved by his fighting fury and he was killed, and then all the people on his ship were killed.

Seeing that the situation was difficult, another king, Kyotvi, retreated from the sea of ​​battle. Thorbjorn speaks of this quite caustically:

The head of the dragon, mounted on the bow of the ship, emphasized high status king. It was made removable and if the ship entered friendly waters, it was removed so as not to anger the good spirits that lived there.

At the shaggy land
Tired of arguing
The leader hid
Thick-necked for the island.

Crawled on all fours
Wounded under the benches
Men heads
The keel was broken.

Seeing that the longship of King Kyotvi was leaving the battle, his soldiers leaned on the oars and also rushed away.

Like a flock of sheep
They set off to the east
Home from Havrsfjord -
Soothe yourself with honey.

The result of the battle was the death of the kings Eirik and Sulka, the complete victory of Harald and the subjugation of most of Norway to him.

Of course, Harald did not receive a single cohesive state at the wave of the sword. Everything was rather shaky and fragile - the sons fought for the throne, local population expressed dissatisfaction with taxes.

The real unification of Norway happened only over time, and this process took several centuries. However, this happened already under the rule of a single king of Norway.

How Harald Became Fair-Haired

When King Harald became the ruler of Norway, he cut his hair for the first time in 10 years, and then Jarl Rognvald gave him the nickname "Fair-haired."

And Harald sent for Guda, who refused him. As the Viking chronicler Snorri Sturluson writes, "he ordered that it be brought to him and put it with him." They had five children.

However, Harald had plenty of wives and children. In addition to Gyuda, there were nine more, and in the end he appointed the Danish Ragnhild, nicknamed "The Mighty One", as his beloved wife. She bore him a son, Eirik Bloodaxe.

He received such a picturesque nickname for ... Stop. This is a completely different story. And in order not to miss it, on the new materials of the site.

You will see - they will come to your e-mail!

* * *

And finally, an excerpt from the film "And Trees Grow on Stones."

Battle of the Vikings with the Danes on drakkars.
Something similar, only on a larger scale, and went down in history as the Battle of Havrsfjord...

Literature

1. Gurevich A.Ya. "Circle of the Earth" and the history of Norway
2. "The Saga of Harald Fairhair"

Used photos by Andrey Boykov

The Swords in Stone monument, located near the Norwegian city of Stavanger, was erected in memory of the battle in 872. The big sword is the symbol of King Harald the Handsome, who became the winner in the battle, two smaller ones - the kings who were defeated. Swords stuck in stone are a symbol of peace, saying that they will never rise again.

Past and present

The city where the memorial is located is considered quite expensive European city. It is also considered very rich in cultural and historical monuments and attractions. Despite the high cost, hotel bookings in Stavanger do not stop, as many seek to visit these ancient places.

For the first time people appeared in these places in glacial period. In the Viking Age, there were brutal wars between rulers for the right to own land. This continued until, in 872, a battle took place on the shores of the Havrsfjord, which decided all disputes once and for all. In order to be imbued with the atmosphere of that great and fateful time, one must see it for oneself. You just need to book a hotel in Stavanger and take excursions to the battlefields of the formidable Vikings. When planning your time, find the opportunity to see the iconic building - Stavanger Cathedral. It is notable for the fact that it has survived to this day without a single change since 1120 and is the oldest building in Norway.

Monument Swords in stone on the map of Stavanger

The Swords in Stone monument, located near the Norwegian city of Stavanger, was erected in memory of the battle in 872. The big sword is the symbol of King Harald the Handsome, who became the winner in the battle, two smaller ones - the kings who were defeated. Swords stuck in stone are a symbol of peace, saying that they will never rise again.

In memory of the notorious battle of Hafrsfjord in 872, a monument was built in Norway " Swords in stone". Today, Stavanger is the fourth largest city in Norway and in the 1970s, it became the oil capital. But it's already modern history, but we are interested in what happened in the beginning ...

So, back to the monument, swords in stone, by sculptor Fritz Rod. But to find out the history of these swords, you must definitely come to this city. The moment you approach the monument, you learn about what these balls symbolize.

The first sword and the largest symbolizes the power of the victorious king, but the two swords that smaller, means defeated kings. Why exactly swords are in stone, as it turned out, this means that peace has been established, and it will never be shaken by anything. The height of the blades reaches 10 meters and they contain all the strength and power.

This monument located in a place where every time you can see the artists. In order to buy a picture painted by Norwegian artists, you just need to go to Stavanger. Although there are a lot of sights in this city, this monument has become the most memorable.

Norway, it's simple amazing country in which there is not only a bottomless sea, but also other industries. Tourists come here not only to see the sights, but also just to admire the very high rocks, mountains, etc. It is worth seeing at least once in your life.

These are really three giant swords, installed on the coast of Norway in Havrsfjord. King Olav himself opened this monument in 1983.

Norwegian stone swords

Swords, 10 meters high, are firmly built into the rocky shore and symbolize peace. And they also remind you of the victory of King Harald the Fair-Haired at the Battle of Havrsfjord (IX century).
Harald put an end to her in the conquest of neighboring lands, united them under his rule and became the first recognized ruler of Norway.

As the sagas say, it all started because of the bold words of a proud girl.

King Harald and the girl Guda

Once the ruler (king) of Vestfold Harald sent messengers to the proud and beautiful girl by the name of Guda. It was not about the wedding - the saga quite honestly reports that Harald was going to make her his concubine.
But the girl was not a mistake - she answered the messengers that some king was not the one to whom she would give her virginity. And she added that she did not understand why among the leaders of Norway there was no one who would want to become its sole ruler.

Escorting the messengers back, Gyuda asked to tell Harald that she would become his wife, but not before "he will subjugate all of Norway for her sake and will rule it as autocratically as Eirik king - the Swedish Power or Gorm king - Denmark."

The messengers were greatly hurt by the girl's words. So they suggested to Harald that he send a large army after her and bring her to him in disgrace. But the king took her words quite calmly:
“It seems to me now amazing how it didn’t occur to me before what she reminded me of,” he said. - I vow and call to witness God, who created me and rules over everything, that I will neither cut nor comb my hair until I take possession of all of Norway with taxes, taxes and power over it, otherwise I will die.
And from that very day, King Harald, soon nicknamed Shaggy, began to conquer Norway.

Span by span, he invaded the lands of his neighbors and killed them. However, he accepted under his banners everyone who agreed to serve him.
From battle to battle, his army became stronger and stronger.

Drakkar battle

Once Harald learned that the ships of four independent territories - Herdaland, Rogaland, Agdir and Telamerka, were going on a campaign against him.
Wasting no time, King Harald set out to meet them at the head of a large army. The skald Torbjorn Hornclovy, who sang of Harald's victory immediately after the battle, describes the events as follows:

Who hasn't heard
About the fight in Havrsfjord
Great king
With Kyotvi Rich?
Hurry from the east
To the battle of the plane -
All dragon mouths
Yes, sharp pins.

When the enemy entered the Havrsfjord, he was met by Harald's Drakkar and his entire fleet.

One of the kings, Thorir the Long-faced, brought his drakkar close to Harald's ship. The opponents tied the sides together and began to fight on them as if on land.
Thorir the Longface was also a berserker, so all hell was going on around him. But Thorir was not saved by his fighting fury and he was killed, and then all the people on his ship were killed.
Seeing that the situation was difficult, another king, Kyotvi, retreated from the sea of ​​battle. Thorbjorn speaks of this quite caustically:

The head of the dragon, mounted on the bow of the ship, emphasized the high status of the king. It was made removable and if the ship entered friendly waters, it was removed so as not to anger the good spirits that lived there.

At the shaggy land
Tired of arguing
The leader hid
Thick-necked for the island.
Crawled on all fours
Wounded under the benches
Men heads
The keel was broken.

Seeing that the longship of King Kyotvi was leaving the battle, his soldiers leaned on the oars and also rushed away.
Like a flock of sheep
They set off to the east
Home from Havrsfjord -
Soothe yourself with honey.

The result of the battle was the death of the kings Eirik and Sulka, the complete victory of Harald and the subjugation of most of Norway to him.

Of course, Harald did not receive a single cohesive state at the wave of the sword. Everything was rather shaky and fragile - the sons fought for the throne, the local population expressed dissatisfaction with taxes.
The real unification of Norway happened only over time, and this process took several centuries. However, this happened already under the rule of a single king of Norway.

How Harald Became Fair-Haired

When King Harald became the ruler of Norway, he cut his hair for the first time in 10 years, and then Jarl Rognvald gave him the nickname "Fair-haired."

And Harald sent for Guda, who refused him. As the Viking chronicler Snorri Sturluson writes, "he ordered that it be brought to him and put it with him." They had five children.

However, Harald had plenty of wives and children. In addition to Gyuda, there were nine more, and in the end he appointed the Danish Ragnhild, nicknamed "The Mighty One", as his beloved wife. She bore him a son, Eirik Bloodaxe.

Author Nikolai Chebotarev