Battle of Hjörungavágr: Difference between revisions

Battle of Hjörungavágr
	; The hailstorm during the Battle of Hjörungavágr
Date	Circa 986
Standort	Coast of Sunnmøre
Result	Norwegian victory
Belligerents
Norwegen	Jomsvikings
Commanders and leaders
Hákon Sigurðarson; Eiríkr Hákonarson; Sveinn Hákonarson	Sigvaldi Strut-Haraldsson; Vagn Ákason; Búi digri
Strength
180 ships	60 ships

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The Battle of Hjörungavágr (Norwegian Slaget ved Hjørungavåg) is a semi-legendary naval battle that took place in the late 10th century between the Jarls of Lade and a Danish invasion fleet led by the fabled Jomsvikings. This battle played an important role in the struggle by Haakon Sigurdsson to unite his rule over Norway.

History

Haakon Sigurdsson ruled Norway as a vassal of King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark, but he was in reality an independent ruler. Haakon was a strong believer in the old Norse gods.When Harald Bluetooth attempted to force Christianity upon him around 975, Haakon broke his allegiance to Denmark.

Harald Bluetooth had suffered defeat from the Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor. Haakon took advantage of the weakened position of the Danish king to make Norway independent of Denmark.

Sources

The battle is described in the Norse kings' sagas—such as Heimskringla—as well as in Jómsvíkinga saga and Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum. Saxo Grammaticus estimated that the battle took place while Harald Bluetooth was still alive. Traditional has set the battle during the year 986. Those late literary accounts are fanciful but historians believe that they contain a kernel of truth.

Some contemporary skaldic poetry alludes to the battle, including verses by Þórðr Kolbeinsson and Tindr Hallkelsson. The battle has also been the subject of later poems and sagas. Jómsvíkingadrápa by Bjarni Kolbeinsson honors the fallen Jomsvikings at the Battle of Hjörungavágr.Vellekla, composed by the Icelandic skald Einarr Helgason, speaks of the Battle of Hjörungavágr. Fagrskinna, contains a history of Norway with a heavy emphasis on battles, including the Battle of Hjörungavágr. ^[1]

Jómsvíkinga saga offers two mutually contradictory descriptions of the bay in which the battle took place. According to the first one, Hjorungavágr lies on the landward side of the island Hoð (now Hareidlandet, an island in Møre og Romsdal). According to the other, the bay is situated south of an island called Primsigð/Primsignd and north of an island called Horund. Both of these names are unknown today.^[2]

References

Other sources

Holmsen, Andreas Norges historie fra de eldste tider til 1660 (Oslo, 1961) Norwegian
Krag, Claus Aschehougs Norges historie, Vikingtid og rikssamling 800-1130 (Oslo, 1995) Norwegian
Näsström, Britt-Mari (2001) Blot - tro og offer i det førkristne Norden (Pax) ISBN 82-530-2146-1 Norwegian
Steinsland, Gro (2005) Norrøn religion. Myter, riter, samfunn (Pax) ISBN 82-530-2607-2 Norwegian
Fløtre, Odd Karstein (2009) Jomsvikingslaget i oppklarende lys (haugenbok.no) ISBN 9788292055342 Norwegian
Ottesen, Johan (2010) Slagstaden (Fotoarkivet) ISBN 9788293042013 Norwegian

External Links

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62°21′30″N 6°06′00″E / 62.35833°N 6.10000°E / 62.35833; 6.10000

[1] Slupecki, Leszek P. Facts and Fancy in Jómsvíkinga saga. (abstract)

[2] John Megaard, "Hvor sto 'Slaget i Hjörungavágr'?: Jomsvikingeberetningens stedsnavn og Sæmundr fróði" Alvíssmál 9 (1999): 29–54 (English summary, p. 54)

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox Military Conflict|
 conflict=Battle of Hjörungavágr|
-image=[[Image:Olav Tryggvasons saga - Uvaeret Hjoerungavaag - H. Egedius.jpg|350px]]|
+image=[[Image:Olav Tryggvasons saga - Uvaeret Hjoerungavaag - H. Egedius.jpg|300px]]|
-caption=The hailstorm during the battle|
+caption=The hailstorm during the Battle of Hjörungavágr|
 partof=|
 date=Circa 986|
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 casualties2=|
 }}
-[[image:Hjoernungavaag.jpg|right|thumb|350 px|Hareidlandet in Møre og Romsdal]]
-The '''Battle of Hjörungavágr''' (Norwegian '''Slaget ved Hjørungavåg''') is a semi-legendary [[naval battle]] that took place in the late 10th century between the [[Jarls of Lade]] and a Danish invasion fleet led by the fabled [[Jomsvikings]].
+The '''Battle of Hjörungavágr''' (Norwegian '''Slaget ved Hjørungavåg''') is a semi-legendary [[naval battle]] that took place in the late 10th century between the [[Jarls of Lade]] and a Danish invasion fleet led by the fabled [[Jomsvikings]]. This battle played an important role in the struggle by [[Haakon Sigurdsson]] to unite his rule over Norway.
-[[Haakon Sigurdsson|Hákon Sigurðsson]] was a strong believer in the old [[Norse gods]]. Hákon ruled [[Norway]] as a Vassal of [[Harald Bluetooth]], but he was in reality an independent ruler. When Harald Bluetooth attempted to force [[Christianity]] upon him around 975, Hákon broke his allegiance to Denmark.
+==History==
-The battle is described in the Norse [[kings' sagas]]&mdash;such as ''[[Heimskringla]]''&mdash;as well as in ''[[Jómsvíkinga saga]]'' and [[Saxo Grammaticus]]' ''[[Gesta Danorum]]''. Those late literary accounts are fanciful but historians believe that they contain a kernel of truth. Some contemporary [[skaldic poetry]] alludes to the battle, including verses by [[Þórðr Kolbeinsson]] and [[Tindr Hallkelsson]].<ref>[http://www.dur.ac.uk/medieval.www/absfile9.htm Slupecki, Leszek P. ''Facts and Fancy in Jómsvíkinga saga''. (abstract)] </ref>
+Haakon Sigurdsson ruled [[Norway]] as a vassal of King [[Harald Bluetooth]] of Denmark, but he was in reality an independent ruler. Haakon  was a strong believer in the old [[Norse gods]].When Harald Bluetooth attempted to force [[Christianity]] upon him around 975, Haakon broke his allegiance to Denmark.
+Harald Bluetooth had suffered defeat from the [[Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor]]. Haakon took advantage of the weakened position of the Danish king to make Norway independent of Denmark.
-''Jómsvíkinga saga'' offers two mutually contradictory descriptions of the bay in which the battle took place. According to the first one, Hjorungavágr lies on the landward side of the island Hoð
-(now [[Hareidlandet]], an island in [[Møre og Romsdal]]). According to the other, the bay is situated south of an island called
+[[image:Hjoernungavaag.jpg|right|thumb|300 px|Hareidlandet in Møre og Romsdal]]
+[[File:Olav Trygvasons saga - Uvaeret, Hjoerungavaag - G. Munthe.jpg|right|thumb|300 px|''Storm in Hjørungavåg''<br> Gerhard Munthe]]
-Primsigð/Primsignd and north of an island called Horund. Both of these names are unknown
+==Sources==
-today.<ref>[http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~alvismal/9slaget.pdf John Megaard, "Hvor sto 'Slaget i Hjörungavágr'?: Jomsvikingeberetningens stedsnavn og Sæmundr fróði" ''Alvíssmál'' 9 (1999): 29–54 (English summary, p. 54)]</ref>
+The battle is described in the Norse [[kings' sagas]]—such as ''[[Heimskringla]]''—as well as in ''[[Jómsvíkinga saga]]'' and [[Saxo Grammaticus]]' ''[[Gesta Danorum]]''. [[Saxo Grammaticus]] estimated that the battle took place while [[Harald Bluetooth]] was still alive. Traditional has set the battle during the year 986. Those late literary accounts are fanciful but historians believe that they contain a kernel of truth.
+Some contemporary [[skaldic poetry]] alludes to the battle, including verses by [[Þórðr Kolbeinsson]] and [[Tindr Hallkelsson]]. The battle has also been the subject of later poems and sagas. ''[[Jómsvíkingadrápa]]'' by Bjarni Kolbeinsson honors the fallen Jomsvikings at the Battle of Hjörungavágr.''[[Vellekla]]'', composed by the Icelandic skald [[Einarr Helgason]], speaks of the Battle of Hjörungavágr. ''[[Fagrskinna]]'', contains a history of Norway with a heavy emphasis on battles, including the Battle of Hjörungavágr. <ref>[http://www.dur.ac.uk/medieval.www/absfile9.htm Slupecki, Leszek P. ''Facts and Fancy in Jómsvíkinga saga''. (abstract)] </ref>
+''[[Jómsvíkinga saga]]'' offers two mutually contradictory descriptions of the bay in which the battle took place. According to the first one, Hjorungavágr lies on the landward side of the island Hoð (now [[Hareidlandet]], an island in [[Møre og Romsdal]]). According to the other, the bay is situated south of an island called Primsigð/Primsignd and north of an island called Horund. Both of these names are unknown today.<ref>[http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~alvismal/9slaget.pdf John Megaard, "Hvor sto 'Slaget i Hjörungavágr'?: Jomsvikingeberetningens stedsnavn og Sæmundr fróði" ''Alvíssmál'' 9 (1999): 29–54 (English summary, p. 54)]</ref>
+==See also==
+*[[Sigvaldi Strut-Haraldsson]]
+*[[Vagn Åkesson]]
+*[[Eiríkr Hákonarson]]
+*[[Thorkell the Tall]]
+*[[Vigfúss Víga-Glúmsson]]
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
 ==Other sources==
-*Norway book: "Jomsvikingslaget i oppklarende lys", haugenbok.no
-*Ferguson, Robert ''The Vikings, a History'' (Viking Penguin. 2009)
 *Holmsen, Andreas  ''Norges historie fra de eldste tider til 1660'' (Oslo, 1961) '''Norwegian'''
 *Krag, Claus  ''Aschehougs Norges historie, Vikingtid og rikssamling 800-1130'' (Oslo, 1995) '''Norwegian'''
+*Näsström, Britt-Mari (2001)  ''Blot - tro og offer i det førkristne Norden'' (Pax) ISBN 82-530-2146-1 '''Norwegian'''
+*Steinsland, Gro (2005) ''Norrøn religion. Myter, riter, samfunn'' (Pax) ISBN 82-530-2607-2 '''Norwegian'''
+*Fløtre, Odd Karstein (2009) ''Jomsvikingslaget i oppklarende lys'' (haugenbok.no) ISBN 9788292055342 '''Norwegian'''
+*Ottesen, Johan (2010)  ''Slagstaden'' (Fotoarkivet) ISBN 9788293042013 '''Norwegian'''
+== External Links ==
+* [http://www.vikinglandet.com/Engelsk_tysk1.htm Historic play at Hjørungavåg]
+* [http://www.soga.no/bjodale/kronologien/steinvaag.htm ''Vågen ved "stein": Steinvågen'' by Bjørn Jonson Dale] '''Norwegian'''
+* [http://www.smp.no/nyheter/article287381.ece Sunnmørsposten: ''Slagstaden'' by Johan Ottesen]
+* [http://www.dur.ac.uk/medieval.www/sagaconf/finlay.htm History and Fantasy in ''Jómsvíkinga saga'' by Alison Finlay]
 {{Norway-hist-stub}}
 {{battle-stub}}