Sunday 24 December 2017

Harald Hardrada | Timeline

Harald Sigurdsson (Old Norse: Haraldr Sigurðarson; c. 1015 – 25 September 1066), given the epithet Hardråde (Old Norse: harðráði, roughly translated as "stern counsel" or "hard ruler") in the sagas, was King of Norway (as Harald III) from 1046 to 1066. In addition, he unsuccessfully claimed the Danish throne until 1064 and the English throne in 1066. Before becoming king, Harald had spent around fifteen years in exile as a mercenary and military commander in Kievan Rus' and of the Varangian Guard in the Byzantine Empire. (Intro from Wikipedia)

January(?) 1(?), 1015 - Ringerike, Norway - Haraldr Sigurðarson is born
January(?) 1(?), 1030 - Járnberaland District (Dalarna), Sweden - Olaf Haraldsson (Harald's brother), who had been deposed in 1028, returns from his exile in Novgorod with the intention of regaining his former lands. While staying with his ally, King Onund, he gathers soldiers for the invasion, among them, is his 15-year old brother Harald =(START)
July 29, 1030 - Stiklestad, Norway - Battle of Stiklestad - Harald is badly wounded in the battle, his first, although he was remarked to have shown considerable military talent
July(?) 30(?), 1030 - Not far from Stiklestad Battle site - Harald is rescued by Rognvald Brusason and taken to a peasant's house to heal
September(?) 1(?), 1030 - Jamtland, center-north Sweden - After recovering from his wounds, Harald travels east over the Klojen Mountains, with the peasant's son as guide, and reaches Jamtland
October(? 1(?), 1930 - Uppsala, Sweden(?) - Harald reaches King Onund Jakob's court in Sweden, travelling secretly
January(?) 1(?), 1031 - Aldeigjuborg (Staraya Ladoga-Russia) - Harald arrives in Aldeigjuborg
July(?) 1(?), 1031 - Novgorod, Russia - 16-year old Harald arrives in Nogvorod
September(?) 1(?), 1034 - Constantinople (Miklagard) - 19-year old Harald and his force of 500 men move on South via Dnieper River to Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire. Harald presents himself to Empress Zoe and immediatly joins her army as a mercenary
October(?) 1(?), 1034 - Aegean Sea - On the same Autumn of his arrival, Harald joins one of the galleys patrolling the Aegean Sea against pirates
January(?) 1(?), 1038 - Sicily - Harald joins the byzantines in their expedition to saracen-held Sicily
January(?) 1(?), 1039(?) - Constantinople (Miklagard) - After the Sicilian campaign, Harald is awarded the rank of "Manglabites" (member of the Imperial bodyguard) for his valor
January(?) 1(?), 1041 - Southern Italy - A Lombard-Norman revolt erupts in southern Italy. Harald leads the varangian guard
March 17, 1041 - Olivento River, Apulia - Battle of Olivento, between the Byzantine Empire and the Normans and their Lombard allies. The Byzantines (including Harald) are defeated
May 4, 1041 - Ofanto River, near Cannae, Italy - Battle of Montemaggiore, between the Byzantine Empire and the Normans and their lombard allies. The Byzantines (including Harald) are defeated
June(?) 1(?), 1041 - Constantinople (Miklagard) - Harald and the Varangian Guard are called back to Constantonople
December(?) 1(?), 1041 - Bulgaria - Harald and the Varangians are sent to Bulgaria. There, they fight in the army of Michael IV against the bulgarian uprising led by Peter Delyan
December(?) 20(?), 1041 - near Lake Ostrovo, Greece - Battle of Ostrovo. The byzantines crush the bulgarian uprising with the help of Harald and the varangians
January(?) 1(?), 1042 - Constantinople (Miklagard) - After the campaign in Bulgaria, Harald is made "Spatharokandidatos", the third highest officer of the Varangian Guard. He gains the nickname of "Bulgar-burner"
March(?) 1(?), 1042 - Constantinople (Miklagard) - Harald requests to be allowed to return to Norway
April 20, 1042 - Constantinople (Miklagard) - Harald escapes from prison in Constantinople with two ships (one of them sinks while trying to pass a great iron chain across the "Golden Horn", used for defence of the harbour)
June(?) 1(?), 1042 - Kievan Rus - Harald returns to Kievan Rus
January(?) 1(?), 1043 - Novgorod, Russia - Back at Jaroslav's court at Novgorod, to where he had transfered the vast riches he had won (or stolen) over the course of his eight years in the varangian guard
January(?) 1(?), 1045 - Holmgard (Novgorod-Russia) - Harald begins his journey westwards
April(?) 1(?), 1045 - Aldeigjuborg (Staraya Ladoga-Russia) - Harald obtains a ship and departs to Scandinavia through Lake Ladoga, down the Neva River, and then into the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Sea
December(?) 30(?), 1045 - Sigtuna, Sweden - After a difficult crossing of the Baltic, "through storm and gale", Harald arrives in Sigtuna with his ship unbalanced by its heavy load of gold
April(?) 1(?), 1046 - Sigtuna, Sweden - Harald and Svein Ulfsson (contender for the throne of Denmark) sail west with a flotilla of viking longships and a "large force" that probably included a good percentage of swedes
May(?) 1(?), 1046(?) - Sjælland (Zealand), Denmark - The fleet arrives to Sjælland Island, where they plunder and burn extensively
June(?) 1(?), 1046(?) - Fyn Island, Denmark - Harald and Svein land on Fyn Island and raid it
January(?) 1(?), 1047 - Nidaros (Trondheim, Norway) - Harald becomes the sole ruler of Norway after the death of King Magnus
January(?) 1(?), 1048 - Nidaros (Trondheim, Norway) - Harald takes another wife, Tora Torbergsdatter, for politics and alliance building
April(?) 1(?), 1048 - Nidaros (Trondheim, Norway) - Harald sets sail to Denmark with "half of his full army in men and ships"
June(?) 1(?), 1048 - Jutland, Denmark - Harald Hardrada plunders Jutland
January(?) 1(?), 1049 - Hedeby (near Schleswig, Germany) - Harald Hardrada pillages and burns Hedeby
December(?) 1(?), 1061 - Nidaros (Trondheim, Norway) - Harald Hardrada starts preparing for another invasion of Denmark. He supervises the building of a warship that "was much broader than normal warships; it was of the same size and proportions as King Olaf Tryggvason's "Long Serpent"
August 9, 1062 - Nissan River, Halland, Sweden - Battle of Niså - Hardrada's victory agains Sweyn II of Denmark
January(?) 1(?), 1064 - ? - Harald Hardrada and King Svein conclude a peace treaty, after fifteen years of war, that preserves the traditional borders of Denmark and Norway
October(?) 1(?), 1064 - Lake Vanern, Sweden - Harald takes preemptive action against Hakon, who was raising an army of swedes against him. Harald takes his fleet upriver to Lake Vanern in the frosty Autumn, his forces form up on high ground and wait for Hakon's forces to march up to them. In the ensuing battle, Hakon is utterly defeated
December(?) 1(?), 1064(?) - Romerike, NE of Oslo - Harald goes to Romerike with a large army and brings charges against the farmers for withholding their dues and taxes, and supporting his enemies against him. Harald seizes the farmers and orders some of them to be killed or maimed, and most of them deprived of their possessions. Those who can, flee. Harald lays waste to their lands
January(?) 1(?), 1065(?) - Hedmark, Norway - Harald goes up to Hedmark and causes no less destruction than he did in Romerike
February(?) 1(?), 1065(?) - Hadeland | Ringerike - Harald then goes to Hadeland and out to Ringerike, his birthplace, which he also burns. After this, the farmers submit to him completely
January 5, 1066 - (While in Oslo) - King Edward the Confessor of England of the House of Wessex dies and is succeeded by Harold Godwinson
February(?) 1(?), 1066 - Oslo - Harald is visited by Tostig Godwinson, a contender for the english throne, asking for an alliance to invade England
August 1(?), 1066 - Solund, Sognefjord - After gathering his fleet, Harald departs from Norway
August(?) 10(?), 1066 - Shetland Islands - Landing in Shetland to take important lords, chieftains and soldiers in the fleet
August(?) 20(?), 1066 - Orkney Islands - Landing in Orkney to take important lords, chieftains and soldiers in the fleet
September(?) 1(?), Dunfermline, Scotland - In Dunfermline, Harald meets with Tostig Godwinson's ally Malcolm III of Scotland. 2,000 scottish soldiers join him
September 8, 1066 - Tynemouth, NE England - Harald and Tostig Godwinson meet at Tynemouth. Harald had 240-300 longships with 10 to 15,000 men, and Tostig with just 12 ships with soldiers
September(?) 12(?), 1066 - Cleveland | Scarborough, NE England - Harald's forces disembark at Cleveland where they go ashore and plunder. Then, he burns Scarborough
September 20, 1066 - Fulford, near York - Battle of Fulford - Hardrada and Tostig win the battle and take Fulford
September 25, 1066 - Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire, England - Harald Hardrada is struck in the throat by an arrow and killed in the beginning of the battle of Stamford Bridge =(END)

Bibliography

McKENNA, Camden - "King Harald Sigurdsson of Norway in History and Legend", Academia.com

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