Halfdan Long-Leg (
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
: ''Hálfdan háleggur'',
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
: ''Halvdan Hålegg'') was a
Viking-Age warrior who lived in the latter half of the 9th century. He was the son of King
Harald Fairhair
Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...
and a
Sami
Acronyms
* SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft
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woman named
Snæfrithr Svásadottir
Snæfrithr Svásadottir (or ''Snjófríthr Svásadóttir,'' Norwegian: ''Snøfrid Svåsedatter'') also called ''Snæfride finzsku'' (''Snæfrithr the Finnish/Sami'') was, according to medieval tradition a wife of the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair. ...
.
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of the ...
in ''
Heimskringla
''Heimskringla'' () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorre Sturlason (1178/79–1241) 1230. The name ''Heimskringla'' was first used in the 17th century, derived ...
'' states that Halfdan was one of Harald's many sons who were involved in a power struggle with one another. Harald Fairhair had pushed Halfdan and his brothers away after the death of their mother. Halfdan and his brother Gudrød Ljome were responsible for murdering
Rognvald Eysteinsson
Rognvald Eysteinsson (''fl.'' 865) was the founding Jarl (or Earl) of Møre in Norway, and a close relative and ally of Harald Fairhair, the earliest known King of Norway. In the Norse language he is known as Rǫgnvaldr Eysteinsson (''Mǿrajarl ...
and 60 of his men by burning them inside a structure in an attempt to claim his lands. Upon learning of this event, Harald flew into a rage and sent out a great force against Gudrød who was put under Harald's personal observance. Rognvald's son
Torf-Einarr
Einarr Rognvaldarson ( early 890s–c. 910), often referred to by his byname Torf-Einarr (sometimes anglicised as Turf-Einar), was one of the Norse earls of Orkney. The son of the Norse '' jarl'' Rognvald Eysteinsson and a concubine, his rise ...
performed the
Blood eagle
The blood eagle was a method of ritually executing a chosen member as detailed in late skaldic poetry. According to the two instances mentioned in the Sagas, the victims (in both cases members of royal families) were placed in a prone position, t ...
ritual on Halfdan in retaliation after a battle. Harald made Rognvald's son Thorirm Earl of Møre and gave his daughter Alof to him in marriage.
[
]
See also
*
Orkneyinga saga
References
Other sources
*Crawford, Barbara (1987) ''Scandinavian Scotland'' (Leicester University Press)
*Muir, Tom (2005) ''Orkney in the Sagas: The Story of the Earldom of Orkney as told in the Icelandic Sagas'' (The Orcadian. Kirkwall)
*Pálsson, Hermann and Edwards, Paul Geoffrey (1981) ''Orkneyinga Saga: The History of the Earls of Orkney'' (Penguin Classics)
Fairhair dynasty
Viking warriors
Scandinavian Scotland
Orkneyinga saga characters
9th-century Vikings
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