Halfdan Long-Leg (

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was 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 ...

: ''Hálfdan háleggur'', Norwegian: ''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 (; – ) 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 Monarchy of Norway, King of Norway. Supposedly, two ...

and a

Sami Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ne ...

woman named

Snæfrithr Svásadottir Snæfríðr Svásadóttir (or ''Snjófríðr Svásadóttir,'' Norwegian: ''Snøfrid Svåsedatter'') also called ''Snæfríðr finnska'' (''Snæfríthr the Finnish/Sami'') was, according to medieval tradition a wife of the Norwegian king Harald Fair ...

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 th ...

in ''

Heimskringla () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland. While authorship of ''Heimskringla'' is nowhere attributed, some scholars assume it is written by the Icelandic poet and historian Snorri Sturluson (117 ...

'' 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

Gudröd the Radiant Gudröd the Radiant (Old Norse: ''Guðrøðr ljómi'') was, according to medieval tradition, a son of the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair with his Sami-wife Snæfrithr Svásadottir.Steinsland, Gro (2007)Fornnordisk religion NoK, Stockholm. p. 451. ...

were responsible for murdering

Rognvald Eysteinsson Rognvald Eysteinsson () 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 in ...

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 ritual on Halfdan in retaliation after a battle. Harald made Rognvald's son Thorir Earl of Møre and gave his daughter Alof to him in marriage.

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 {{Europe-royal-stub

See also

References

Other sources