Olaf Haraldssøn Geirstadalf Digerbein ( Agder, c. 877 - Tønsberg, c. 934), was a reputed son of King Harald Fairhair of Norway with Svanhild Øysteinsdatter, daughter of Øystein Jarl.

Biography

The saga '' Heimskringla'', written in Iceland in the thirteenth century by the poet and historian

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 ...

, gives the ninth century Norwegian founder king Harald Fairhair three sons with Svanhild, including Ragnar Rykkel,

Bjørn Farmann Bjørn Farmann ("Bjørn the Tradesman", also called Bjørn Haraldsson, Farmand and Kaupman, died between 930 and 934) was a king of Vestfold. Bjørn was one of the sons of King Harald Fairhair of Norway. In late tradition, Bjørn Farmann was made ...

and Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf. Bjørn Farmann became king of Vestfold. Olaf Haraldsson was made king of Vingulmark by his father and then later inherited Vestfold after his brother

had been killed by their half-brother Eric Blodøks. Eric was king Harald's favourite son and his appointed successor, but he was not very popular among his half-brothers. Upon his father's death, Olaf made himself king of eastern Norway, and allied himself against Eric Bloodaxe with another half-brother, Sigrød Haraldsson, king of Trondheim. The three kings met in battle at the farm Haugar outside Tønsberg, Olaf and Sigrød were defeated and they both fell there. Both are presumed to have been buried on the same spot. Haugar became the seat for Haugating and Norway's second most important place for the proclamation of kings. Today the site is located on the Jarlsberg Estate situated northwest of the centre of the town of Tønsberg. '' Heimskringla'' gives Olaf by his marriage a son named Tryggve Olafsson, who is there said to have become king of Ranrike and Vingulmark and to have been the father of King

Olaf I of Norway Olaf Tryggvason (960s – 9 September 1000) was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken (Vingulmark, and Rånrike), and, according to later sagas, the great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first King of N ...

. '' Historia Gruffydd ap Cynan'', apparently influenced by 12th century claims of the viking kings of Ireland to an affiliation with the Norse rulers, contains a legendary or fictitious pedigree that makes Olaf the father of

Sitric Cáech Sitric Cáech or Sihtric Cáech or Sigtrygg Gále, ( non, Sigtryggr , ang, Sihtric, died 927) was a Hiberno-Scandinavian Viking leader who ruled Dublin and then Viking Northumbria in the early 10th century. He was a grandson of Ímar and a me ...

, king of Dublin and Northumbria, whose son Olaf Cuaran was ancestor of King

Gruffydd ap Cynan Gruffudd ap Cynan ( 1137), sometimes written as Gruffydd ap Cynan, was King of Gwynedd from 1081 until his death in 1137. In the course of a long and eventful life, he became a key figure in Welsh resistance to Norman rule, and was rememb ...

of Gwynedd.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olaf Haraldsson Gierstadalf 870s births 930s deaths Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain Fairhair dynasty Norwegian petty kings Monarchs killed in action Vikings killed in battle 10th-century Vikings