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GUDRODSSON Harald "Graenske"
Birth: ABT 960 of Vestfold, Norway
Death: ABT 995
Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Grenske
Harald Grenske (10th century) was a petty king in Vestfold in Norway.[1]
Harald Grenske was the son of Gudrød Bjørnsson. Gudrød was a grandson of Harald
Fairhair and the king of Vestfold. Harald's cognomen Grenske is due to his being
raised in the district of Grenland, Norway. When Harald was only 11 years old, his
father was slain by the sons of Gunnhild Gormsdóttir (i.e. Harald Greyhide and his
brothers). Harald fled to Oppland and from there to Sweden, where he stayed with the
powerful strongman Skagul Toste. They went on Viking expeditions together,
principally within areas of the Baltic Sea.
When the sons of Gunnhild had been banished, Harald Grenske followed Haakon
Sigurdsson who ruled Norway as a vassal of the Danish king Harald Bluetooth. Harald
became the king of Vestfold and Agder. He married Åsta, the daughter of Gudbrand
Kula.
Harald subsequently abandoned Åsta to woo Sigrid the Haughty, the daughter of
Skagul Toste. She was the wealthy widow of Eric the Victorious and owned several
farms in Svithjod. Sigrid found him too eager with his entreaties. She had him burnt to
death inside a great hall following a feast to discourage other suitors. Harald died
together with another suitor, Vissevald (Wsevolod) from Gardarike (Novgorod).
His widow, Åsta, promptly gave birth to a son, Olaf the Stout, future king of Norway
and patron saint of the nation. Åsta subsequently remarried to Sigurd Syr, the king of
Ringerike.[2]
No contemporary sources said anything about Harold, and the sagas only mention him
in connection with St. Olaf's history. According to Snorri Sturluson in Olav Trygvasons
saga, he was a king of Vingulmark, Vestfold and Agder. Recent scholarship has
questioned the historicity of Harald.
Parents
BJORNSSON Gudrod (ABT 925 - 963)
____ Cecilie (ABT 936 - )
Siblings
GUDRODSSON Harald "Graenske" (ABT 960 - ABT 995)
Marriage To GUDBRANDSDOTTIR Astrid (Asta) (ABT 970 - 1045)
m.
Notes
Parents
GUDBIORGSSON Gudbrand "Kula" (ABT 923 - )
THORASDOTTIR Ulfhild (Gunhild) (ABT 928 - )
Children by GUDBRANDSDOTTIR Astrid (Asta) ABT 970 - 1045
HARALDSSON Olaf II "The Saint" (ABT 995 - 29 Jul 1030)
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