SAGA-BOOK - Viking Society Web Publications

A Fragment of Viking History 73
coast of Rogaland. Thus we have four dwelling-places
of Haraldr Fairhair specified in ancient poems, and
neither Ag6ir nor Vestfold is among them. To this may
be added the fact that in Hrafnsmdl Harald's opponents in
the battle of Hafrsfjord come from the east-", and they
flee of ] anar heim 6r Hafrsfiraiv. This can scarcely have
any meaning other than that they flee home to the districts
of Norway south of the mountains - Ag6ir and Vestfold.
Had these been among the hereditary lands of Haraldr
Fairhair, it is very unlikely that they would have
afforded a refuge to his last opponents in Norway.
The account in the Sagas of Kings of two Haralds, both
sons of Halfdan the Black, is suspect. According to
H eimskringla Halfdan first married Ragnhildr, daughter
of Haraldr Goldbeard, king of Sogn, and by her had a son
who was fostered by his grandfather, also receiving from
him his name and the succession to his kingdom. A little
later Haraldr Goldbeard died; then Ragnhildr, his
daughter, died, and finally Haraldr Halfdanarson, by now
ten years of age, also died. The Sogn kingdom then
passed to his father Halfdan, who put Earl Atli the Lean
in charge of it. In Landndmabok this daughter of Haraldr
Goldbeard is named J:>6ra and described as a niece of Earl
Atli - that would explain why Halfdan the Black set him
over Sygnafylki. The second wife of Halfdan was also
named Ragnhildr, daughter of Siguror Hart, kingof Hringariki,
and by her he had Haraldr Fairhair, who took over
the kingdom at the age of ten on the death of his father. In
Fagrskinna the mother of Haraldr is said to be Helga,
daughter of Dagr the Learned, a rich hersir. In these
accounts of the two Haralds there seems to appear an
attempt to reconcile the contradictions of sources, such
as the poem of J:>j666lfr - where Haraldr is called "king
of Upplond" - and N 6regskonungatal - where he is
called "king of men of Sogn". It furthermore appears
2. Hkr, I II6 (v. 42).
.. Hkr, I II7 (v, 46).