A Brief History of the Vikings (31 page)
Read A Brief History of the Vikings Online
Authors: Jonathan Clements
While the Vikings are inhabitants of the past, the forces that created them are not. Ours is still a world with famines, floods and incidents of overpopulation. Our battles over resources are fought by proxy in distant lands, but they are still fought. You do not lead a band of men to take from those less able to protect themselves, but somewhere far away, others do on your behalf. It takes only the tiniest turn of fate, the slightest lapse of law, to make Vikings of us all.
Kings of Norway
Harald Fairhair | ?–930s (SW Norway) |
Erik Bloodaxe | ?–c.948 (SW Norway) |
Hakon the Good | c.940–c.960 (S Norway) |
Harald II Greycloak | c.960–c.968 (S Norway) |
Olaf ‘Crowbone’ Tryggvason | 995–999 |
Olaf II the Stout (St Olaf) | 1015–28 |
Svein Alfivason (regent for Denmark) | 1030–34 |
Magnus the Good (see Denmark) | 1035–46 |
Harald III the Ruthless | 1045–66 |
Magnus II | 1066–69 |
Olaf III the Peaceful | 1067–93 |
Hakon Magnusson | 1093–95 |
Magnus III Barelegs | 1093–1103 |
Gorm the Old | c.936–58 |
Harald Bluetooth | 958–87 |
Svein Forkbeard | 987–1014 |
Harald II | 1014–18? |
Canute the Great (K. of England) | 1019–35 |
Harthacanute (K. of England) | 1035–42 |
Magnus the Good (K. of Norway) | 1042–46 |
Svein Estridsen | 1046–c.1075 |
Harald III | c.1074–80 |
Canute the Holy | 1080–86 |
Olaf Hunger | 1086–95 |
Erik the Evergood | 1095–1103 |
Erik the Victorious | 980–95 |
Olaf Skötkonung | 995–c.1018 |
Onund Jacob | c.1018–c.1050 |
Emund the Old | 1050–60 |
Stenkil Ragnvaldsson | 1060–66 |
Halsten | 1066–70 |
Hrafn Haengsson | c.930–49 |
Thorarin Oleifsson | c.950–69 |
Thorkel Moon Thorsteinsson | 970–84 |
Thorgeir Thorkelsson | 985–1001 |
Grim Svertingsson | 1002–3 |
Skrafti Thoroddsson | 1004–30 |
Stein Thorgestsson | 1031–3 |
Thorkel Tjorvason | 1034–53 |
Gellir Bolverksson | 1054–62 |
Gunnar the Wise Thorgrimsson | 1063–5 |
Kolbein Flosason | 1066–71 |
(post survives until 1271, when Iceland is annexed to Norway) |
Rurik | c.862–79 (legendary) |
Oleg | c.879–913 (legendary) |
Igor (Ingvar) | c.913–45 |
Svyatoslav I | 945–72 |
Jaropolk | 972–c.980 |
Vladimir the Great (Valdemar) | c.980–1015 |
Jaroslav the Wise | 1019–54 |
Svyatopolk II | 1093–1113 |
Hrolf the Walker | 911–c.925 |
William Longsword | c.925–42 |
Richard the Fearless | 942–96 |
Richard the Good | 996–1026 |
Richard III | 1026–7 |
Robert the Devil/Magnificent | 1027–35 |
William the Bastard | 1035–87 |
(King of England, ‘the Conqueror’ 1066) |
Aethelred I, King of Wessex | 866–71 |
Alfred the Great (Wessex) | 871–99 |
Edward the Elder (Wessex) | 899–924 |
Athelstan (England) | 924–39 |
Edmund I | 939–46 |
Eadred | 946–55 |
Eadwig | 955–59 |
Edgar | 959–75 |
Edward the Martyr | 975–79 |
Aethelred II Unraed (‘Unready’) | 979–1016 |
Svein Forkbeard | 1013–14 (5 weeks) |
Canute the Great | 1016–35 |
Harold I | 1037–40 |
Harthacanute | 1040–42 |
Edward the Confessor | 1042–66 |
Harold II Godwinson | 1066 |
William I ‘the Conqueror’ | 1066–87 |
