Haakon the Good.html

Hákon I the Good
King of Norway (more...)

Hákon the Good, by Peter Nicolai Arbo
Reign	934 – 961
Predecessor	Eric Bloodaxe
Successor	Harald Greyhide
Issue
Tora
Dynasty	Fairhair dynasty
Father	Harald Fairhair
Mother	Tora Mosterstong
Born	c. 920 Håkonshella, Hordaland, Norway
Died	961 Håkonshella, Hordaland (fatally wounded in the Battle of Fitjar)
Burial	Seim, Hordaland, Norway

Haakon I (Old Norse: Hákon Aðalsteinsfóstri, Norwegian: Håkon Adalsteinsfostre), (c. 920–961), surnamed the Good, was the third king of Norway and the youngest son of Harald Fairhair.¹

Haakon was fostered by King Athelstan of England, as part of a peace agreement made by his father.² The English king brought him up in the Christian religion, and on the news of his father’s death provided him with ships and men for an expedition against his half-brother Eirik Bloodaxe, who had been proclaimed king. On his arrival in Norway, Haakon gained the support of the landowners by promising to give up the rights of taxation claimed by his father over inherited real property.

Eirik fled to the Orkney Islands and later to the Kingdom of Jorvik, eventually meeting a violent death on Stainmore, Westmorland, in 954 along with his son, Haeric. His sons allied themselves with the Danes, but were invariably defeated by Haakon, who was successful in everything he undertook except in his attempt to introduce Christianity, which aroused an opposition he did not feel strong enough to face. He was mortally wounded at the Battle of Fitjar in 961, after a final victory over Eirik’s sons. So entirely did even his immediate circle ignore his religion that Eyvindr Skáldaspillir, his court poet composed a poem, Hákonarmál, on his death representing his welcome by his ancestors' gods into Valhalla.

The succession issue was settled as Harald II, third son of Eirik, ascended the throne. However the Norwegians were severely tormented by years of war and welcomed the Danish invading force led by Harold Bluetooth.

In Modern Literature

Haakon I is a major character in "The Mother of the Kings" by the Danish-American writer Poul Anderson.

Regnal titles
Haakon the Good Fairhair dynasty Born: c. 920 Died: 961
Preceded by Eric Bloodaxe	King of Norway 934-961	Succeeded by Harald Greycloak

v • d • e Monarchs of Norway

Fairhair dynasty (except *)	Harald Fairhair · Eric Bloodaxe · Haakon the Good · Harald Greycloak · Haakon Sigurdsson* · Olaf Tryggvason · Eiríkr Hákonarson (R)* & Sveinn Hákonarson (R)* & Hákon Eiríksson (R)* · Sweyn Forkbeard^†^§ · Olaf the Saint · Hákon Eiríksson (R) · Canute the Great*^†^§ · Sveinn Álfífuson · Magnus the Good^† · Harald Hardrada · Magnus Haraldsson · Olaf Kyrre · Haakon Magnusson & Magnus Barefoot · Olaf Magnusson · Eystein Magnusson · Sigurd the Crusader · Magnus the Blind · Harald Gille · Sigurd Munn · Eystein Haraldsson · Inge Haraldsson · Haakon Herdebrei · Magnus Erlingsson · Sverre Sigurdsson · Haakon Sverresson · Guttorm Sigurdsson · Inge Bårdsson · Haakon Haakonsson · Magnus the Law-mender · Eric Magnusson · Haakon V Magnusson

House of Bjelbo	Magnus Ericsson^‡ · Haakon VI Magnusson^‡ · Olaf IV Haakonsson^†

The Kalmar union	Margaret^†^‡ · Eric of Pomerania^†^‡ · Christopher of Bavaria^†^‡ · Charles I^‡

House of Oldenburg (Union with Denmark)	Christian I^† · Hans^† · Christian II^† · Frederick I^† · Christian III^† · Frederick II^† · Christian IV^† · Frederick III^† · Christian V^† · Frederick IV^† · Christian VI^† · Frederick V^† · Christian VII^† · Frederick VI^†

Independence of 1814	Christian Frederick^†

House of Bernadotte (Union with Sweden)	Charles II (not Bernadotte)^‡ · Charles III John^‡ · Oscar I^‡ · Charles IV^‡ · Oscar II^‡

House of Schleswig-Holstein- Sonderburg-Glücksburg	Haakon VII · Olav V · Harald V

(R) Regent · ^† also Monarch of Denmark · ^‡ also Monarch of Sweden · ^§ also Monarch of England

References

^ "Haakon I". The Free Dictionary.
^ "Hakon the Good". Catholic Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 2007-02-18.

This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.