Harald Fairhair

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"It is natural to fear change. To resist it. But all things change and all things end. The lessons of Ragnarök are clear."

―Harald Fairhair to an assembled althing, 872.

Harald I Fairhair (c. 850 – c. 932), also known as Harald of Sogn and Harald Hárfagri, was a petty king of Vestfold who would later be crowned the first king of Norway.

He was also the rebirth of the Isu Freyr, Freyja's twin brother, a fact which he eventually became aware of and accepted to a degree.

Biography

Assisting the Raven Clan

The son of Halfdan the Black, Harald succeeded his father in 860 following his death and sought to unite the various Norwegian petty kingdoms into a united entity. To accomplish this feat, Harald was assisted by his uncle Guthorm the Wise, who travelled south to seek alliances with the jarls, including the likes of Kjotve the Cruel and Styrbjorn Sigvaldisson of Fornburg.

In 872, on the request of Styrbjorn, Harald and his uncle travelled to Nottfall, one of Kjotve's camp that had been raided by Styrbjorn's children Eivor Varinsdottir and Sigurd Styrbjornson. There, Harald offered his support to the two in order to settlement the rivalry between the two clans for good. With the support of Harald's troops, the two siblings were able to storm Kjotve's stronghold, killing the jarl and ending his terror over the region.

Unification of Norway

Soon after, Harald invited the various clans to Alrekstad to attend an althing organized by himself, where he proposed the clans unite under his banner. Hjorr Halfsson and Ljufvina Bjarmarsdottir decline to pledge fealty and surrender their territory as they took their people overseas. Their discussion was then interrupted by Gorm Kjotvesson, son of the recently deceased Kjotve, as he tried to swear loyalty to Harald despite his unwanted presence. After Harald refused his offer, Gorm accused Eivor of poisoning Kjotve, denying him the glorious death for entry into Valhalla. However, this was proven false by Harald himself, who said that his uncle Guthorm had seen Kjotve's death firsthand. He invited Eivor to decide Gorm's fate, and as punishment, he was renamed "Worm" and exiled on pain of death.

Subsequently, Styrbjorn bent the knee to Harald, much to the outrage of Sigurd, who stormed out in protest. Harald was soon confronted by Eivor, and confessed to have been aware of Styrbjorn's plans for some time. He then extended an offer for Eivor to join his family but was declined, though he cautioned both Eivor and Sigurd were required to serve under him if they chose to stay in Norway. In the end, Eivor and Sigurd decided to leave Norway and sail to England alongside other members of the Raven Clan, though they would briefly return to Norway five years later.

Eivor's last visit

Circa 889, Harald was planning an expedition to Iceland to support his friend Ingólfr Arnarson through the harsh winters, when he received word that Eivor, by now jarlskona of the Raven Clan in England, would come to visit for three weeks. Not long after receiving the news, Harald was surprised when Eivor and Sigurd arrived at his longhouse while he, Guthorm, and his advisors studied a map, but nonetheless welcomed them as friends. After telling them about his planned expedition, Harald asked the two if they would lead it, saying he could not think of any better candidates.

While Sigurd was excited by the prospect, Eivor declined, explaining that she had only come to Norway to bid farewell to her friends, as she intended to leave England and travel further west past Iceland. She then said that she would like to spend the day in the company of those she loved, telling stories from long ago, with both Sigurd and Harald understanding what she was referring to. Realizing that the company around him would think the resulting discussion to be madness, Harald awkwardly dismissed them with a laugh and spent the night sharing stories with Eivor and Sigurd from their mutual distant pasts while drinking mead and eating roasted whale.

Personality and traits

Harald was deemed by many to be too ambitious for his own good. However, this was balanced out by his expert negotiation skills and calm-level headed demeanor. His byname "Fairhair" was a descriptive title regarding his blond hair.

Behind the scenes

Harald is a historical figure introduced in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. He is voiced by Icelandic actor Aron Már Ólafsson, who also voiced Erke Bodilsson.

Gallery

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  Harald offering an alliance to Sigurd and Eivor of the Raven Clan

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first appearance)
  • The Last Chapter
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga (mentioned only)
• Discovery Tour: Viking Age
• The World of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North – Logs and Files of a Hidden One (mentioned only)