Harald Bluetooth

Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson (Old Norse: Haraldr Gormsson; Danish: Harald Blåtand Gormsen; c. 911 – 985/6) was a King of Denmark and Norway. During the 10th century, Harald became a reluctant ally of Styrbjörn the Strong against his uncle, King Eric of Sweden, even after the young warrior offered him the hand of his sister, Gyrid.

A secret member of the Templar Order, Harald had in his possession a dagger, which was the Devotion Prong of the Trident of Eden. He was later forced to renounce this dagger to Styrbjörn as a token of loyalty, though he ultimately abandoned the prince and fled with his army ahead of the decisive Battle of Fýrisvellir.

Biography

Early life

In his early years, Harald converted to Christianity after being baptized by Bishop Poppa. After the ceremony, Poppa gave Harald a sacred dagger, which was given to him as a gift by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. Receiving the dagger, Harald soon learned that it held special properties, which allowed its user to easily sway others to their whims and demands. Modern Templars would speculate that these powers allowed Harald to eventually unify Denmark under his rule.

Alliance with Styrbjörn

In 985, Harald and his family caught sight of Styrbjörn and his fleet coming to his kingdom's shores. Within their initial meeting, Harald accepted Gyrid, Harald's sister, as his wife but still rejected his proposal to fight against his uncle, King Eric. Thus, Styrbjörn called his fleet to attack Harald's army despite their disadvantage in numbers. However, Harald underestimated Styrbjörn's own power and conviction as Styrbjörn managed to fight his way to Harald. Ultimately, Harald surrendered after being threatened by Styrbjörn's axe, and renounced control of his army to him.

After the battle, Harald was forced to accompany Styrbjörn to ensure his men remained loyal. He secretly tried using the Devotion Prong on Styrbjörn to sway him under his advice, but he noticed that Styrbjörn appeared to be immune to its power. Forced by his wife and her brother, he reluctantly joined Styrbjörn's fleet as it sailed towards Uppsala.

While sailing across Laka Mälaren, Harald remained mostly silent and still tried to use the prong on Styrbjörn, to no success. When Styrbjörn challenged him by claiming that he would let his men go if he tossed the dagger into the lake, Harald rejected the offer. He explained the history behind the dagger and how his and his men's freedom meant nothing in comparison.

Upon further sailing, the fleet was stopped by a palisade, which prevented the longships from traveling to Uppsala. Harald and Styrbjörn's second-in-command, Palnatoke, suggested either sailing with delay or retreating, but Styrbjörn ordered the army to abandon their boats and march through the forest. When Palnatoke headed to rest, Harald followed suit but was stopped by Styrbjörn, who accused him of leaving their fleet. Demanding the dagger, Harald rebuffed him. Styrbjörn responded by attacking and throwing him against a tree. Left with no choice, Harald tossed the dagger on the floor and left to rest with his men. The next day, Harald and his men retreated, yet his daughter Thyra Haraldsdottir stayed behind to fight for Styrbjörn.

Legacy

Through his daughter, Thyra, who conceived a child with Styrbjörn during their wedding night, Harald was an ancestor of Sean Molloy, a 21st century teenager.

The modern-day wireless technology standard Bluetooth was named after and inspired by Harald's epithet.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Tomb of the Khan (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Fate of the Gods
• Discovery Tour: Viking Age (mentioned only)
• Echoes of History (mentioned only)