Harald II of Norway

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harald II Greycloak
King of Norway
Reign	961 – 976
Died	976
Place of death	Hals, Denmark
Predecessor	Haakon I the Good
Successor	Haakon Sigurdsson (ruler of Norway without the King title)
Dynasty	Fairhair dynasty
Father	Eirik Bloodaxe
Mother	Gunnhild Ossursdotter

Harald II Greycloak (Old Norse: Haraldr gráfeldr, Norwegian: Harald Gråfell, Danish: Harald Gråfeld) (d. 976), was the son of Eirik Bloodaxe and a grandson of Harald Fairhair. After his father's death, he and his brothers allied with King Harald Gormson of Denmark against King Haakon. After Haakon's death at Fitjar in 961, Harald and his brothers became kings of Norway, but they had little authority outside Western Norway. Harald, by being the oldest, was the most powerful of the brothers. He attempted to strengthen his rule by killing the local rulers Sigurd Haakonsson, Tryggve Olafsson and Gudrød Bjørnsson. He also undertook a Viking expedition to Bjarmaland in northern Russia. In 976, he was tricked into coming to Denmark and killed in a plot planned by Sigurd Haakonsson's son Haakon Sigurdsson, who had become an ally of Harold Bluetooth.

Regnal titles
Harald Greycloak Fairhair dynasty Died: 976
Preceded by Haakon the Good	King of Norway 961-976	Succeeded by Haakon Sigurdsson

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