Jarl Haakon Sigurdsson
ᛉ 937CE - 995CE ᛣ
Haakon Sigurdsson became Jarl of Lade, Trøndelag, and Hålogaland after his father was killed by King Harald Greycloak of Norway in 961CE. Haakon sought revenge, but was forced to flee to Denmark, where he made an alliance with the Danish King Harald Bluetooth. Together, they avenged the death of Haakon’s father around 971CE. Thereafter, Greycloak’s brothers waged a war against Haakon, but they ultimately lost, and a short peace followed. Bluetooth rewarded Haakon with fiefs in Denmark.
Around 973, Haakon came to Bluetooth’s aid against the encroaching forces of Holy Roman Emperor Otto II. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to free Denmark from the German influence, and Bluetooth converted to Christianity. Bluetooth also had Haakon baptized and made him a clergyman. Haakon continued to hold his heathen beliefs in secret, taking pride in his family’s descent from Odin. When Bluetooth sent Haakon back to Norway as a missionary, Haakon sailed out just far enough before telling the Christian priests to get out of the boat and swim back to shore. Therefore, Haakon declared his independence from Denmark, as well as Christianity, and began working to consolidate his rule in Norway.
After eleven years, in 986, Danish forces landed on Norway’s shores, led by the legendary Jomsvikings. The Danish men were repelled, and this was considered a decisive victory in establishing Haakon’s reign. But this would not last forever. In 995, the people of the Trøndelag region began rebelling, and the infamous Olaf Tryggvason rose to power.
Haakon took refuge at a farm after he had lost his following, and he was killed by his own slave, Tormod Kark, and left in a pig sty. Tormod expected to be rewarded by the future King of Norway for eliminating one of his adversaries, but he was instead decapitated for the crime of killing his lord.
Haakon’s legacy is one we might relate to today. He had to navigate a changing and dangerous political environment, but he remained a dependable ally for his folk in need. Though he was baptized, he shrugged off the foreign religion and remained true to his ancestral gods and customs. Who knows how he may have fared against the up-and-coming Olaf in a fair fight, had he not been betrayed. May we conduct ourselves with the tact and reliability of Jarl Haakon!
Jarl Haakon’s Day of Remembrance is April 9th.
By Shade McCurdy