See also

Olaf KING OF VERMALAND (IN NORWAY) (c. 680-c. 710)

1. Olaf "Tree-Hewer" KING OF VERMALAND (IN NORWAY), son of "Ill-Ruler", "Evilheart" KING INGIALD OF SWEDEN ( - ) and Gauthild ( - ), was born circa 0680. He died circa 0710. He married Solveig (Solva) of Solisles.

 

When Olaf, King Ingjald's son, heard of his father's end, he went
with the men who chose to follow him to Nerike; for all the
Swedish community rose with one accord to drive out Ingjald's
family and all his friends. Now, when the Swedes got
intelligence of him he could not remain there, but went on
westwards, through the forest, to a river which comes from the
north and falls into the Venner lake, and is called Klar river.
There they sat themselves down, turned to and cleared the woods,
burnt, and then settled there. Soon there were great districts;
which altogether were called Vermeland; and a good living was to
be made there. Now when it was told of Olaf, in Sweden, that he
was clearing the forests, they laughed at his proceedings, and
called him the Tree-feller. Olaf got a wife called Solva, or
Solveig, a daughter of Halfdan Guldtand, westward in Soleyar.
Halfdan was a son of Solve Solvarson, who was a son of Solve the
Old, who first settled on these islands. Olaf Tree-feller's
mother was called Gauthild, and her mother was Alov, daughter of
Olaf the Sharp-sighted, king in Nerike. Olaf and Solva had two
sons: Ingjald and Halfdan. Halfdan was brought up in Soleyar, in
the house of his mother's brother Solve, and was called Halfdan
Hvitbein.



47. OLAF THE TREE-FELLER'S DEATH.

There were a great many people who fled the country from Sweden,
on account of King Ivar; and when they heard that King Olaf had
got good lands in Vermeland, so great a number came there to him
that the land could not support them. Then there came dear times
and famine, which they ascribed to their king; as the Swedes used
always to reckon good or bad crops for or against their kings.
The Swedes took it amiss that Olaf was sparing in his sacrifices,
and believed the dear times must proceed from this cause. The
Swedes therefore gathered together troops, made an expedition
against King Olaf, surrounded his house and burnt him in it,
giving him to Odin as a sacrifice for good crops. This happened
at the Venner lake. Thus tells Thjodolf of it: --

"The temple wolf, by the lake shores,
The corpse of Olaf now devours.
The clearer of the forests died
At Odin's shrine by the lake side.
The glowing flames stripped to the skin
The royal robes from the Swedes' king.
Thus Olaf, famed in days of yore,
Vanished from earth at Venner's shore.".

 

Olaf went with the men who chose to follow him, when heard of his father's end, to Nerike; for all the Swedish community rose with one accord to drive out Ingjald's family and all his friends

Then there came dear times and famine, which they ascribed to their king; as the Swedes used always to reckon good or bad crops for or against their kings. The Swedes took it amiss that Olaf was sparing in his sacrifices, and believed the dear times must proceed from this cause. The Swedes therefore gathered together troops, made an expedition against King Olaf, surrounded his house and burnt him in it, giving him to Odin as a sacrifice for good crops. This happened at the Venner lake. Thus tells Thjodolf of it: "The temple wolf, by the lake shores, The corpse of Olaf now devours. The clearer of the forests died At Odin's shrine by the lake side. The glowing flames stripped to the skin The royal robes from the Swedes' king. Thus Olaf, famed in days of yore, Vanished from earth at Venner's shore."

Olaf attracted a great many of his countrymen, who were fleeing Sweden on account of Ivar, and they settled in the bountiful Varmeland, but in so great a number that the land could no longer support them, and they blamed him.


Olaf is said to have sacrificed his own people in time of famine

Olaf was raised in the care of his foster-father Bove, in West Gotland, where he was brought up along with Saxe, Bove's son, who had the surname of Flette

He was forced to leave Nerike, when the Swedes heard he was there, and he went on westwards, through the forest, to a river which comes from the north and falls into the Venner lake, and is called Klar river. There they sat themselves down, turned to and cleared the woods, burnt, and then settled there, and soon there were great districts, and altogether they were called Vermeland

He was given the name "Tree Feller" by the Swedes who laughed at his proceedings, that he was clearing forests instead of ruling,

 

Solveig (Solva) of Solisles and Olaf "Tree-Hewer" KING OF VERMALAND (IN NORWAY) had the following children:

 

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Halfdan "White-Leg" KING OF THE UPPLANDERS (c. 700- )

Second Generation

2. Halfdan "White-Leg" KING OF THE UPPLANDERS, son of Olaf "Tree-Hewer" KING OF VERMALAND (IN NORWAY) and Solveig (Solva) of Solisles, was born circa 0700.

 

Those of the Swedes who had more understanding found that the dear times proceeded from there being a greater number of people on the land than it could support, and that the king could not be blamed for this. They took the resolution, therefore, to cross the Eida forest with all their men, and came quite unexpectedly into Soleyar, where they put to death King Solve, and took Halfdan Hvitbein prisoner, and made him their chief, and gave him the title of king. Thereupon he subdued Soleyar, and proceeding with his army into Raumarike, plundered there, and laid that district also in subjection by force of arms.

Halfdan Hvitbein became a great king. He was married to Aasa, a daughter of Eystein the Severe, who was king of the Upland people, and ruled over Hedemark. Halfdan and Aasa had two sons, Eystein and Gudrod. Halfdan subdued a great part of Hedemark, Toten, Hadeland, and much of Westfold. He lived to be an old man, and died in his bed at Toten, from whence his body was transported to Westfold, and was buried under a mound at a place called Skaereid, at Skiringsale.
So says Thjodolf: --

"Halfdan, esteemed by friends and foes,
Receives at last life's deep repose:
The aged man at last, though late,
Yielded in Toten to stern fate.
At Skiringsale hangs o'er his grave
A rock, that seems to mourn the brave Halfdan,
to chiefs and people dear,
Received from all a silent tear."

 

Halfdan founded a pagan temple Skaereid, Skiringsale.

He lived to be an old man, and died in his bed at Toten.

Halfdan subdued Soleyar (his foster father's homeland), and then proceeded with his army into Raumarike, plundered there, and laid that district also in subjection by force of arms

He is buried in Skaereid, Skiringsale, Vëstfold.

After he died, his body was transported to Westfold, and was buried under a mound at a place called Skaereid, at Skiringsale. So says Thjodolf: "Halfdan, esteemed by friends and foes, Receives at last life's deep repose: The aged man at last, though late, yielded in Toten to stern fate. At Skiringsale hangs o'er his grave A rock, that seems to mourn the brave Halfdan, to chiefs and people dear, Received from all a silent tear."

Halfdan was captured by the Swedes who'd killed his Uncle, and made their Chief (in deference to his Yngling blood?)

He was brought up in Soleyar, in the house of his mother's brother Solve

He subdued a great part of Hedemark, Toten, Hadeland, and much of Westfold

He took possession of Värmland after his brothers death, raised scatt (tax) from it, and placed earls over it as long as he lived

 

Halfdan "White-Leg" KING OF THE UPPLANDERS had the following children:

 

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Eystein "the Fart" KING OF RAUMARIKE ( -c. 750)

Third Generation

3. Eystein "the Fart" KING OF RAUMARIKE, son of Halfdan "White-Leg" KING OF THE UPPLANDERS, died circa 0750. He married Hild.

 

Eystein, Halfdan Hvitbein's son, became king after in Raumarike and Westfold. He was married to Hild, a daughter of Eric Agnarsson, who was king in Westfold. Agnar, Eric's father, was a son of Sigtryg, king in the Vend district. King Eric had no son, and died while King Halfdan Hvitbein was still in life. The father and son, Halfdan and Eystein, then took possession of the whole of Westfold, which Eystein ruled over as long as he lived. At that time there lived at Varna a king called Skjold, who was a great warlock. King Eystein went with some ships of war to Varna, plundered there, and carried away all he could find of clothes or other valuables, and of peasants' stock, and killed cattle on the strand for provision, and then went off. King Skjold came to the strand with his army, just as Eystein was at such a distance over the fjord that King Skjold could only see his sails. Then he took his cloak,waved it, and blew into it. King Eystein was sitting at the helm as they sailed in past Jarls, and another ship was sailing at the side of his, when there came a stroke of a wave, by which the boom of the other ship struck the king and threw him overboard, which proved his death. His men fished up his body, and it was carried into Borre, where a mound was thrown up over it, out towards the sea at Raden, near Vodle. So says Thjodolf:-

"King Eystein sat upon the poop
Of his good ship: with sudden swoop
The swinging boom dashed him to hell,
And fathoms deep the hero fell
Beneath the brine. The fury whirl
Of Loke, Tempest's brother's girl,
Grim Hel, clutched his soul away;
And now where Vodle's ocean bay
Receives the ice-cold stream, the grave
Of Eystein stands -- the good, the brave!"


 

Hild was the daughter of Eric Agnarsson KING OF WESTFOLD ( - ). She and Eystein "the Fart" KING OF RAUMARIKE had the following children:

 

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Halfdan "the Meek", "the Bounteous" KING IN WESTFOLD ( - )