Håkon I Haraldsson Adelsteinsfostre the Good of Norway ^{1 2 3}

  General Notes:

Haakon I Adalsteinsfostre

HAAKON THE GOOD, Norwegian HÅKON DEN GODE, Norwegian king and one of the most eminent Scandinavian rulers of his time. He fostered the growth of governmental institutions but failed in his attempt to Christianize the lesser Norwegian chieftains.

Haakon, the youngest son of Harald I Fairhair, was brought up at the court of the English king Athelstan. At the age of 15, after his father died, he returned to Norway and deposed his half brother Erik Bloodax (reigned c. 930-935), who had earned his name by murdering seven of his eight half brothers.

Haakon had been reared as a Christian in England, and he brought English missionaries to Norway and built a few churches; but he was resisted in his efforts at Christianization by the Norwegian chieftains. He had greater success in compelling each coastal district to provide warships for his fleet and in helping the three great law districts to develop codes of law and administration. Meanwhile, with Danish aid, Erik Bloodax's sons, including Haakon's successor, Harald II Graycloak, who had all taken refuge in Denmark, launched raids on Norway against Haakon's forces and eventually killed him in battle on the island of Fitjar, in southwestern Norway. His reign was dated as c. 933-960 by medieval historians but later was more reliably approximated as c. 946-961.

Håkon was called "Adalsteinsfostre" because he was brought up by king Athelstan of England.

From Snorre Sturlasson: Hakon the Good's Saga:

"1. HAKON CHOSEN KING.
Hakon, Athelstan's foster-son, was in England at the time (A.D. 934) he heard of his father King Harald's death, and he immediately made himself ready to depart. King Athelstan gave him men, and a choice of good ships, and fitted him out for his journey most excellently. In harvest time he came to Norway, where he heard of the death of his brothers, and that King Eirik was then in Viken. Then Hakon sailed northwards to Throndhjem, where he went to Sigurd earl of Hlader who was the ablest man in Norway. He gave Hakon a good reception; and they made a league with each other, by which Hakon promised great power to Sigurd if he was made king. They assembled then a numerous Thing, and Sigurd the earl recommended Hakon's cause to the Thing, and proposed him to the bondes as king. Then Hakon himself stood up and spoke; and the people said to each other, two and two, as they heard him, "Harald Harfager is come again, grown and young." The beginning of Hakon's speech was, that he offered himself to the bondes as king, and desired from them the title of king, and aid and forces to defend the kingdom. He promised, on the other hand, to make all the bondes udal-holders, and give every man udal rights to the land he lived on. This speech met such joyful applause, that the whole public cried and shouted that they would take him to be king. And so it was that the Throndhjem people took Hakon, who was then fifteen years old, for king; and he took a court or bodyguard, and servants, and proceeded through the country. The news reached the Uplands that the people in Throndhjem had taken to themselves a king, who in every respect was like King Harald Harfager, -- with the difference, that Harald had made all the people of the land vassals, and unfree; but this Hakon wished well to every man, and offered the bondes to give them their udal rights again, which Harald had taken from them. All were rejoiced at this news, and it passed from mouth to mouth, -- it flew, like fire in dry grass, through the whole land, and eastward to the land's end. Many bondes came from the Uplands to meet King Hakon. Some sent messengers, some tokens; and all to the same effect -- that his men they would be: and the king received all thankfully."

"2. KING HAKON'S PROGRESS THROUGH THE COUNTRY.
Early in winter (935), the king went to the Uplands, and summoned the people to a Thing; and there streamed all to him who could come. He was proclaimed king at every Thing; and then he proceeded eastward to Viken, where his brother's sons, Trygve and Gudrod, and many others, came unto him, and complained of the sorrow and evil his brother Eirik had wrought. The hatred to King Eirik grew more and more, the more liking all men took to King Hakon; and they got more boldness to say what they thought. King Hakon gave Trygve and Gudrod the title of kings, and the dominions which King Harald had bestowed on their fathers. Trygve got Ranrike and Vingulmark, and Gudrod, Vestfold; but as they were young, and in the years of childhood, he appointed able men to rule the land for them. He gave them the country on the same conditions as it had been given before, -- that they should have half of the scat and revenues with him. Towards spring King Hakon returned north, over the Uplands, to Throndhjem."

  Noted events in his life were:

• He was a King from 00 0946 to 961 in Norway.