552. The Last Viking: The Saga of Harald Hardrada (Part 1)

The Rest Is History

Goalhanger

History

4.6 • 18.6K Ratings

🗓️ 30 March 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

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Summary

“I swear I will not flee from this fight. I will triumph, or I will die!” In the 1066 game of thrones for the crown of England, the most extraordinary of the three contenders is arguably Harald Hardrada: viking warrior, daring explorer, emperor’s bodyguard, serpent slayer, alleged lover to an empress, King of Norway, and legend of Norse mythology. How did this titan of a man come to cross the North Sea with his army, and take on Harold Godwinson, in the titanic showdown of Stamford Bridge? His story before this point is so colourful that it may be one the most exciting lives in all history. Fighting from the age of twelve, Harald was born to a petty regional king of Norway, in a Scandinavia of competing religions and kingships. As a teenager, he would then join his fearsome brother Olaf, the man who united Norway but later fell foul of King Cnut, and subsequently sailed the seas and mysterious waterways of Russia, in a mighty battle to take back Norway. Their defeat was terrible and absolute, leaving the young Harald wounded and on the run. A journey of horrors and hardship would then lead him at last to the awe inspiring city of Kyiv, where he would serve as mercenary for the Grand Prince. But still hungry for wealth and glory he then travelled on to the most remarkable city in the world: Constantinople, where his life would take an even more dramatic turn… Join Dominic and Tom as they describe the electrifying early life of Harald Hardrada. From Scandinavian prince, warrior, and would-be usurper, to Baltic mercenary, and member of the elite Varangian Guard, in the glittering Constantinople or Miklagard - Asgard on earth. The stage is set for the greatest adventure of his life so far. But will Harald ever seize his ultimate destiny and become a king? EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/restishistory Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett + Aaliyah Akude Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thank you for listening to The Rest is History.
0:02.3	For weekly bonus episodes,
0:04.0	add free listening, early access to series,
0:06.8	and membership of our much-loved chat community,
0:09.5	go to therestishistory.com and join the club.
0:13.2	That is, the rest is history.com. Olaf and Harold crashed into the enemy line like a storm ripping into a forest.
0:31.6	Men were falling on every side, jards and splinters and splatters of blood flying into their faces. But soon the
0:40.2	Norwegians were pressing back, using their numbers to hem Olaf's men in, squeezing them, crushing
0:47.2	them together. More missiles rained down, spears, arrows and throwing axes. The ground was slippery with blood.
0:57.3	For a moment Harold lost his footing, but then a hand was dragging him back up, and off the
1:02.9	Icelander flashed him a grim smile. Olaf raised his voice again, rallying his men for another charge, the sea serpent waving proudly
1:13.1	overhead.
1:14.6	Yet in the corner of his eye, Harold could see the terrifying figure of Thoria the hound.
1:20.9	His teeth bared with savage laughter, his black spear dripping with blood, are cutting through the crowd towards his brother.
1:31.4	And it was now, as the battle hung in the balance,
1:35.6	that the heavens proclaimed their verdict.
1:39.8	So that unbelievably manly and buccaneering prose is from Adventures in Time, Fury of the Vikings.
1:47.4	Dominic's excellent book on the Vikings.
1:50.1	And it describes one of the many thrilling scenes from the life of Harold Hardrada, who will go on to become one of the stars of the great drama of 1066.
2:02.1	But Dominic, this is not a description of a battle fought in 1066, but in 1030.
2:08.7	And it's the Battle of Sticklestad in Norway, one of the most celebrated events in the history of Norway and particularly of Norwegian Christianity,
2:17.8	but we will come on to that in due course. So, Dominic, Harold Hardrada, two episodes on
	...

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