Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf

Who was Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf?

Olaf Haraldsson, was a reputed son of King Harald Fairhair of Norway with Svanhild Øysteinsdotter, daughter of Øystein Jarl.

The saga Heimskringla, written in Iceland in the thirteenth century by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson, gives the ninth century Norwegian founder king Harald Fairhair three sons with Svanhild, including Ragnar Rykkel, Bjørn Farmann and Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf. Bjørn Farmann became king of Vestfold. Olaf Haraldsson was made king of Vingulmark by his father and then later inherited Vestfold after his brother Bjørn Farmann had been killed by their half-brother Eric Bloodaxe. Eric was king Harald's favourite son and his appointed successor, but he was not very popular among his half-brothers. Upon his father's death, Olaf made himself king of eastern Norway, and allied himself against Eric Bloodaxe with another half-brother, Sigrød Haraldsson, king of Trondheim. The three kings met in battle outside Tønsberg, on the farm Haugar. Olaf and Sigrød were defeated and they both fell there. Both are presumed to have been buried on the same spot. Haugar became the seat for Haugating and Norway's second most important place for the proclamation of kings. Today the site is located on the Jarlsberg Estate situated northwest of the centre of the town of Tønsberg.