These impressive swords are not part of a movie set, and although they are not an ancient monument, they pay homage to a battle that took place over a millennium ago.
Norway is a famous place for its beautiful landscapes, those who had the opportunity to see the Northern Lights were mesmerized. But it is also well known, for its particular historythe Norwegian inhabitants were divided into ever-warring tribes and peoples.
The victory that changed the lives of the rebels
One of the most important cities in Norway is Stavanger, not only for its oil activities, but also for being the destination of many tourists. Very close to this city one of the most important events in the history of the country took place.
The monument of the three giant bronze swords It was designed by a renowned artist named Fritz Roed de Bryne. They are called “Sverd i Fjell”, which means, “Swords in the rock.”
The three giant Viking swords are located on a northern hill.
What do the swords represent?
Each of the monument’s swords they are 10 meters tall, this makes them very attractive, but the story around it is much more interesting. These three weapons symbolizes peace who invaded the country after a great battle, however, each represents a ruler.
The main sword depicts King Harald Fairhair I, was the only ruler who managed to unite the country about a hundred thousand years ago. The other two swords are slightly smaller and represent the enemies King Harald defeated during the war.
The monument commemorating the history of the Vikings
Credit: Giuseppe Milo/Flickr.
What little is known of the battles that took place in Norway is due to the poems and sagas found. But according to the country’s historical records, the last battle that united the whole region did not bring lasting peace as we believe.
In various legends it is mentioned Harald Fairhair as the first king of the Vikings, lived around 850 and 935 AD He reigned from 872 until the day of his death, according to the poems he had two sons. Eric and Haakon, who became kings long after his disappearance.
The life and battles of the king who united the Vikings
The poems were invaluable in knowing part of the history of the Vikings, however, it seems that the written saga has more details. It is mentioned here that when Harald was young came to rule over several kingdoms of VestfoldThey were small towns.
When his father Halfdan died, he became more famous and met a young woman named Gyda. She was the daughter of King Eirik of Hordaland, he was captivated and fell completely in love, so he proposed marriage to her. But she refused him and told him that he had to be king of all Norway to accept her proposal.
The king fights in Hafrsfjord to keep his promises
Harald felt so much love for Gyda that I assure you that he would become an important king. Additionally, he promised that he would not cut or style his hair until he was crowned, and he kept his word even though 10 years have passed.
Statue of King Harald I of Norway, nicknamed Beautiful Hair.
First began by conquering the small Viking kingdomsbut his campaign ended with the battle of Hafrsfjord, the most important of all. When the other kings discovered that Harald was taking over different regions, they began to prepare.
Harald gathers a large number of warriors
The news began to spread, Harald learned that in the south of the country Agder, Thelemark, Hordaland and Rogaland they gathered warriors and weapons. Therefore, he began a campaign to recruit people while heading south in ships.
King Eirik was aware of everything Harald was doing, so he also started his tour. He entered Hafrsfjord where they were waiting for him to begin the battle, which was hard and long, but harald Fairhair won. He conquered all his adversaries, most were killed and the others fled.
What happened after the battle?
Ultimately, Fairhair became king of all Norway and defeated the rulers of all the cities in battle. So he began to cut his hair, comb it and wash it, since he had already kept his word.
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Finally, he went to Gyda to remind her that the marriage proposal was still on. She hadn’t forgotten, Harald was already king of all Norway as he had promised 10 years ago, so she quickly accepted. After the wedding, they lived happily ever after the king died.
Characteristics of the monument
giant swords andThey are embedded in the rock of a small hill where the battle is believed to have taken place. Being nailed to the rock, from where they cannot be moved, they represent peace, it is no longer possible to extract them to wield them in a new battle.
They are carved to resemble traditional Viking swords, and as mentioned above, two of the swords have unadorned base hilts, both of which depict defeated kings who submitted to Harald, while the taller sword is a bit more elaborate and represents the King Harald’s Victory.
Sverd i fjell is currently a very popular monument among Norwegians. Being a reflection of a transcendental event in the history of Norway, tourists come to visit it for its treasured significance, its imposing presence and the beauty of the landscape that surrounds it.
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