Haraldr gilli

Harald Gille is the charming pretender whose claim lit Norway's century of civil war. Raised in Ireland, he came to Norway saying he was a son of Magnus Barefoot, and proved it by the ordeal of carrying red-hot iron — passing it, and so winning acknowledgement as a king's brother. Gay, generous, and pleasing in company, he was everything likeable; but an acknowledged royal claimant in a kingdom with no fixed law of succession was a loaded weapon. He broke his oath not to seek the throne, made himself co-king beside his nephew Magnus, warred with him, won, and had the defeated Magnus hideously blinded and maimed. His own turn came soon: another claimant, Sigurd Slembe, murdered him in his bed. Harald Gille is the spark of the long bloodletting — the likeable man whose very charm and ordeal-proven blood opened the door to fifty years of kings killing kings.