Harald Hardrada

thumb| Harald Sigurdsson (Old Norse: Haraldr Sigurðarson; c. 1015 – 25 September 1066), also known as Harald Hardrada or Harald III, was King of Norway from 1046 to 1066. He unsuccessfully claimed the Danish throne until 1064 and the English throne in 1066. Before becoming king, Harald spent 15 years in exile as a mercenary and military commander in Kievan Rus' and chief of the Varangian Guard in the Byzantine Empire. In his chronicle, Adam of Bremen called him the "Thunderbolt of the North". Quotes Forth we go in our linesWithout our armour, against the blue blades.The helmets glitter: I have no armour.Our shrouds are down in those ships. Verse composed before the Battle of Stamford Bridge (25 September 1066). David Howarth, 1066: The Year of the Conquest (1978), p. 139 External links Category:1010s births Category:1066 deaths Category:Monarchs from Norway