Haraldr Gráfeldr (Greycloak) Eiríksson was born around 933. He was King Haraldr II of Norway from around 960-971. was the son of Eiríkr Blóðøks (Bloodaxe) Haraldsson also known as Eiríkr I of Norway and grandson of Haraldr Hårfager (Fairhair) Hálfdanarson who had been King Haraldr of Vestfold and father of the Viking Dynasty known as Fairhair. Around 900 AD the King of The Vestfold, Haraldr Fairhair was successful in winning control of much of Norway at the battle of Hafrsfjord. Due to this achievement Haraldr Fairhair is credited with being the founder of the Norwegian kingdom. Haraldr reigned for fifty years and was succeded by his son Erikir Bloodaxe around 930 AD. Erikir was driven off the throne by his younger brother Hakon the Good. Erikir Bloodaxe went into to exile where he earned a fearsome reputation as a Viking leader. In 948 AD and again in 954 AD Eiríkr served as King of York. Hakon the Good was killed by Eiríkr Bloodaxe's son Haraldr Gráfeldr around 960 AD. Haraldr Gráfeldr became King of Norway but spent most of his reign trying to gain control over Trondelag and was eventually killed fighting against an alliance of the Jarl Hakon of Halir and Svein Forkbeard. The Jarls returned Norway to Danish rule. Jarl Hakon remained the most powerful man in Norway until 995 AD when Olaf Tryggvason, a grandson of Haraldr Fairhair, who had won much fame and wealth as a Viking leader put Jarl Hakon to flight and established himself as King of Norway.Olaf ruled for only five years before being killed at the battle of Svold in an alliance between Svein Forkbeard and Jarl Erikir of Haldir. Svein and Erikir divided rule of Norway between them but not long after Norway became unified again.

The story goes that Haraldr Greycloak got his name when "one summer a vessel came from Iceland belonging to Icelanders, and loaded with skins and pelts. They sailed to Hardanger, where they heard the greatest number of people assembled; but when the folks came to deal with them, nobody would buy their skins. Then the steersman went to King Harald, whom he had been acquainted with before, and complained of his ill luck. The king promised to visit him, and did so. King Haraldr was very condescending, and full of fun. He came with a fully manned boat, looked at the skins, and then said to the steersman, "Wilt thou give me a present of one of these gray-skins?" "Willingly," said the steersman, "if it were ever so many." On this the king wrapped himself up in a gray-skin, and went back to his boat; but before they rowed away from the ship, every man in his suite bought such another skin as the king wore for himself. In a few days so many people came to buy skins, that not half of them could be served with what they wanted; and thereafter the king was called Harald Gráfeldr." Gráfeldr is Old Norse for Greycloak.

-Text submitted by Catharina Grafeldr

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