The tradition of establishing diplomatic relations with foreign states through the conclusion of dynastic marriages in Russia appeared many centuries ago. The Grand Duke of Kiev, Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise, was especially successful in this practice. He not only passed off his children as heirs and heirs to the throne in “foreign” countries, but he himself was married to the daughter of the King of Sweden - Ingigerd. One way or another, but the women of Scandinavia at that time enjoyed wider freedoms and rights than the women of Europe. Having married the Russian ruler, Ingigerd received as a gift from Yaroslav the Wise a whole city - Ladoga. In the marriage of the Kiev prince and the Swedish princess, nine children were born, and thanks to his offspring, the Russian ruler was able to intermarry with the royal houses of Europe. In this sense, the fate of the middle daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, who married the heir to the Norwegian throne, is interesting. Who would have thought that Elizabeth Yaroslavna (Ellisiv) would become the queen of a small Viking state. But that is exactly what happened.
Harald Sigurdarson
The chosen one of the Russian princess was born in 1015. His parents were the Norwegian king Sigurd Pig and Asta Gudbrandsdottir. Harald had a brother Olav, who was subsequently nicknamed first Tolstoy and then Saint.
It was Olav who became the ruler of the Norwegian state, but Harald did not give up hope that he would ever manage to rule the country, especially since his name symbolized certain ambitions for the throne. And his expectations in the future, indeed, came true.
Already a sixteen-year-old teenager, Harald iii became a "rogue prince." His brother Olav, who became the head of the whole kingdom, once wanted to marry the daughter of the King of Sweden, Ingigerde, but she married Yaroslav the Wise. Having been defeated by the Danes, he, hiding first in Sweden and then in Novgorod, loses power in Norway. He will be killed at the Battle of Styclastadir, where he will fight with the troops of the Norwegian nobility.
Harald, like his brother, was forced to seek refuge first with the Swedish king, and then with the Prince of Kiev.
In Novgorod
Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise met the guest quite affably. The prince designated him as a retinue, but not as an ordinary soldier, but in the status of one of the retinue-managers, since the position obligated. And in such a young age, Harald wanted at all costs to glorify himself in battle. He was attracted by adventures and the glory of the commander. The prince imagined how with a shield and sword he mined gold and jewelry, turning into an influential nobleman.
What does Harald III the Cruel do, being in the service of the Russian prince? He is absorbed in the intricacies of military affairs: the young man spends almost all of his time with the squad, which often gives orders to collect tribute from the territories conquered by Yaroslav the Wise. The failed heir to the Norwegian throne repeatedly suppresses uprisings, riots and even went on a military campaign against Poland with the Prince of Kiev.
Meeting with sweetheart
Legend has it that Elizabeth Yaroslavna and Harald were simply made for each other. The romantics who lived at the turn of the 18-19th centuries claimed that when the young Viking saw the young princess, he was immediately struck by her beauty. He was struck by a thin camp, a swan walk, sable eyebrows and clear eyes of the daughter of the Russian prince. It could be assumed that from the side of Harald the Cruel it was love at first sight. But such a hypothesis still does not hold water.
Elizaveta Yaroslavna (1025-1066 years) was the fourth offspring in the family of the ruler. And when the Norwegian prince first visited in Novgorod, then Ellisiv was from 6 to 9 years old. So there is no need to talk about a swan gait at this age.
Some historians also doubt that after spending some time in Novgorod (from 1031 to 1034), Harald got married to a young girl. Why? Everything is very simple. Firstly, at that time the prince was preoccupied with the fate of his eldest daughter Anna, who already "went to brides." Well, and secondly, the “Norwegian guest” was not a priori considered as a groom, because, despite the high title, in fact he was “a goal like a falcon”. Of course, he could carry out plans to ask for the “hands and hearts” of a young princess in the future. But he clearly realized that without wealth and glory, Elizabeth Yaroslavna would be inaccessible to him. And Harald decides to get them by any means.
Viking feats of arms
War was a favorite thing for the Norwegian prince. He personified a brave Viking warrior. Harald was not only a brave soldier, but also a smart military strategist. After winning the award, he received gold and silver, which symbolized luck, prosperity and happiness. At first, the Norwegian heir to the throne served with the Byzantine prince Michael IV.
He helped him fight sea pirates in the Aegean and became a member of a military expedition to Sicily. Then Harald went to suppress the rebellion of Delyan in Bulgaria. In addition, he fought in Sicily and the African continent. Thus, he turned into an experienced commander. And he regularly sent the wealth received as a result of the battles to Novgorod. When his patron Michael IV passed away, the prince fell into disgrace. He suddenly became a robber, which was slanderous, and got into prison. After some time, the Varangian fled and again found himself in Novgorod.
Poems in honor of the beloved
Once again in the possessions of Yaroslav the Wise, he remembered his daughter Ellisiv. Now she has become a real beauty, Slavic feminine and Byzantine sophisticated. Now Elizabeth Yaroslavna was an enviable bride, and Harald could not help but fall in love with the princess. In her honor, he composed The Visa of Joy. These are the verses in which the Viking warrior admires the charm and beauty that Ellisiv is endowed with.
From the point of view of genre affiliation, “Visa of Joy” were laudatory songs. But in his creation, the young Norwegian does not forget to mention his person, positioning himself as the best contender for the hand and heart of the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise. And in the end, he gets his way.
Prince gives the green light to the wedding
As the images that have survived to this day show, Princess Elizabeth Yaroslavna was really pretty.
From childhood, she was accustomed to the grandeur and pomp of her father’s palace, while luxury and wealth for her were taken for granted. In other words, any royal house in Europe would consider it an honor to accept the middle daughter of Yaroslav the Wise into his family. But Elizabeth Yaroslavna became the wife of Harald III.
Upon arrival in Novgorod, the Viking received at his disposal all the treasures that he had won as a result of his feats of arms. The heir to the Norwegian throne became the wealthiest man in Russia. And under such circumstances, Yaroslav the Wise, naturally, agreed to the marriage of his daughter with the Viking. Moreover, he gave the green light to the wedding not so much because he saw a worthy spouse in Harold, how much this union wanted to strengthen friendly relations with the countries of northern Europe. The wedding ceremony took place in the winter of 1043-1044.
Back to Norway
Over the next six months, the newlyweds lived in Garda. Soon after, they went to Norway. Subsequently, the Icelandic skul Stuv the Blind writes: "He had a lot of gold and the daughter of a king."
It is noteworthy that in skalds poetry a woman was associated with gold jewelry or with a certain female occupation. When the skalds assured that the Varangian had really taken away wealth and the most beautiful cargo from Gardarika, they had in mind gold jewelry and the Russian princess.
In any case, the wedding of the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise and the son of King Sigurd the Pig further strengthened good neighborly relations between Russia and Norway. Harald, as a result of marriage to the Russian princess, briefly became close to the authoritative Jarl Svein Ulvsson, who later occupied the Danish throne.
Years of government in his native country
Arriving at home, Harald shared power in the country with his nephew Magnus.
He received a reward half of the wealth won by the Viking on long trips, and Harald received the right to manage 50% of the territory of Norway. But soon, between families, civil strife began to erupt more and more for spheres of influence. As a result, the son of Sigurd Pig became a full-fledged ruler in his country. But after a while his nephew avenged his uncle. Before his death, Magnus bequeathed the Danish kingdom to Svein Ulvsson, and the lion's part of the Norwegian army was forced to retire. As a result, the Harald units retreated back to Norway. The wife of Elizabeth Yaroslavna was beside herself with indignation.
He bears the idea of becoming ruler of Denmark. Every year in spring, he mobilizes his army and leads it to war with the Danes, robbing and destroying their homes. For such cruelty he was nicknamed Harald the Cruel Ruler. Yes, he had a sharp temper and never forgot the grievances inflicted on him. As a result, ordinary people suffered. However, he was an experienced commander and a man well versed in the intricacies of military tactics. In Byzantium, he perfectly mastered the wisdom of the technique of warfare and successfully practiced the knowledge gained in northern Europe.
Alien in a northern country
But how did Elizabeth Yaroslavna (Queen of Norway) relate to the thirst for the conquests of her husband? How could she even bear the tough temper of Harald the Cruel? History does not give unambiguous answers to these questions. It is likely that the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise made attempts to calm his foreign policy ambitions. But it cannot be ruled out that the newly-made queen of Norway compared her husband to her father, who was also not averse to expand the borders of her state. All she could do was appeal to Christian virtues and hope that Harald will end the brutal wars. One way or another, but she felt like a stranger in this cold, eternally warring country. The situation of the princess was aggravated by the fact that she had no relatives in Norway, and her father no longer provided assistance to Ellisiv and did not supply Harald with troops.
Second wife
Having lost the support of an influential father-in-law, the Norwegian ruler decided to marry again. At that time, representatives of the noble classes were given the right to have several wives. Moreover, only one was considered official. Only three years have passed since the wedding of Harold and Elizabeth Yaroslavna, as the son of Sigurd Pig wanted to marry Tora Torbergsdottir, the daughter of a wealthy Norwegian tycoon.
By that time, Princess Ellisiv had given birth to two daughters - Ingigerd and Maria. According to sources - “The Halley Shuttle Harness” and “The Harald Saga of the Cruel Ruler” - the relationship between the Norwegian king and the Torah Torbergsdottir quickly grew into passionate love. In Norway, this has become topic number 1 for discussion. Subsequently, the Torah gave birth to a son, Olav.
Rumors of a divorce from Ellisiv
Gradually, Harald began to move away from Elizabeth Yaroslavna, and Torah took her place. She even went on military trips with him.
Some sources talk about breaking the relationship between Harald and the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise. But whether it was in reality, it is impossible to say. In any case, the Norwegian Viking was not alone in his last campaign: he was accompanied by Elizaveta Yaroslavna (daughter of Yaroslav the Wise).
Last trip
Some time after Norway stopped trying to capture Denmark, Sigurd Pig's offspring again began to nostalgic for feats of arms. Once, a man from England appeared in his country, who informed Harold that he had every chance to take the British throne. Having become infected with this crazy idea, the Varangian began to gather troops. But soon he began to dream bad dreams, which could be interpreted as a warning against rash acts. But the Norwegian still decided to go camping. He left the throne on his nephew, and he dreamed that he would become king of Great Britain. He wanted to settle there forever.
Initially, he was successful. He was even recognized as an English monarch. But King Harold hastily united an army around him and opposed the impostor. At the Battle of Stamford Bridge, the Norwegian army was defeated, and the spouse Ellisiv died on the battlefield.
The fate of the princess after the death of her husband
After Princess Elizabeth Yaroslavna, together with Olav and Ingigerd returned. Daughter Maria died at the same time as her father. The sources are silent about the further fate of the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise. It is known that Ingigerd became the wife of the king from Denmark Olav Sveinsson and then ruled this Scandinavian country.