Battle of Rastarkalv
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Rastarkalv (Slaget på Rastarkalv) took place in AD 955
on the island of Frei
in the county of Møre og Romsdal
, Norway
.
This was one of several battles between the forces of King Haakon the Good and those of the sons of Eirik Bloodaxe (Eiriksønnene). After their father's death, Harald Greycloak and his brothers were allied against King Haakon with King Harald I of Denmark
of Denmark
. Haakon had put up a warning system with cairns that would be lighted to tell of approaching war fleets. Therefore, the king was alarmed first with messengers on Nordmøre
from Stadlandet. By placing ten standards far apart along a low ridge, Haakon gave the impression that his army was bigger than it actually was. Haakon managed to fool Eirik's sons into believing they were out numbered. The Danes fled but when they came to the beach, they discovered that their ships had been pushed out to sea. Haakon gained the victory and the Danish forces were slaughtered by Haakon's army.
Egil Ullserk, who was Haakon's leading man, died in the battle. Gamle Eirikssen, one of the sons of Eirik Bloodaxe, also died in the conflict. Haakon buried Egil Ullserk in a ship together with the people who had died in the battle. In 1955, King Haakon VII visited the municipality and commemorated the battle. There is a stone monument located near Frei Church in Freidarberg. It consists of an Obelisk
Memorial
for Egil Ullserk and his men who died at the Battle of Rastarkalv.
955
Year 955 was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* August 10 – Battle of Lechfeld: Otto I the Great defeats the Magyars, halting their westward expansion and ending the threat to Germany.* Eadwig becomes King of England.- Religion :* December 16 – Pope...
on the island of Frei
Frei
Frei is a village, island, and former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Kristiansund between the Kvernesfjord and Freifjord...
in the county of Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
This was one of several battles between the forces of King Haakon the Good and those of the sons of Eirik Bloodaxe (Eiriksønnene). After their father's death, Harald Greycloak and his brothers were allied against King Haakon with King Harald I of Denmark
Harald I of Denmark
Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson was the son of King Gorm the Old and of Thyra Dannebod. He died in 985 or 986 having ruled as King of Denmark from around 958 and King of Norway for a few years probably around 970...
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Haakon had put up a warning system with cairns that would be lighted to tell of approaching war fleets. Therefore, the king was alarmed first with messengers on Nordmøre
Nordmøre
Nordmøre is a traditional district in the Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. The area comprises the northern third of the county including the municipalities of Kristiansund, Averøy, Tingvoll, Surnadal, Rindal, Aure, Halsa, Eide, Sunndal, Gjemnes, and Smøla...
from Stadlandet. By placing ten standards far apart along a low ridge, Haakon gave the impression that his army was bigger than it actually was. Haakon managed to fool Eirik's sons into believing they were out numbered. The Danes fled but when they came to the beach, they discovered that their ships had been pushed out to sea. Haakon gained the victory and the Danish forces were slaughtered by Haakon's army.
Egil Ullserk, who was Haakon's leading man, died in the battle. Gamle Eirikssen, one of the sons of Eirik Bloodaxe, also died in the conflict. Haakon buried Egil Ullserk in a ship together with the people who had died in the battle. In 1955, King Haakon VII visited the municipality and commemorated the battle. There is a stone monument located near Frei Church in Freidarberg. It consists of an Obelisk
Obelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
Memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
for Egil Ullserk and his men who died at the Battle of Rastarkalv.