Harald, son of Sigurd Syr, was born in the year A.D. 1015, and
left Norway A.D. 1030. He was called Hardrade, that is, the severe
counsellor, the tyrant, though the Icelanders never applied this epithet
to him. Harald helped the Icelanders in the famine of A.D. 1056, and
sent them timber for a church at Thingvol. It was the Norwegians who
gave him the name tyrant in contrast to the "debonairete" of Magnus. He
came to Norway in A.D. 1046, and became sole king in A.D. 1047. He died
in A.D. 1066, and his son and successor Magnus died in A.D. 1069.
His saga is to be compared with "Agrip", "Fagrskinna", and
"Morkinskinna".
The skalds quoted are: Thiodolf, Bolverk, Illuge Bryndalaskald, Stuf the
skald, Thorarin Skeggjason, Valgard o' Val, Od Kikinaskald, Grane Skald,
Thorleik the Fair, Stein Herdison, Ulf the Marshal, Arnor the earls'
skald, Thorkel Skallason, and King Harald Hardrade himself.