Elizaveta Yaroslavna is the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise, the wife of Harald III. Biography
The tradition of establishing diplomatic relationswith foreign states through the conclusion of dynastic marriages in Russia appeared many centuries ago. Especially strongly succeeded in this practice the Grand Duke of Kiev Yaroslav Vladimirovich Wise. He not only gave his children for heirs and heirs to the throne in "foreign" countries, but he himself was married to the daughter of King of Sweden - Ingigerd. Anyway, Scandinavian women at that time enjoyed broader freedoms and rights than women in Europe. Having married a Russian ruler, Ingigerd received as a gift from Yaroslav the Wise the whole city - Ladoga. In the marriage of the prince of Kiev and the Swedish princess, nine children were born, and thanks to their offspring, the Russian ruler was able to become related to the royal houses of Europe. In this sense, the fate of the average 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 it happened that way.
Harald Sigurdarson
The elect of the Russian princess was born in 1015year. His parents were the Norwegian king Sigurd Pig and Asta Gudbrandsdottir. Harald had a brother Olav, who was later nicknamed Tolstoy, and then Saints.
The ruler of the Norwegian state becameOlav, but Harald did not give up hope that someday he would manage to rule the country, especially since his name symbolized certain ambitions for the throne. And his expectations in the future, indeed, were justified.
Already a sixteen-year-old teenager, Haraldiii became an "outcast 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. Defeated by the Danes, he, hiding first in Sweden, and then in Novgorod, loses power in Norway. He will be killed in the Battle of Stiklastadir, 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 Kiev prince.
In Novgorod
Yaroslav Vladimirovich Wise met the guestsufficiently affable. The prince defined him as a squad, but not as an ordinary warrior, but in the status of one of the vigilante-managers, since the provision obligated. And in such a young age, Harald wanted at any price to glorify himself in battle. He was attracted by the adventures and glory of the commander. The prince imagined how he, using his shield and sword, extracted gold and jewelry, becoming an influential nobleman.
What does Harald III Harsh deal within the service of the Russian prince? He is absorbed in the intricacies of military affairs: a young man spends almost all his time with his squad, who are often given orders to collect tribute from the territories conquered by Yaroslav the Wise. The unfortunate heir to the Norwegian throne repeatedly suppresses insurrections, riots and even went on a military campaign against Poland along with the prince of Kiev.
Meeting with the sweetheart
The legend says that Elizaveta Yaroslavna and Haraldwere simply created for each other. Romantics who lived at the turn of the 18-19 centuries, claimed that when the young Viking saw a young princess, he was immediately struck by her beauty. He was struck by a thin mill, swan gait, sable eyebrows and clear eyes of the daughter of a Russian prince. It could be assumed that from Harald Surovoy it was love at first sight. But such a hypothesis still does not stand up to criticism.
Elizaveta Yaroslavna (1025-1066 years) wasthe fourth offspring of the ruler's family. And when the Norwegian prince first visited Novgorod, Ellisiv was from 6 to 9 years old. So we can not speak of a swan gait at this age.
Some historians also doubt thatSome time in Novgorod (from 1031 to 1034 years), Harald wooed 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 was already "walking in brides." Well, and secondly, the "Norwegian guest" was not considered a priori as a groom, because, despite the high title, in fact he was "a goal as a falcon". Of course, he had plans to ask for the young princess's "hands and hearts" 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 war exploits
The war for the Norwegian prince was a favoritebusiness. He represented a brave warrior-viking. Harald was not only a brave soldier, but also an intelligent military strategist. After winning the award, he received gold and silver, which symbolized success, prosperity and happiness. First, the Norwegian heir to the throne served as the Byzantine prince Michael IV.
He helped him to fight the sea pirates inThe Aegean Sea and became a participant in the military expedition to Sicily. Then Harald went to suppress the rebellion of Delian in Bulgaria. In addition, he fought in Sicily and the African continent. Thus, he turned into an experienced military leader. And he received regular wealth from the battles sent to Novgorod. When his patron Michael IV died, the prince fell into disgrace. He suddenly became a robber, which was slander, and landed in prison. After some time the Varangian fled and again found himself in Novgorod.
Poems in honor of the beloved
Once again, in the possession of Yaroslav the Wise, he remembered his daughter Ellisive. Now she has become a real beauty, in Slavic feminine and in Byzantine refined. Now Elizabeth Yaroslavna was an enviable bride, and Harald could not help falling in love with the princess. In his honor, he wrote "Vises of Joy". These are the verses in which the Viking warrior admires the charm and beauty with which Ellisiv is endowed.
From the point of view of the genre "Visa"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 Yaroslav the Wise's daughter. And in the end he achieves his.
The prince gives the go-ahead for the wedding
As the images that have survived to this day show, Princess Elizabeth Yaroslavna was really pretty.
Since childhood she has become accustomed to splendor andpomposity of the father's palace, while the luxury and wealth for her was as a matter of course. In other words, any royal house in Europe would consider it an honor to receive the middle daughter of Yaroslav the Wise in his family. But Elizaveta Yaroslavna became the wife of Harald III.
Upon his arrival in Novgorod, Viking received hisorder all the treasures that he won as a result of his feats of arms. The heir to the throne of Norway became the most wealthy man in Russia. And under these circumstances Yaroslav the Wise, naturally, agreed to the marriage of his daughter with the Vikings. And he gave his permission to the wedding not so much because he saw in Harold a worthy spouse, how much he wanted this alliance 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 monthsthe newlyweds lived in Gardas. Soon after, they went to Norway. Subsequently, the Icelandic skald Stouv Blind wrote: "He fell a lot of gold and the daughter of a king."
Noteworthy is the fact that in the poetry of the skaldsa woman was associated with gold jewelry or with some kind of female occupation. When the skalds assured that the Varangian had indeed taken away the wealth and the most beautiful cargo from Gardariki, they had in mind gold ornaments and the Russian princess.
In any case, the wedding of the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise andson of King Sigurd Pig, further consolidated the good-neighborly ties between Rus and Norway. Harald, as a result of his marriage to the Russian princess, briefly became close to the authoritative Jarl Svein Ulvsson, who later occupied the Danish throne.
Years of government in their native country
Arriving home, Harald shared power in the country with his nephew Magnus.
He received as a reward half the wealth,conquered by the Vikings in long voyages, and Harald was given the right to manage 50% of the territories of Norway. But soon between relatives, internecine wars for spheres of influence began to flare up more and more often. As a result, the son of Sigurd Pigs became a full-fledged ruler in his country. But the nephew after some time avenged his uncle. Before his death, Magnus bequeathed the Danish kingdom to Svein Ulvsson, and the lion's share of the Norwegian army was forced to retreat. As a result, Harald's troops retreated back to Norway. Elizaveta's husband Yaroslavna was beside herself with indignation.
He has the idea of becoming the ruler of Denmark. Every year in the spring, he mobilizes his army and leads her to the war with the Danes, robbing and destroying their homes. For such cruelty, he was nicknamed Harald the Harsh Ruler. Yes, he was of a steep temper and never forgot his grievances. As a result, ordinary people suffered. However, he was an experienced commander and a man well versed in the subtleties of military tactics. In Byzantium, he masterfully mastered the techniques of warfare and successfully practiced his knowledge in northern Europe.
Alien in a northern country
But how to relate to the thirst for the conquests of her husbandElizabeth Yaroslavna (Queen of Norway)? How could she possibly endure the stern temper of Harald the Harsh? The history does not give unambiguous answers to these questions. It is likely that the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise attempted to calm his foreign policy ambitions. But we can not exclude the fact that the newly-made Queen of Norway compared her husband to her father, who also was not averse to expanding the borders of his state. She could only appeal to Christian virtues and hoped that Harald would end the brutal wars. Anyway, but she felt like a stranger in this cold, ever-warring country. The situation of the princess was aggravated by the fact that she had no relatives in Norway, and her father no longer helped Ellisiv and supplied 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 nobility were granted the right to have several wives. And 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 with Tora Torbergsdottir, the daughter of a wealthy Norwegian tycoon.
By that time Princess Ellisiv had given birth to two daughters- Ingigerd and Mary. According to sources - "The Stronghold of Halley Chelnok" and "The Saga of Harald the Harsh Ruler" - the relationship between the Norwegian king and Tora Torbergsdottir quickly developed into a passionate love. In Norway, this became the topic number 1 for discussion. Subsequently, the Torah gave birth to Olav's son.
Rumors of divorce from Ellisiv
Gradually, Harald began to distance himself from Elizabeth Yaroslavna, and Torah took her place. She even went with him on military campaigns.
Some sources refer to the breakrelations between Harald and the daughter of Yaroslav the Wise. But whether he really was, you can not say. In any case, in his last campaign, the Norwegian Viking was not alone: he was accompanied by Elizabeth Yaroslavna (daughter of Yaroslav the Wise).
The Last Campaign
After some time after Norwaystopped attempts to capture Denmark, the son of Sigurd Pig again became nostalgic for military exploits. Once in his country a man from England appeared who told Harold that he has every chance to take the British throne. Infecting himself with this insane idea, the Varangian began to gather troops. But soon he began to dream of bad dreams, which could be interpreted as a warning against ill-considered actions. But the Norwegian still decided to go on a campaign. 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 accompanied by success. He was even recognized as an English monarch. But King Harold quickly rallied the army around him and opposed the impostor. At the battle of Stamford Bridge, the Norwegian army was defeated, and Ellisiv's husband died on the battlefield.
The fate of the princess after the death of her husband
After Princess Elizabeth Yaroslavna together with Olavand Ingigerd came back. Daughter Maria died at the same time as her father. Sources say nothing about the future fate of Yaroslav's Wise daughter. It is known that Ingigerd became the wife of a king from Denmark Olav Sveinsson and then rules this Scandinavian country.
