Writers are often asked, "Where do you get your ideas from?" and with a series that's already more than double the length of the King James Bible, and still running strong, it's no surprise that George RR Martin has sometimes looked to myth and history for his inspiration. One figure of the medieval world could claim to be the inspiration for many of the characters in Game of Thrones, the Viking Harald Hardrada, king of Norway from 1046-1066.
Harald is best known now for being killed in 1066 in the manner of Stannis Baratheon: an overconfident military commander surprised by a wily opponent. Stannis was defeated by the man-flaying psychopath Ramsay Bolton in the midst of a snow storm, while Harald and his men were surprised while sunbathing along the banks of a river, their armour 10 miles away. And there are many more, surprising parallels between Harald Hardrada and George RR Martin’s favourite characters.
Let’s start with the Hound, the ruthless master swordsman with a half-burned face. He and Harald are both younger brothers with chips on their shoulders and with older brothers from hell. The Mountain, eight foot of muscle and attitude, is the biggest man in Westeros, and showed his mean, bullying attitude when still a child, pushing the young Hound’s face in the fire for playing with his toys. In contrast Harald’s brother, King Olaf the Stout, was known for his womanising and the size of his belly, and for his chilling blue eyes which could silence a man at a glance. Olaf was the kind of brother who succeeded at everything: he went on his first Viking expedition at the age of 12, came home laden with gold and made himself king of a newly united Norway. After spending time converting heathens to Christianity Olaf ended up being killed by rebels and even in defeat became the trendy saint of his age, with churches being rapidly established in his name as far away as Waterford, Dublin, London and York.
Harald was just 15 years old when he fought in the battle in which his brother, Olaf, was killed. Dragged wounded from the field, he was left for dead in a local hut and, having survived, was chased by enemies over the Keelback Mountains. From here his story shows remarkable similarity to that of the Game of Thrones heartthrob, the beautiful dragon-flying Denaerys Targaryn, young heir to the throne of Westeros, who is pursued ever eastwards by ruthless assassins. In the fabulously wealthy flesh-pots of the east, she goes through a string of men, while nurturing a desire for revenge, and gains fame, experience, and a trio of dragons with which she can reclaim her throne.
Harald fought his way through the wilds steppes of Russia, gaining wealth and reputation, and eventually leading a band of elite mercenaries in the Mediterranean. He led the Varangian guard in Sicily and even Jerusalem, enjoyed steamy affairs with notable Byzantine noblewomen, including perhaps the Empress’s sister, Theodora. It was to Harald that the royal sisters turned when they needed someone to put down a palace coup. Harald personally led the counter-attack, blinding the rebellious emperor Michael IV with his own hands. And while Harald did not pick up any dragons on his trip, he did come back with a magical banner named the “Landwaster” which was thought to guarantee victory in battle.
Harald was six foot tall (a giant of his time) but while his life mirrors that of Denaerys, his personality has the most similarities with the charming dwarf, Tyrion Lannister.
Both men are fabulously rich and educated and intelligent. Being a dwarf, Tyrion’s forced to use guile to get his own way, rather than brute strength, and in his own time Harald Hardrada had a similar reputation. The saga of his life celebrates time after time where he outwitted his slow-thinking opponents. He tricks his commander into letting him keep the best camp grounds. He pinches the nose of his enemy while he sleeps, and after a raid on Denmark his longships are in danger of being caught by pursuers so he throws the Danish hostages overboard knowing that the Danish king will have to call off pursuit to save them.
But both men also yearn to improve the world that they have been born into. Harald married a beautiful Russian princess on his way home and ruled Norway for 20 years. He’d clearly kept his eyes open during his travels through the Byzantine Empire and set about reforming his country, helping to turn Norway from a fractious state into a country. He broke the power of over-bearing earls, reformed the church, made wise marriage alliances, and even founded the future capital of his country, Oslo, as a trading port and place from which to defend against raiders.
Did the life of Harald inspire Game of Thrones? That is for George RR Martin to know, but Harald’s life reads like a Hollywood script: with revenge, love, princesses and battle, and a final tragic end – as the last Viking Harald tried to make himself the master of the Northern World.
Viking Fire by Justin Hill is published by Little, Brown, price £18.99.
http://www.justinhillauthor.com
