The kings from Halvdan the Black to the Black Death
Follow the kings who ruled Norway from the 800s, through the High Middle Ages, to 1387, in chronological order.
From the Vikings to the Black Death · Year 800 to 1387
Norse
Kings
A journey through the people, the power and the history that shaped Norway.
By Pål HolmeDrawings by Bjørn Helgøy
- Over 500 years of royal history
- Norwegian and English text
- A perfect gift for history lovers
- Sold directly by the publisher
From Halvdan the Black to the Black Death
Norse Kings takes the reader through centuries of power struggles, alliances, war, love, tragedy and political choices. Behind the crowns and titles we find people whose decisions helped shape Norway.
The book gives a short, chronological account of the kings who ruled Norway from the 800s, through the High Middle Ages, to the end of the 1300s, when the idea of union was spreading across the Nordic countries. The focus is on the people behind the title: family ties, character and the stories behind their bynames.
The text is in Norwegian and English, and Bjørn Helgøy's drawings accompany the story throughout the book.
«The emphasis is on the people behind the royal title.»
Buy the book, in Vormedal Forlag's online shop
NOK 299 in Vormedal Forlag's online shop.
A book to return to
Norse Kings is written to be read cover to cover, and to be opened again and again.
The people behind the title
Family ties, character and the stories behind the bynames. Here you meet the kings as people, not just as names and dates.
Norwegian and English text
The story is told in both Norwegian and English. The book suits the whole family, and friends abroad.
Illustrated by Bjørn Helgøy
Pen and watercolour drawings bring the kings, their ships and their landscapes to life.
Norway in Europe
Journeys and contacts to the east and west were important in building the country, and have their place in the story.
Follow the journeys on the map
A gift that lasts
A handsome book for the shelf, and a gift for anyone who loves history and Norway.
Timeline
Almost 600 years on one line
The book follows the monarchy from the age of petty kings to the Black Death. Choose a period to see what happened.
800 to 870
Age of petty kings
Norway was divided into many small kingdoms ruled by kings and earls. Longships set out on raids to the west, and Halvdan the Black united several of the kingdoms in the east of the country.
Chapters in the book
- Halvdan Svartepage 14
Turning point
793
The raid on the monastery at Lindisfarne is often seen as the start of the Viking Age.
1 of 9
To the east and west
Several of the kings grew up or fought far from Norway. The book also covers the contacts to the east and west that were important in building the country.
The routes are approximate and largely based on the sagas. Present-day coastlines.
c. 934
Håkon the Good
According to the sagas, he grew up at the court of King Athelstan in England. He sailed home, was accepted as king in Trøndelag and drove his brother Eirik Bloodaxe out of the country.
995
Olav Tryggvesson
According to the saga, he grew up in Holmgard in Gardarike (the lands of the Rus). After years as a Viking in the Baltic and the British Isles he landed at Moster in 995, and the same year he was accepted as king at the Øreting assembly in Trøndelag.
1030
St Olav
Returned from exile in Gardarike, travelled through Sweden and over the mountains, and fell at the Battle of Stiklestad.
1066
Harald Hardrada
Fled from Stiklestad to Gardarike and became a Varangian in the emperor's guard in Miklagard. As king he fell at Stamford Bridge in England in 1066.
1107-1111
Sigurd the Crusader
Sailed by way of England, Spain and Sicily to Jorsal, becoming the first European king to go on crusade. He travelled home overland from Miklagard.
«Behind the crowns and titles we find people whose choices helped shape Norway.»
The author
About Pål Holme
Pål Holme (b. 1946) is a graduate of the Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy, and has been fascinated by Viking history since childhood.
As an adult he lived and worked for some years in England and Scotland, and spent much of his free time visiting places in Britain known from Viking history.
Why the book was written
Many know the names Fairhair, Tryggvesson and St Olav, but fewer know the stories behind them. Norse Kings offers a clear way into the royal history of the Middle Ages, with the emphasis on family ties, character and the origins of the bynames.
The drawings: Bjørn Helgøy
The illustrations in the book were drawn by Bjørn Helgøy (1948-2009). He trained at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy in Bergen and ended his career as a port director.
Pictures of the book
Tap a picture to see it full size.
The front cover, with a drawing by Bjørn Helgøy. Detail of the cover drawing. The back cover, with text in Norwegian and English.
Buy the book
Norse Kings
From the Vikings to the Black Death. By Pål Holme.
The kings from Halvdan the Black to the Black Death, with text in Norwegian and English and drawings by Bjørn Helgøy.
NOK 299
Shipping NOK 49
Free from 2 books
You will be taken to Vormedal Forlag's online shop, which is in Norwegian. There you choose quantity, shipping and payment. Terms of sale
Direct from the publisher
Sold by Vormedal Forlag.
Free shipping from 2 books
Free within Norway over NOK 399.
14-day right to cancel
From the day you receive the book.
A gift that lasts
For anyone who loves history.
Book details+
- Language
- Norwegian and English
- Text
- Pål Holme
- Drawings
- Bjørn Helgøy
- Publisher
- Vormedal Forlag
- Binding
- Hardback
- Pages
- 91
- Published
- 2024
- ISBN
- 978-82-93885-30-6
Shipping outside Norway follows Bring's rates. See the terms of sale.
Need many copies? See retail sales and larger orders.
Questions and answers
Can't find the answer you are looking for? We are happy to help by email.
vormedal@vormedalforlag.noThe book follows the kings who ruled Norway from the 800s to 1387: from Halvdan the Black and the Viking Age, through the High Middle Ages, to the Black Death and the time when the idea of a Nordic union began to spread.
Both. The book has text in Norwegian and English, so it suits Norwegian readers as well as friends and family abroad.
The book is sold in Vormedal Forlag's online shop. Press «Buy the book» to go straight to it. The shop is in Norwegian, and the publisher's terms apply. You will find a summary in English under terms of sale.
Within Norway, shipping costs NOK 49 for a letterbox parcel, and is free on orders over NOK 399, which means from 2 books. Svalbard is excluded from free shipping. Delivery within Norway normally takes 2-10 working days, but may take longer in January and February.
Yes. Shipping abroad follows the rates of Bring, the Norwegian postal service, and delivery takes longer than within Norway.
You pay in the online shop with debit or credit card via NetsAxept, or invoice.
Yes, you choose the quantity in the online shop, and from 2 books shipping within Norway is free. If you need many copies, for example for a shop, a museum or a company, please write to the publisher at vormedal@vormedalforlag.no.
Yes. With text in two languages and drawings by Bjørn Helgøy, it suits anyone who loves history, including friends and family outside Norway.
Yes. We offer special terms for retailers and larger orders, for example museums, gift shops, visitor attractions and companies. Write to the publisher at vormedal@vormedalforlag.no and you will receive terms and prices.
Yes. You can cancel the purchase within 14 days of receiving the parcel. Fill in the cancellation form at Vormedal Forlag and send the book back within 14 days of notifying them. You pay the return postage. Read more under terms of sale.
Would you like to sell Norse Kings?
We offer special terms for museums, shops, visitor destinations and other retailers who would like to offer Norse Kings to their customers.
With text in both Norwegian and English, the book suits Norwegian visitors and tourists equally well.
- Museums
- Visitor attractions
- Heritage centres
- Gift shops
- Companies
- Organisations
- Bookshops
- Other retailers
Get in touch about retail sales
Write to the publisher with a few words about your organisation and roughly how many books you need, and you will receive terms and prices.
Email the publisherIf no email opens, write to vormedal@vormedalforlag.no.
