Also in english - look at the end of the dokument
HISTORIEN OM DE FIRE KONGER I KOMMUNEVÅPENET
Halvdan Svarte - Sigurd Syr - Olav den Hellige - Harald Hardråde

Hole har fire kongekroner i sitt kommunevåpen som viser tilbake på en rik, gammel historie. Bak hver krone skjuler det seg en kongeskikkelse fra tidlig middelalder, alle med tilknytning til Holebygda.

De fire kongene er: Halvdan Svarte - Sigurd Syr - Olav den Hellige - Harald Hardråde

På den gamle kongsgården Stein, som ligger vakkert til like vest for Steinsfjorden, bodde på 800-tallet småkongen Halvdan Svarte (825/835-860/870).
Snorre forteller at kroppen ble delt etter hans død og begravet  i de områdene (Halvdanshaugen) han hadde hersket over for å sikre fred og gode år.  Andre historiske kilder som ligger nærmere Halvdan i tid (Ågrip og Fagerskinna) nevner ikke noe om at liket ble delt. Noen historikere tror at Snorre har lagt noe av sin egen tids tanker i det om delingen av Halvdans kropp.
Halvdans dronning, Ragnhild, er også kjent fra Snorres saga. Hun drømte om et stort tre som vokste og bredde sine grener utover hele landet - et varsel om Hårfagreættens makt i århundrer. Sønnen Harald - med tilnavnet Hårfagre (konge 870-933), fikk æren for å ha samlet Norge til ett rike. Som voksen bodde han vestpå, noen ønsker å tro at han ble født og vokste opp på Stein, men det finnes neppe historisk belegg for det. I mange århundrer var det et krav at kongene i Norge skulle være av Hårfagreætten.

Av Hårfagreætten var også småkongen Sigurd (Halfdansson) Syr (965/970-1018) vel 100 år senere. Han fikk tilnavnet Syr - gris - fordi han gikk og stelte med jordene sine på Stein - noe som var uvanlig i de tider - framfor å bli en virkelig konge. Han giftet seg med dronning Aasta Gudbrandsdotter, enken etter Harald Grenske (han var sønn til Halfdan Grå og sønnesønn til Sigurd Rise, hvis far var Harald Hårfagre). Harald var far til Olav, men han døde før Olav ble født. Gjennom ekteskapet med Aasta ble Sigurd Syr stefar til Olav, den senere kjente St. Olav og far til Harald Hardråde.

Olav den Hellige 995-1030(konge 1015-1028). Hans 1000-årsdag ble behørig markert i kommunen i 1995. Olav kristnet Norge og fullførte på sett og vis Harald Hårfagres samlingsverk.

Olav den Hellige falt i slaget på Stiklestad i 1030. Med i slaget var hans halvbror, Harald (1015-1066). Han ble en mektig konge (1045-1066), men brukte harde midler og fikk da også tilnavnet Hardråde.  Hans foreldre var Sigurd Syr og Aasta Gudbrandsdotter, så Harald var sannsynligvis født på Stein i Hole.


Som en kan skjønne kunne Hole muligens ha føyd til enda en kongekrone eller to i kommunevåpenet og endatil noen dronningkroner. Det er underlig å tenke på at mange av de sentrale kongene i gammel tid hadde tilknytning til Holebygda. Interessen for den gamle norske historien er da også sterk både hos unge og gamle Holeværinger.

 

Ønsker du se den komplette kongerekken fram til i dag - klikk her (nytt vindu) Du får da tilgang til Tom og Stine Bjørnstads sider hvor du bla finner kongerekka. 

Tom og Stine Bjørnstad skriver på sine fantastiske websider følgende:

Five kings from the sagas are closely connect to this district

Five of the most famous kings in Norway approaches scenery in Ringerike, of which four are history and one mythology.

  1. Halfdan Svarte (825/835-860/870)

    Halfdan Svarte is also known as Halfdan the Black, King of Agdir, Vestfoldir, half of Vingulmçrk, Raumaríkir, Oplendene and Sogn. The farm Stein is Hole was his chieftain seat according to the sagas, but we don't know for sure that this person ever lived. Nonetheless, at the farm Stein in Hole is a huge burial mound known as Halvdanshaugen. This mound revealed some of its secrets last fall (1997), when a test of the mound was carried out by sub-surface radar. The contours of a large Viking ship, or perhaps stones surrounding a ship, yielded through the test report.

  2. Harald Hårfagre (855/858-938/941)

    Harald Hårfagre is also known as Harold I, Harold Luva, Harold Fairhair, the first king of all Norway, which he supposedly united as the first Scandinavian (as we know them today) kingdom in ca. 885 C.E. Harald Hårfagre is the son of Halfdan Svarte according to the sagas. We don't know if Harald Hårfagre grew up at Stein, but he must have lived there for some time if Halfdan Svarte really was his father.

  3. Sigurd Syr (965/970-1018)

    Sigurd Halfdansson married Åsta Gudbrandsdotter, the widow of Harald Grenske. He is the son of Halfdan Grå and the grandson of Sigurd Rise, whose father was Harald Hårfagre. Through his marriage to Åsta he also became the stepfather of the famous St. Olav and the father of Harald Hardråde. He achieved his nickname "Syr" supposedly because he would rather maintain the fields of the farm (Stein) than become a real king.

  4. Olav den Hellige (995-1030)

    Olav is also known as Olav II, Olav Digre and Olav the Saint. He became king of all Norway and is seen as he who brought Christianity to the country. King Olav was sanctified after his death. He was the son of Harald Grenske and the grandson of Gudrød Bjørnsson, whose father was Bjørn Farmand, the son of Harald Hårfagre. Olav grew up at Stein in Hole.

  5. Harald Hardråde (1015-1066)

    Harald Hardråde is also known as Harold III, Harold Hardruler and Harold the Ruthless. He was the last real Viking king of Norway. He is also known as the founder of Oslo, our capital city. His parents were Sigurd Syr and Åsta Gudbrandsdotter, so he was the half brother of St. Olav. Harald Hardråde was probably born at Stein in Hole.


    Coat-of-Arms for Hole County.
    Rita Næssan - Hole

     Information about the four crowns that symbolize four of the kings that have been living in Hole.

     HALVDAN SVARTE (“Halvdan The Black”) who lived during the 800s got married to Ragnhild, who was the daughter of  Sigurd Hjort.  At that time King Sigurd Hjort was the owner of the beautiful Stein farm.  The berserk *  Håke initially killed Sigurd Hjort and subsequently kidnapped his daughter Ragnhild.  Halvdan Svarte saved Ragnhild and married her.  King Halvdan Svarte ended his life in 860 by going through the ice on Randsfjorden with his men, his horse and sledge.  His body – or some part thereof -  was possibly buried at Stein farm on Halvdanshaugen (“The Mound of Halvdan”).  The archaeologists are very eager to further explore the interior of the burial mound.

     

    SIGURD HALVDANSON SYR lived during the 1000s.  He was the great-great grandchild of Harald Hårfagre (900-940).  Although a king, Sigurd Syr was mainly interested in agricultural matters, which was quite exceptional for a king at that time.  His nickname – Syr – meant:  The one who is digging in the field.  He was known as a peaceful and very wise man.  Sigurd Syr married the widow Åsta, who had a little son  -  Olav.

    Their royal headquarters probably was at a farm near Bønsnes (a place for prayers) where there was built a church around 1100.  One of the children was Harald Hårdråde. 

     

    OLAV DEN HELLIGE (St. Olav or Olav Haraldson) reigned from 1015 to 1030.  His mother was the above-mentioned Åsta and his stepfather was King Sigurd Syr.  However, Olav Haraldson’s real father was Harald Grenske, who had been killed in the battle of Svolder.  His widow, Åsta, had returned to the home of her childhood with her 3 year old son and she married King Sigurd Syr.  Olav Haraldson is one out of four saints in Norwegian history and world known.

     

    HARALD HÅRDRÅDE reigned from 1046 to 1066 and was the half brother of Olav Haraldson.  He was born at King Syr’s farm near Bønsnes.  As a king he was known for his tough rule.  He was only 15 years old when he fought in the battle of Stiklestad in 1030 and experienced the death of his half brother.

     The four crowns in the coat-of-arms for Hole symbolize the rich history of Hole.  Even more kings have been living in the region.  One of the most famous is Harald Hårfagre (“Harald with the beautiful hair”), the son of Halvdan Svarte.  He wowed that he would neither cut nor wash, nor comb his hair before he was the king of a united kingdom – that means the South of Norway.  He eventually succeeded in his plans.  At that time the Northern regions of Norway was unknown to most people.

     

    Translated into English by Petter Næssan 03.01.2001.