I thought Halfdan the Old was someone else

Question

Just about to complete this merge. Don't think this guy was called the Old, better check my opinion out before I do merge.

Answer 1

The profiles look close enough for a merge, especially since one doesn’t have the source material to back it up. Is the only thing holding you up is the nickname?

Answer 2

Yes, there might be a problem, there was a Halfdan the son of Sigurd and Asta and an elder brother of Harald Hardraada (or something like that), the King of Norway who died at Stamford Bridge in 1066, but I'm not sure if the death date of 1047 is correct, this might be someone else?

Nor can I find anything in Heimskringla that indicates that Halfdan was called 'the Old'.  Given the common names perhaps their should be a bit more investigation before the merge takes place?

Comments

I'm happy with the merge since they have the same parents and Snorri, the only source, mentions only one Halfdan. Birth date needs to be later than 995 when it is said St Olaf was born. Hadrada was born in 1015 and Halfdan was older but probably not more than 10 years older as they are described as children together (if we're following Snorri). He was a farmer and St Olaf didn't think much of him. How he ended up dying in Yorkshire is a mystery. If we're going with what we have he wasn't Old. Think the nickname got attached to him in error. Hey, I only found the duplicate.

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A brief peek at the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle before I go to bed doesn't suggest anything interesting in Yorkshire in 1047.

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I agree that the nickname seems to be an accident, and yes Snorri indicates the children of Sigurd and Asta were born in the order Guttorm, Gunnhild, Halfdan, Ingerid and Harald last.

I can't find anything for the 1047 death date in Yorkshire.  No Halfdan in PASE that died at that time, and nothing in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle about a viking raid in 1047  Looks like we have that as the date Guttorm died as well.  

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Merge completed. Wanted to remove death from vitals but decided to leave it.

Answer 3

Halfdan the Old has a page in wikipedia

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halfdan_the_Old

Comments

And in Medlands

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/NORWEGIAN%20NOBILITY.htm