Second battle of Solskjel

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Second Battle of Solskjell

Part of the unification of Norway

Date: around 870
Location: Solskjell, Nordmøre
Result: Vestfold victory

Belligerents: Kingdom of Vestfold; Kingdom of Sunnmøre; Kingdom of Firda
Commanders: Harald Fairhair; Arnvid; Audbjorn

The second battle of Solskjell was part of Harald Fairhair’s conquest of Norway. After the first battle, Solve Klove, son of Huntiof and king of Nordmøre, became a pirate and raided Harald’s men along the Møre coast, while Harald spent winter in Trondheim. Solve had also spent time at the court of King Arnvid of Sunnmøre, and they gathered many people dispossessed by Harald’s conquests.

The next summer Harald raised an army and sailed south. When Solve heard of Harald’s plans, he went to King Audbjorn in Fjordane and persuaded him to join against Harald. The allied force sailed north to meet Harald by Solskjell. In the battle Arnvid and Audbjorn were killed, but Solve escaped once more.

Harald’s men killed several leaders, including Asgaut and Asbjorn, and Grjotgard and Herlaug, the sons of Earl Håkon Grjotgardsson. Solve continued his piracy for years afterwards. Harald then took Sunnmøre and made Rognvald Eysteinsson the first jarl of the Jarls of Møre.