The Viking Icelandic Sagas are among the richest and most accessible sources of the medieval secular literature.  Written down in the Thirteenth Century they are poetic recounting of actual history of the peoples of Scandinavia and the surrounding countries.  King Harald’s Saga recounts the life of the Norwegian adventurer Harald Sigurdson, sometimes called the last of the Vikings, during the period from 1030 to his death in 1066.

We first meet Harald as he flees from defeat in battle, “creeping from forest to forest with little honor”.  Harald seeks refuge with Yaroslav, ruler of Novgorod and soon to be Grand Prince of all Russia.  “King [sic] Yaroslav gave Harald and Earl Ragnvald and their men a good welcome”   The saga goes on to recount

 Side by side
 The two leaders fought;
 Shoulder to shoulder
 Their men lined up.
 They drove the Slavs
 Into defeat
 And gave the Poles
 Scant mercy.

This apparently refers to a Russian campaign recorded in the chronicles against the Poles in 1031.  “Harald stayed in Russia for several years and traveled widely throughout the East.”   The Saga devotes the next chapters to Harald’s service with the Byzantine Emperor.  He fights, along with his men, as mercenaries.  The Saga records campaigns in Sicily, Africa (although it may have actually been Asia Minor) and a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

During these years (circa 1035 to 44) Harald sent money back to his friend Prince Yaroslav for safekeeping.  As we see when Harald returned to Russia:

When Harald arrived in Novgorod, King Yaroslav gave him a most cordial welcome.  Harald stayed with him over the winter and took into his keeping all
the gold he had previously sent there from Constantinople, valuable treasure of all kinds.  This hoard of wealth was so immense that no one in northern Europe has seen the like of it in one man’s possession before.

Before he reached Novgorod Harald’s mind was on treasure of another kind.  He had been briefly imprisoned in Constantinople and made a daring escape.  The Saga reports that as he rowed north he composed sixteen couplets about his adventures, all ending the same way.  One is recorded.

 “Round Sicily we sailed our ship
 With pride in all our hearts,
 Running like a forest stag
 It’s not for any land-lubbers
 To try that voyage again;
 Yet the golden lady in Russia
 Still spurns my suit.

“The last couplet alludes to Elizabeth, the daughter of King Yaroslav of Novgorod.”  Evidently the friendship between Yaroslav and Harald endured.  “That winter, King Yaroslav gave his daughter Elizabeth in marriage to Harald; the Norwegians call her Ellisif.”

Harald went on to capture Norway and become one of the most powerful kings of his day.  Elizabeth has two daughters by Harald, Maria and Ingigerd.  King Harald had many more adventures, he battled the Danes and internal enemies.  In 1066 he attempted to invade England.  In the Battle of Stamford Bridge, King Harold of England’s army defeated his army and he died in the attack.  Only weeks later Harold was killed by William the Conquerer at the Battle of Hastings.    Elizabeth, Yaroslav’s daughter had waited out the invasion in the Orkney Islands, she survived Harald and is reported in the Saga as having returned to Norway.