Halfdan Whiteshirt of Jorvik (825-877) was the King of Jorvik from 865 to 877, succeeding Ragnarr Lodbrok and preceding Guthred. He was one of the commanders of the "Great Heathen Army", and Halfdan and his brothers Ivar the Boneless of Sudreyjar, Sigurdr Snake-in-the-eye of Sjaelland, Ubbe Ragnarrsson, and Bjorn Ironside of Svibjod embarked on an 865 invasion of England to avenge their father's death at the hands of King Aella of Northumbria, beginning the establishment of the Danelaw and the Viking rule over England. Halfdan conquered Northumbria, Mercia, and East Anglia, but he was killed in battle by a rival group of Vikings while attempting to conquer Dublin in Ireland.
Biography[]
Halfdan in battle armor
Halfdan Whiteshirt was born in 825 to King Ragnarr Lodbrok and Aslaug. Halfdan later fathered three sons, Sigfrid Halfdansson, Ragnarr Halfdansson, and Gudfrid Halfdansson, with an unknown wife. His father Ragnarr Lodbrok was executed in 865 at the age of 94 by King Aella of Northumbria, leading Halfdan Whiteshirt and his brothers Ivar the Boneless of Sudreyjar, Sigurdr Snake-in-the-eye of Sjaelland, Ubbe Ragnarrsson, and Bjorn Ironside of Svibjod to invade Northumbria in revenge in 866; their father's final words "how the piglets would squeal if they knew how the old boar suffered" were prophetic. An army of around 25,000 Vikings - nicknamed the "Great Heathen Army" crossed the North Sea, and they landed in northern England.
The Vikings captured York that year, and Halfdan became the king of Jorvik, a new kingdom centered at the city of York. Halfdan Whiteshirt appointed his half-brother Ubbe Ragnarrsson as the Marshal of Jorvik, made his son Ragnarr the Spymaster, and Gudfrid became the Steward of Jorvik. Halfdan married Jorunn Ketillsdottir of the House of Flatnefr, the daughter of Ketill of Mann, and Halfdan Whiteshirt proceeded to campaign against the Northumbrians. When he captured Aella of Northumbria, he used the "blood eagle" execution style to torture and kill his father's killer, and he proceeded to kill Eadmund of East Anglia and Aethelred of Wessex in battle. Halfdan went on to battle invading Picts in Northern England, but he began to devolve into insanity due to lead poisoning from metal goblets sent to him by his lieutenant Faravid; he agreed to ally with the acting Jarl of Ravensthorpe, Eivor of the Raven Clan, in recognition of Eivor's aid during his campaign and against Faravid. Later, the arrogant Halfdan would claim the Kingdom of Dublin and die in battle at the Battle of Strangford Lough in 877 against Barid mac Imair's "Fair Heathens", a rival group of Vikings.
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