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Knut Haraldson

Knut Tjodolf (died 793) was a Norwegian Viking during the 8th century AD. He was the half-brother of Earl Haraldson of Kattegat, and he was killed by the Norse woman Lagertha when he tried to rape her during the sack of Hexham.

Biography[]

Knut Tjodolf was the illegitimate half-brother of Earl Haraldson of Kattegat, and he became a Viking like most of the military-aged men of the town. In 793, he decided to join Ragnarr Lodbrok's raiding expedition to the British Isles, despite not believing that the Viking ships could make it past the open waters or even find loot once they arrived in Britannia. However, he ultimately informed his brother of Ragnarr's plans and did not partake in the voyage, thus missing the Sack of Lindisfarne. His brother later sent him to spy on Ragnarr during his second voyage to England, and the warband landed in Northumbria and proceeded to attack the town of Hexham. During the attack, Knut raped a Saxon woman despite Lagertha's attempt to stop him, and, when Knut tried to rape Lagertha as well, she stabbed him dead. Ragnarr was later accused of murdering Knut "in cold blood", but Lagertha confessed to killing Knut out of self-defense, leading to her husband's acquittal.

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