This fjord was the centre of the Viking battle about 880, where King Harald Haarfagre and his men where the victors, and Harald became king of a united Norway.
His surname Haarfagre means: Beautiful, curly and long hair.
Harald refused to cut his hair until he had conquered all the kings of the small kingdoms Norway consisted of in the Viking Age.
The monument Three swords is placed as a symbol of a united Norway and a memory of this battle.
The beginning of our visit to the market started with a historical repetition of the events which led to the Battle of Hafrsfjord.
Then we went straight to the vikingships to have a cruise in Hafrsfjord.
The crew were of course dressed as authentic vikings, and the viking captain told us they had crossed the North Sea last summer heading for Ireland.
During their crossing a gale started to blow, but their magnificent ship sailed up and down the huge waves, and they reached Ireland safely.
Then we went to see and learn how the Vikings prepared their goods and offered them for sale at the market.
We could buy imitations of rings, necklaces, armrings, brooches and buckles made of iron and copper.
There were smiths making swords and knives, tailors selling woollen clothes and women baking bread of wheat, ground nearby on hand-mills made of stone.
The bread tasted delicious when we put honey on it.
Some men taught us how to shoot with bow and arrow.
There were demonstrations of fighting with swords and wrestling.
At the end of our visit we could see children from another school in Sola performing in a play from the Viking Age.
800 children were present at the same time, and all of them agreed the market was a success.The market was open three days, and in the evenings people could watch the famous play Rygekongen.
This play tells the story of the famous king of Sola, Erling Skjalgsson (965 -1028 A.D.)
King Erling was killed in a battle towards king Olav, later Saint Olav.
For more photos, click on the link: http://www.haland.solaskolen.no/comenius/bildegalleri.php?albumID=9&album=Viking-market
You may also read more (in Norwegian and some pages in English) and see a lot of photos from the Viking-market if you click here
