I have heard somewhere that in Viking sagas it was said that Harald Hardrada had a fight with a blind kung during his trip to southern lands (Byzantium). In the same source I read that it is more likely bulgarian Peter Delyan -- leader of bulgarian revoult against the Byzantine Empire. Has anybody information about that?  Ideally it would be nice to find some extract from sagas regarding Hardrada's trip to Byzantium in original language or better the whole collection of Sagas about Hardrada.

 

Here is some information from wiki about Peter Delyan for those who might be interested:

 

 

Peter II Delyan (Bulgarian Petăr II Deljan) was the leader of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria - Bulgarian revolt against the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire - Byzantine Empire and was proclaimed emperor ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar - tsar ) of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulgaria - Bulgaria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1040 - 1040 – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1041 - 1041 . His original name may have been simply Deljan, in which case he assumed the name Peter II upon his accession, commemorating the sainted Emperor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_I_of_Bulgaria - Peter I (Petăr I), who had died in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/970 - 970 . The year of his birth is uncertain, but probably not long after http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1000 - 1000 , and before http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1014 - 1014 ; he may have died in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1041 - 1041 .

Life

Peter II Delyan was the son of Emperor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavril_Radomir_of_Bulgaria - Gabriel Radomir (Gavril Radomir) of Bulgaria by an unnamed sister of King http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_I_of_Hungary - Stephen I of Hungary .

Peter's mother was expelled while pregnant from the Bulgarian court before the accession of Gabriel Radomir, but given Delyan's subsequent career, it is likely that he had been born and remained in Bulgaria with his father (see Fine, reference below).

After the murder of Gabriel Radomir in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1015 - 1015 and the conquest of Bulgaria by the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire - Byzantine Empire in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1018 - 1018 , Delyan was taken captive to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople - Constantinople and became a servant of an unidentified member of the Byzantine aristocracy. He later escaped and went to his mother's country of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungary - Hungary , from which he re-entered Bulgaria and raised a revolt against Byzantine rule, taking advantage of the discontent over the imposition of taxes in coin by the Byzantine government. Delyan was proclaimed emperor ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar - tsar ) in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgrade - Belgrade under the name Peter II by being raised atop a shield by leaders of the resistance, and perhaps enjoyed some support from Hungary.

Peter II Delyan took http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ni%C5%A1 - Niљ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skopje - Skopje , first co-opting and then eliminating another potential leader in the person of one Tihomir, who had led a rebellion in the region of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durazzo - Durazzo . After this Peter II marched on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thessaloniki - Thessalonica , where the Byzantine Emperor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_IV - Michael IV was staying. Michael fled, leaving his treasury to a certain Michael Ivac. The latter, who was probably a son of Ivac, a general under http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuil_of_Bulgaria - Samuel of Bulgaria , promptly turned over the bulk of the treasury to Peter outside the city. Thessalonica remained in Byzantine hands, but http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonia_%28region%29 - Macedonia , Durazzo, and parts of northern http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greece - Greece were taken by Peter II's forces. This inspired further Slavic revolts against Byzantine rule in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epirus_%28region%29 - Epirus and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania - Albania .

Peter II Delyan's successes ended, however, with the interference of his cousin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alusian_of_Bulgaria - Alusian . Alusian, whose father http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Vladislav_of_Bulgaria - Ivan Vladislav had murdered Peter's father Gabriel Radomir in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1015 - 1015 , joined Peter II's ranks as an apparent deserter from the Byzantine court, where he had been disgraced. Alusian was welcomed by Peter II, who gave him an army with which to attack Thessalonica. The siege, however, was raised by the Byzantines, and the army was defeated. Alusian barely escaped and returned to Ostrovo.

One night, during dinner, Alusian took advantage of Peter II's inebriation, and cut off his nose and blinded him with a kitchen knife in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1041 - 1041 . Since Alusian was of the blood of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuil_of_Bulgaria - Samuel , he was quickly proclaimed emperor in Peter II's place by his troops, but he conspired to defect to the Byzantines. As the Bulgarian and Byzantine troops were preparing for battle, Alusian deserted to the enemy and headed for http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople - Constantinople , where his possessions and lands were restored to him, and he was rewarded with the high courtly rank of magistros.

Meanwhile, though blind, Peter II Delyan resumed command of the Bulgarian forces, but the Byzantine Emperor Michael IV determined to take advantage of the situation and advanced against them. In an obscure battle near Ostrovo, the Byzantines defeated the Bulgarian troops and Peter II Delyan was captured and taken to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople - Constantinople , where he was perhaps executed.

Norse sagas refer to the participation of the future Norwegian King http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_III_of_Norway - Harald Hardrеda , who allegedly cut down Peter II in the field of battle as a member of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangians - Varangian Guard . This tradition may be supported by a laconic reference in the so-called "Bulgarian Apocryphal Chronicle". In either case, Peter II Delyan may have perished in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1041 - 1041 .

• John V.A. Fine Jr., The Early Medieval Balkans, Ann Arbor, 1983.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Early life

Born in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1015 - 1015 , Harald was the youngest of King http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olaf_II_of_Norway - Olaf II 's three half-brothers. When Harald was 15, King Olaf was killed defending his throne from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canute_the_Great - Canute the Great in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1030 - 1030 at the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stiklestad - Battle of Stiklestad . Harald took part in the battle and although wounded managed to escape before leaving Norway in exile. He was able to form a band of warriors out of men who had also been exiled as a result of Olaf's death. In http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1031 - 1031 Harald and his men reached the land of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus - Rus where they served the armies of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaroslav_I_the_Wise - Yaroslav I the Wise , the King of the Rus. Harald is thought to have taken part in King Yaroslav's campaign against the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poles - Poles and was appointed joint commander of defense forces.

 

Time in the Byzantine Empire

Some years after Harald and his men had entered the land of the Rus, they packed up and left for the heart of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire - Byzantine Empire , the city of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinople - Constantinople . At the time, the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire - Byzantine Empire was the wealthiest empire in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Europe - Medieval Europe and the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_East - Near East . Harald and his men pledged themselves to the service of the armies of the empire. Harald's forces joined the elite http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercenary - mercenary unit known as the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian - Varangian Guard . It was not long until Harald had proven himself in battle and gained the respect of his fellow guardsmen. Harald became the leader of the entire force and used this power to undertake his own missions. Harald's forces won a great many victories in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Africa - North Africa , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syria - Syria and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sicily - Sicily . Through ingenuity, he and his men were able to besiege and defeat a number of castles. A contemporary source reports such tactics as attaching burning http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitch_%28resin%29 - resin to birds, setting the castle ablaze, and feigning reluctance to fight, only to launch an attack at the most advantageous moment. Harald was able to build a large fortune in plunder from his victories.

 

Return to Norway

Using the wealth he had built during his service to the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire - Byzantine Empire , Harald returned to Norway in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1045 - 1045 . Harald brought with him a number of men who served with him, and, as a result, became an immediate threat to the sitting King of Norway. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnus_I_of_Norway - Magnus I of Norway was the son of Olaf II and nephew of Harald. He had returned from exile in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1035 - 1035 to reclaim his father's throne after the death of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canute_the_Great - Canute the Great . Magnus I agreed to share power with his uncle Harald and the two became co-rulers. However, it was only a year later that Magnus would die. The circumstances surrounding his death were never truly explained. Speculation led to the widespread belief that Magnus was killed by Harald so that he alone would control Norway.

 

Invasion of England

Harald was killed at the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge - Battle of Stamford Bridge , outside the city of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York%2C_England - York, England . The battle took place on 25 September http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1066 - 1066 . Harald died fighting against the forces of King http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Godwinson - Harold Godwinson of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England - England . He had come to England with the idea of claiming the English Throne as his own. He based this claim on a supposed agreement between Magnus and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harthacanute - Harthacanute whereby if either died without heir, the other would inherit both England and Norway. He landed in Northern England with a force of around 15,000 men and 300 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longboats - longboats (50 men in each boat), and had won a great victory on 20 September against the first English forces he met at the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fulford - Battle of Fulford two miles south of York. Some speculate that Harald's defeat at the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge - Battle of Stamford Bridge was the result of his belief that King Harold Godwinson was prepared to surrender. This was not the case, and Harald's army was destroyed at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamford_Bridge%2C_East_Riding_of_Yorkshire - Stamford Bridge . His army was so heavily beaten that less than 25 of the 300 recorded longboats Harald used to transport his forces to England were used to carry the survivors back to Norway. Not long after his victory over King Harald, Harold Godwinson was defeated by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_the_Conqueror - William the Conqueror at the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hastings - Battle of Hastings .

 

Sources

• Sawyer, P.H. (1994).Kings and Vikings. pgs 118-20, 146-47. Barnes and Noble Books, New York.
• Sturluson, Snorri (2005). King Harald's Saga (Part of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimskringla - Heimskringla ). pgs 45, 46, 47. Penguin Classics.

 

 

http://www.snerpa.is/net/snorri/heimskri.htm - http://www.snerpa.is/net/snorri/heimskri.htm http://omacl.org/Heimskringla/ -  

http://omacl.org/Heimskringla/   English

http://www.heimskringla.no/ - http://www.heimskringla.no/  Sources in all Scandinavian languages