Earls of Lade

The Earls of Lade (Norwegian: ladejarler) were a dynasty of Norse jarls who ruled what is now Trøndelag and Hålogaland from the 9th century to the 11th century.^[1]

The seat of the Earls of Lade was at Lade Gaard (Old Norse: Hlaðir), now located in the eastern parts of the city of Trondheim. The site is near the seaside of the Trondheimsfjord, which was an important waterway in the Viking Age.^[2][3]

According to Snorri, King Harald I of Norway was a great commander but lacked a fleet. For that he was assisted by Håkon Grjotgardsson. In gratitude Harald made him the first earl of Lade.^[4]

• Hákon Grjótgarðsson (c. 860–870 – c. 900–920), an ally and father-in-law of Harald Fairhair
• Sigurðr Hákonarson (died 962), friend and advisor of Hákon the Good
• Hákon Sigurðarson (c. 937–995), ruler of Norway from about 975 to 995
• Eiríkr Hákonarson (960s – 1020s), governor of the majority of Norway under Svein Forkbeard
• Sveinn Hákonarson (died c. 1016), governor of a part of Norway under Olaf the Swede
• Hákon Eiríksson (died c. 1029–1030), governor of Norway under Canute the Great, last of the Earls of Lade

• Holmsen, Andreas (1976) Norges historie: fra de eldste tider til 1660 (Oslo: Universitetsforlaget) ISBN 82-00-03244-2
• Stylegar, Frans-Arne (2013) Håkon Jarl (Oslo: Spartacus forlag AS) ISBN 978-82-430-0579-2
• Titlestad, Torgrim (2011) Norge i vikingtid (Stavanger: Saga Bok AS) ISBN 978-82-91640-59-4
• Thuesen, Nils Petter (2011) Norges historie (Oslo: Forlaget Historie og Kultur) ISBN 978-8292870518

• Lade gård

• Sæmingr, legendary ancestor of the dynasty
• Háleygjatal, a fragmentary 10th century genealogical poem about the dynasty