Eystein I "Fart" Halfdansson

   Ancestral File Number: HRN9-Q6.

  General Notes:

Halfdan and Aasa had issue Eystein Halfdansson, 725-780, Jarl of Vestfold, Ringerike, Hadeland, and the Opplands. He married Hild Ericsdottir, 730-790, her name deriving from the Old Norse Hildr, meaning battle, daughter of Eric Agnarsson, Jarl of the Vend district of Vestfold. Eric had no son, and, on his death, Halfdan and Eystein took possession of the whole of Vestfold, which Eystein ruled until his untimely death. What happened was that Eystein, not being content with his own fiefdom, had raided the lands of Jarl Skjold of Varna. Skjold was not the sort of man to send for a lawyer. He gave chase in his longship. Eystein was not to be caught, however, being struck by the boom of one of his own ships sailing alongside, thus killing him. 'His men fished up his body, and it was carried into Borre, where a mound was thrown up over it, out towards the sea at Raden, near Vodle. [Ynglinga Saga, ch. 51.] This was of tremendous importance, for what gave future generations legitimacy to rule was that it was their ancestor buried in the mound; a very visible form of importance.

His funeral rites would have been attended by a large number of kinsmen and followers. To this latter class he was their godord, or chieftain. He would share any newly acquired land among them. He was president over their parliament, called Thing, wherein any man who carried arms could speak, and had a right to be judged by his peers. Although kinsmen might be bound by blood, any follower had a right to change their godord. In this way, Eystein was not a feudal lord, but, rather, someone compelled to be a successful provider. His funeral would have been attended by a number of unfree men, who were serfs rather than a slaves, and could own a house and smallholding of their own.

Eystein and Hild had issue:

1. Siegfried Eysteinsson, 745-798, whom is identified as Sigfridi regis Danorum. [Annales Fuldenses, 782.] The family's half-Danish ancestry seems to be confirmed by Siegfried's accession to the Danish throne.

Eystein married Queen Hilda Eriksdottir. (Queen Hilda Eriksdottir was born about 700 in Vestfold, Norway and died in 790.)