Battle at Herdaler

The Battle at Herdaler was a battle between the Norse Viking leader Olav Haraldsson (later King of Norway) and Finnish people at Herdaler in Finland around years 1007/8. The Saga of Olaf Haraldson tells how Olav Haraldsson (Olaf II of Norway, also Saint Olaf), the King of Norway, plundered in Finland and was almost killed in the battle.

After this they sailed to Finland and plundered there, and went up the country. All the people fled to the forest, and they had emptied their houses of all household goods. The king went far up the country, and through some woods, and came to some dwellings in a valley called Herdaler, -- where, however, they made but small booty, and saw no people; and as it was getting late in the day, the king turned back to his ships. Now when they came into the woods again people rushed upon them from all quarters, and made a severe attack. The king told his men to cover themselves with their shields, but before they got out of the woods he lost many people, and many were wounded; but at last, late in the evening, he got to the ships. The Finlanders conjured up in the night, by their witchcraft, a dreadful storm and bad weather on the sea; but the king ordered the anchors to be weighed and sail hoisted, and beat off all night to the outside of the land. The king's luck prevailed more than the Finlanders' witchcraft; for he had the luck to beat round the Balagard's side in the night. and so got out to sea. But the Finnish army proceeded on land, making the same progress as the king made with his ships. So says Sigvat: --

"The third fight was at Herdaler, where The men of Finland met in war The hero of the royal race, With ringing sword-blades face to face. Off Balagard's shore the waves Ran hollow; but the sea-king saves His hard-pressed ship, and gains the lee Of the east coast through the wild sea."

The location of "Herdaler" in Finland is not certain. The expedition's possible place could have been north of Uusimaa in Hirdal in the present-day town of Ingå. That makes it the first mentioning of a place located in present-day Finland in historical literature. It has been suggested that based on the similarity of names "Herdaler" and "Balagard" to names Härjedalen and Dalagård, the king's expedition would have actually taken place in Dal River area in Sweden. For one reason or another, Olaf's plundering in Sweden would have been relocated to Finland, although this is speculation.