You may have heard of the Sámi girl Snøfrid, who married Norway’s first king, Harald Fairhair? 

The story of Snøfrid is one of the central tales in the small saga Ågrip, which was written here in the city over eight hundred years ago, around 1190. The author’s name is unknown, but it is believed that the author was someone from the clergy – likely a member of the priesthood associated with the archdiocese, as the cathedral and the Archbishop’s Manor were at the center of this community in the 12th century. According to Ågrip, Harald Fairhair had many wives, but only one of them is described in detail by the author – namely Snøfrid. The reason for this is likely because the ruling royal family during the time when Ågrip was written believed they were descended from Snøfrid and Harald’s son, Sigurd Rise. Sigurd Rise was the great-grandfather of Harald Hardrada. According to Ågrip, most of the Norwegian kings traced their lineage to this Sámi matriarch. 

The story has some fairytale-like elements, and the actual meeting between Harald and Snøfrid likely didn’t happen as the saga portrays it. However, there are better reasons to believe that Sigurd Rise really was the great-grandfather of Harald Hardrada. In this context, his nickname is interesting; in Old Norse, it was “hrisi,” a term that can mean “half-blood.” In other words, it is reasonable to believe that Harald Hardrada was indeed of partial Sámi descent, even though the Snøfrid story itself is not entirely credible. Even today, our current king, Harald V, can trace his lineage back to Harald Hardrada’s dynasty.