The Battle of Svolder was a naval catastrophe for King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway, fought around the year 1000. Olaf faced a coalition led by Denmark’s King Svein Forkbeard and Sweden’s King Olof Skötkonung, joined by Olaf’s Norwegian enemies—most importantly Earl Eirik Håkonsson of Lade. Olaf was defeated and is said to have died (or vanished) during the fighting; afterward, the Lade jarls governed Norway with Danish backing, and Svein became the dominant power in the settlement. What we can sta