Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, major, medieval

Battle of Hafrsfjord

Battle of Hafrsfjord was a naval engagement fought on 18 July AD 872 at Hafrsfjord, in what is now Norway. It was part of Unification of Norway, which ran from AD 860 to 1020. The recorded result: Vestfold victory.

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Battle of Hafrsfjord
Hansen 'Ole Peter' Balling, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought18 July AD 872
WhereHafrsfjord, Norway58.941N, 5.671E
OutcomeVestfold victory
BelligerentsKingdom of VestfoldagainstKingdom of Hordaland; Kingdom of Agder
Part ofUnification of NorwayAD 860 to 1020

Where it sits in Unification of Norway

Battle of Hakadal, AD 860Battle of Orkdal, AD 870First Battle of Solskjel, AD 870Second Battle of Solskjel, AD 870Battle of Hafrsfjord, AD 872Battle of Fjaler, AD 880AD 860AD 880Battle of Hafrsfjord, AD 872
6 placed engagements of Unification of Norway in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date18 July AD 872
PlaceHafrsfjord, Norway
58.941N, 5.671E
KindNaval engagement, medieval
Territorial changeUnification of the petty kingdoms of Norway
Commanders
  • Eirik of Hordaland
  • Kjotve the Rich
Battle of HafrsfjordBattle of HafrsfjordAction of 22 August 1795Altmark IncidentBattle of FitjarBattle of VinjesvingenAction of 22 August 1795Altmark IncidentBattle of FitjarBattle of VinjesvingenKristiansandHaugesund100 km58.941N, 5.671E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in AD 872

Battle of Hafrsfjord is one of 169 engagements of the 9th century in the atlas and one of 70 in present-day Norway.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q515561, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Hafrsfjord, revision 1383066237, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.