The Ballad of Harald Hand-Free: Part I

The following is a compilation of segments from the Ballad of Harald Hand-Free, a traditional Nordic poetic saga recounting the life and adventures of the Skyim's first High King. Painstaking efforts have been taken to recover pieces of this fragmented story for the sake of historical preservation, but it remains incomplete at the current time of compilation.

-Forthyn Kredrvu, Dean of History of the Solitude Bards' College, 3E 402

Part the First - Of His Blood And Father

Here begins the tale of Harald Hand-Free of the Ylgarlings, Thirteenth of Ysgramor’s line and High King of the Fatherland,
Born to Bjaldar of Windhelm, son of Fenrik and Jarl of those honored holdings once governed by Ysgramor of Atmora, Bringer of Words and Harbinger of Us All

Long did the children of Kyne languish in the North in those sorrowful Winters after the passing of Ysgramor and his issue to the glories of Shor’s honored hall alongside the Five Hundred.

The successors to the Five Hundred had fallen from valor, sullied those venerable names and pledged themselves with hungering blades to any who would sponsor their sword arms in the bleak days when yet did they reclaim lost honor and become true Companions once more.

Lamentations and bitter conflict spread across the land as a storm on Mother Kyne’s breath as the Snow Elves roamed the land unbridled, bringing death and war by sword and devil magics in the name of their vile god Arri-El.

For Eight and One generations the Ylgarings reigned venerable over Windhelm and its surrounds as the issue of Ylgar Ysgramorsen, who captained the Darumzu and named his fallen brother First among the Five Hundred in the blooded snows of the Return.

Long had those belonging to Ylgar ruled with honor and courage, but the throne of Windhelm lied kingless and weeping after the passage of Jarl Fenrik and the exile of his wrathful son Bjaldar, whom struck down Hrethel of the Wulfendings on a hunt at the question of Bjaldar’s courage.

Bjaldar came forth to Windhelm with all speed after his mighty rage and brought Hrethel’s cooling form to the doorstep of the Wulfendings with eyes full of tears, angered at his own weakness for having slain such a venerable man as Hrethel in his impetuous fury.

Of the Ylgarings who lived by the code to seek one’s own fortune and never rest on the wealth and deeds of their Ancestors, Bjaldar was a simple man who hungered for little in life aside the comfort of arms.

Thus he lacked wealth to pay weregild unto Hrethel’s kinsmen, who in their grief sought a high price for the noble blood spilled from their fallen brother.

Jarl Fenrik comforted to Bjaldar he would pay any weregild owed by his beloved son, yet Bjaldar wished not to dishonor the legacy of the Ylgarings. Never would he shatter the oath by which all Ylgar’s issue had lived.

Stained by dishonor, Bjaldar set into brooding for Eight and One Days and nights until he ventured forth in exile from Windhelm. And so he vowed to return with fortune enough to pay weregild unto Hrethel’s kinsmen many times over for his folly.

Bjaldar rode forth through untamed Elven lands and braved the snowstorms borne of their devil magicks until he found solace at the Northmost rim of Winterhold, at the city of Ald Shalidor.

Thus did he approach the throne of Jarl Torbrun and begged a task to earn his fortune and prove himself worthy of Ysgramor’s line. Torbrun did make counsel with Archmage Gauldur, whom advised him to bring the successor of the honorable Ylgarings under his fold and with him forge iron-clad bonds to withstand the test of ages.

Torbrun blessed Bjaldar with refuge in Ald Shalidor’s city and set him forth with a great many quests in service to Winterhold’s people, each a challenge of strength in their own right.

This following section of the ballad is woefully incomplete in its recollection. While there are multiple sources describing the quests of Jarl Torbrun, their validity is questionable and tends to vary from region to region.

For his numerous deeds of valor did Torbrun name Bjaldar thane of his hold and wished him all speed in his endeavor to reclaim the glory lost. After many years did Bjaldar fall in love with a woman by the name Sillitne and father a son whom he raised among the men and women of Winterhold, having named him Harald for the wanderer Harrald Hairy-Breeks of the Five Hundred.

Here begins the tale of Harald Hand-Free of the Ylgarlings, Thirteenth of Ysgramor’s line and successor to Windhelm’s throne,
Whom will yet unite forge bonds iron-clad in his youth and rally the sons of Skyrim against the Snow Elves.