Harald Foss - Heming og Harald kongen (Norwegian folk song)

Artist: Harald Foss This is a Norwegian medieval ballad about a young man, Heming, and the Norwegian King Harald harđrádi (1015-1066 A.D). Heming has his own small norse saga (a þáttr) from the early middle ages called Hemingsþáttr, thats the roots for this ballad. There are also several versions of this ballad. The ballad tells about King Harald, who was known as a very athletic man, bragging that no man can best him. One of his servants tells him there exist a warrior so fierce he can wring blood or water out of steel. Hearing this, king Harald is eager to meet him and he sails northwards to ’Aslaks land’ to find him. When Aslak sees the king arriving he asks his youngest son, Heming, to sit inside and drink mead together with the women; but Heming protests and says he is not a child anymore. The next morning Heming meet the King and they compete in archery. The king tell Heming to hit a walnut laying on his brothers head, and Heming does so. After this and a few other challenges which all Heming succee