Know Good Men | Harald Hardrada
Welcome to Know Good Men, a series created to share the stories, values, and wisdom of extraordinary men. Each episode dives into the journey of a man who defied the odds, carved his own path, and embodies what it means to be a man. In a world that needs strong men and leaders more than ever, these stories serve as an example of what's possible when courage, honor, and integrity take the lead.
What do you call a man who loses everything at fifteen, fights his way across the world, becomes rich beyond measure, seizes a throne - and then, at seventy, charges into battle with no armor?
History calls him Harald Hardrada, the last known Viking king.
Fifteen years old. That’s how old Harald was when his half-brother, King Olaf of Norway, was cut down at the Battle of Stiklestad. Harald fought at his side, swinging steel as a boy in a man’s war. But when Olaf fell, Harald was forced to flee, carrying nothing but his sword and the fire in his gut.
Exile could have been the end. A lot of men break when their first shot at glory crumbles. Harald didn’t. He turned his loss into fuel. He went east, chasing opportunity where others only saw dead ends.
In Kievan Rus, he fought as a mercenary. Then further still - to Constantinople - where he joined the Varangian Guard, the most feared warriors of the Byzantine Empire.
This wasn’t a boy anymore. This was steel sharpening steel.
Harald’s legend grew in fire and blood. He fought rebels in Sicily, battled Arabs in Anatolia, even journeyed to Jerusalem. Every campaign made him stronger, sharper, richer. By the time he left Byzantium, he wasn’t just another exile - he was a warlord with wealth, experience, and scars earned the hard way.
And he wasn’t done.
He returned to Norway, rallied his people, and reclaimed the throne that had been ripped from him as a teenager. He built order out of chaos. He crushed enemies who threatened his rule. For two decades, Harald reigned as king.
But here’s the thing about men like him: contentment feels like death.
Most kings would’ve ended there. Rich. Powerful. Comfortable. Not Harald.
At seventy, he set his sights on England. The prize was the English crown, and the chance to etch his name across all of Europe. He gathered 300 ships, filled them with warriors, and sailed west.
Seventy years old. Damn. When most men today are struggling to climb stairs, Harald was climbing into a warship to conquer another kingdom.
And he almost did. His army crushed the first English force they met. Victory seemed certain. Until Stamford Bridge.
The battle was chaos. Outnumbered, ambushed, exhausted from a long march, Harald’s men began to fall.
And that’s when he did the unthinkable.
He ripped off his armor, raised his sword, and charged straight into the English line. Bare-chested. Exposed. But relentless.
That’s how the last Viking king died - not in bed, not in peace, but in the storm of battle, living the same way he always had: forward.
We’re not storming into foreign countries, but we are fighting battles - business, marriage, discipline, health. Too many men fold when it gets hard. Too many men think comfort is the goal.
Harald Hardrada’s story isn’t about violence - it’s about vision. It’s about refusing to shrink when the world tells you your time is over. It’s about chasing destiny until your last breath.
Don’t fade out. Don’t play small.
Live Brave. Live Bold. Live Bearded.