HAROLD 



2692 



HARP 



are the collar and the traces, which enable 

 the animal to pull a load, also to help hold it 

 back on a down grade. The bridle and bit 

 and other parts of the harness are usually 

 ornamented with brass or silver plate. The 

 use of blinds, or blinkers, is gradually being 

 abandoned, as they prevent the animal from 

 seeing clearly and serve no good purpose. 



HAROLD, hair'uld, the name borne by two 

 kings who ruled England before it became a 

 united nation through the conquest of William 

 of Normandy (see WILLIAM I, THE CON- 

 QUEROR). 



Harold I, surnamed Harejoot, was the son of 

 Canute, king of England, Denmark and Nor- 

 way. On the death of Canute, in 1035, Harold 

 claimed the throne in opposition to his brother, 

 Hardecanute, who was then in Denmark. In 

 order to avoid civil war an agreement was 

 made that Harold should become king of the 

 provinces north of the Thames. In 1037, how- 

 ever, he was crowned king of all England, as 

 the people were tired of waiting for Harde- 

 canute to return. Harold died in 1040, when 

 his brother was making preparation to invade 

 England. 



Harold II (1022-1066), successor of Edward 

 the Confessor (which see), was the last Anglo- 

 Saxon king of England. He was the son of 

 the powerful Earl Godwin, whose death in 

 1053 left him Earl of Wessex and head of the 

 National party, which was striving to weaken 

 the influence of the Normans at the court of 

 Edward the Confessor. 



In 1064 he visited Normandy. The story 

 has come down that he was shipwrecked on 

 the coast of Normandy, and falling into the 

 power of Duke William, was forced to take 

 an oath that he would aid the latter to become 

 king of England. Two years later Edward the 

 Confessor died, and the assembly of nobles 

 (Witenagemot) elected Harold king. William 

 of Normandy at once laid claim to the throne, 

 and in September, 1066, invaded England at 

 the head of a large army. At Senlac, near 

 Hastings, Harold met defeat and death, and 

 England passed to Norman rule. 



Related Subjects. OtKer historical material 

 connected with these men will be found in the 

 following articles : 



Hardecanute William I, the Conqueror 



Hastings, Battle of Witenagemot 



HAROLD, or HARALD, the name of four of 

 the early kings of Norway. 



Harold I (about 850-933) became sole king 

 of the Norwegian realm in 872, after many 



years of warfare against the numerous petty 

 kings or jarls, who then ruled ~in Norway. 

 According to legend, he was inspired in his. 

 labor of conquest by his love for a beautiful 

 maiden who refused to become his wife until 

 he had subjugated the entire country. After 

 establishing his authority, Harold drove out 

 the conquered rulers, who made numerous 

 settlements on the neighboring islands. Dur- 

 ing his reign he was engaged in suppressing 

 the sea pirates and brigands who had long 

 harassed the country. 



Harold III (1015-1066), a descendant of Har- 

 old I, ruled as king of Norway from 1046 to 

 1066. Early Norwegian literature abounds 

 with stories of his exploits as captain of the 

 bodyguard of the Greek emperors at Con- 

 stantinople. He was ruled by his adventurous 

 spirit even after he had become king of Nor- 

 way, and on concluding a war with the Danes 

 invaded England in 1066, to aid Tostig against 

 his brother Harold, king of England (see 

 HAROLD, subhead Harold II}. At the Battle 

 of Stamford Bridge, both Harold of Norway 

 and Tostig were slain. 



HARP, the most ancient of stringed musical 

 instruments, was, according to the Bible, in- 

 vented by Jubal. From remote times the 

 favorite instrument of the Irish bards, it has 

 become, like the shamrock, an emblem of 

 Ireland; to the poets of Erin, the silencing of 

 the harp is the symbol of the decline of na- 

 tional glory. So runs the theme of one of 

 Thomas Moore's finest lyrics: 



The harp that once through Tara's halls 



The soul of music shed, 

 Now hangs as mute on Tara's walls 



As if that soul were fled. 

 So sleeps the pride of former days, 



So glory's thrill is o'er ; 

 And hearts that once beat high for praise 



Now feel that pulse no more. 



The harp was used for accompaniment to 

 the psalms sung by the early Christians, and is 

 intimately associated with David, the poet- 

 psalmist of the Bible. The double harp, or, 

 as it is also called, David's harp, is played with 

 the fingers and thumbs of both hands. It is a 

 triangular-shaped instrument, with a sounding 

 board and catgut strings. It is always tuned 

 in the principal key of the music, while by 

 pressing with the thumb or turning the tuning- 

 pins of certain notes, the strings are changed 

 to suit any modulations out of the key. 



The pedal harp, a perfected form of the 

 double instrument, developed about 1720 with 

 the invention of Hochbrucker's mechanism. 



