Halfdan the Black (Norse: Halfdanr Svarti) (ca 810 - 860 A.D) was a 9th-century Norwegian king of Vestfold county.

King Halfdan was son of Gudroed Halvdansson Veidekonge, and it is said that no one knew a more propitious king than Halfdan. A popular, powerful and wise jarl indeed.

Unfortunately he died on his way home from a feast in Hadeland when his horse, sleigh and entourage went through the ice in Randsfjorden. (Read more about that here).

There was one strange thing about Halfdan; supposedly he never dreamed. He mentioned this to a man called Thorleif Spaki (the Wise) and asked him for advice about what could be done about it. Spaki then told Halfdan what he himself used to do when he sought advise about something. Oddly enough his solution was to go and sleep in a pigsty...

Well, Halfdan did like Spaki, and woke up with a dream still floating about in his mind. In his dream his hair was hanging in big, thick locks. They were of many different colours, but one lock surpassed all the others in fairness, beauty and brightness.

Halfdan then went to see Spaki again to find out if he could interpret his dream. Spaki told him this most likely ment that a great progeny would come from him, and that his offsprings would rule lands. Some with great glory, and some with less glory. But one in particular would stand out and be better than all others. Some claim this would be Olaf the Holy, and that the bright lock from the dream represented the holiness.

Olaf, however, was a harsh man. He gained lots of enemies on his mission to christianize Norway, but this is another saga.

You can read more about Halfdan the Black on Wikipedia.

Norwegian history - The Real Game of Thrones -