Harald: The Trickster King in A Curse Carved in Bone

Overview

Harald is revealed in A Curse Carved in Bone to be a shape-shifting child of Loki, not the mortal king of Nordeland he has pretended to be for years. He consumed the original Harald and has since used his power to take the faces of others—most devastatingly, Bjorn's mother Saga, and later Snorri—to engineer a web of manipulation that serves his deep need for control and adoration. While the first book presented him as a benevolent ruler and ally, this book uncovers the truth: every tragedy he "saved" his followers from was orchestrated by him to secure their loyalty.

Plot Role

Harald functions as the central antagonist and puppet master of the entire saga. He impersonates Saga for years, feeding Bjorn false prophecies and driving him to kill his own father Snorri. He then takes Snorri's face to unite Skaland and Nordeland against Freya, framing her as the common enemy. His plan nearly succeeds: he captures Bjorn, forces Freya to curse hundreds of Skalander souls to Helheim, and sets up a public blood-eagle execution. Only Steinunn's truth-song and Freya's alliance with an undead army expose his crimes—though his fate remains open at the end of Book Two.

Motivations and Traits

Harald's actions are driven by two interlocked desires: control and adoration. He admits to enjoying the game of manipulation, as seen when he laughs and claps after revealing his true identity on the island. He cannot bear to be seen as ordinary or powerless. His need to be loved leads him to rescue people from tragedies he himself caused—burning Steinunn's family, framing Guthrum's father, and disabling Troels—then presenting himself as their savior. He is clever, patient, and ruthless, but his arrogance becomes his weakness: he underestimates the power of truth and the bond between Freya and Bjorn.

Chronological Arc

• Early in the book: Harald appears as Bjorn's wise father, advising him to learn what Freya wants and taking her to Saga for answers. He claims to act on Saga's visions and seems to support Bjorn's love for Freya.
• Midpoint: After the battle on the strait, Harald (as "Saga") manipulates Bjorn into killing Snorri. Freya witnesses "Saga" laugh in Harald's voice and transform, revealing the deception. Harald traps Bjorn and Freya on an island and leaves them to starve.
• Later: Harald impersonates Snorri in Skaland, controlling Ylva through threats to Leif. He captures Bjorn and plans his execution. He reveals to Bjorn that he consumed the original Harald and that he is a child of Loki.
• Climax: During Bjorn's execution, Steinunn sings a truth-song that shows visions of Harald's crimes to everyone in Grindill. The Unfated see how he orchestrated each tragedy. Harald's grip on power shatters as his loyal followers turn against him.
• Finale: Freya's draug army attacks. Harald's fate is left uncertain; the chapter ends with him possibly escaping or being killed.

Relationships

• Bjorn: Harald raised Bjorn as his son, but the relationship is built on lies. Bjorn's genuine love and respect for "Harald" become tools for manipulation. When the truth emerges, Bjorn's grief and rage are devastating. Harald taunts him with the detailed confession of consuming his mother Saga.
• Freya: Harald initially appears to offer her hope and protection, but he actually intends to use her as a weapon and scapegoat. He exploits her blood oath through Snorri's bloodline and later frames her for mass murder.
• Tora: Tora is bound by oaths to obey Harald, who impersonated her lover Tove to ensnare her. She cannot resist his commands but secretly helps Bjorn and Freya when possible. Her hatred is clear, but she is magically silenced.
• Steinunn: Harald deceived Steinunn into believing Snorri killed her family, then positioned himself as her ally. When she learns the truth, she turns against him and composes the song that exposes his crimes.
• Guthrum, Troels, Gyda, and other Unfated: Each was rescued by Harald after he engineered their worst tragedies. Their loyalty was built on gratitude for his "saving" them. The truth-song breaks this bond.
• Ylva and Leif: Harald impersonates Snorri to control Ylva through threats to Leif's life. He murders Ylva's loyal warriors and forces her to play the queen.
• Skade: Skade is revealed as Harald's biological daughter and serves him willingly, knowing his true nature. She carries out his dirty work, including killing those who might expose him.

Key Decisions and Consequences

1. Impersonating Saga for years: This decision allows Harald to feed Bjorn false prophecies and steer events toward his goals. The consequence is that Bjorn kills his own father Snorri, believing he is fulfilling destiny. When the mask slips, Bjorn's trust is shattered.
2. Framing Freya as the monster: Harald spreads word that Freya cursed both Skalander and Nordelander warriors, uniting both kingdoms against her. This nearly succeeds in getting her killed, but it also forces Freya to embrace her power and raise an undead army.
3. Confessing to Bjorn in the cell: Harald taunts Bjorn with the truth about consuming his mother and the original Harald. This prideful act strengthens Bjorn's resolve and gives Steinunn the material for her truth-song.
4. Allowing Steinunn to sing at the execution: Harald cannot resist public performances of adoration. He permits the song, thinking it will glorify him, but Steinunn uses it to reveal his crimes to all of Grindill, destroying his carefully built reputation.
5. Forcing Tora to obey through oaths: This creates a silent ally who helps Bjorn and Freya even while apparently following orders. Tora's inability to speak the truth becomes a crack in Harald's control.

Theme and Symbol Connections

• Deception and Truth: Harald embodies deception. He wears faces like masks, and his entire kingdom is built on lies. The theme culminates when Steinunn's song forces truth to break his spell.
• Oaths and Binding: Harald exploits oaths—Tora's binding, Freya's blood oath, the loyalty of the Unfated—to control others. Yet oaths also become his undoing, as Freya's oath to Snorri's bloodline gives her a loophole when she learns Bjorn is Snorri's son.
• Fate vs Free Will: Harald tries to manipulate destiny itself, claiming he can change the Norns' threads. But the story shows that even a trickster cannot fully control fate; his plans unravel because of choices he cannot predict.
• War and Peace: Harald's actions plunge Nordeland and Skaland into war. He uses the conflict to consolidate power, but the bloodshed serves only his ego, not any genuine peace.
• Redemption: Harald never seeks redemption. His arc is a descent into greater cruelty. However, characters he wronged—like Steinunn and the Unfated—find redemption through truth and resistance.

Book-Specific Questions and Answers

1. How does Harald manage to impersonate Saga without Bjorn suspecting for years?
Harald uses his shape-shifting ability to assume Saga's exact appearance and voice. He isolates himself (as "Saga") in a remote cabin, claiming exhaustion from visions, and only interacts with Bjorn briefly. By feeding Bjorn prophecies that align with Harald's own goals, he maintains the illusion. The real Saga died in a fire Harald engineered, so no one could expose the lie.

2. What is Harald's true name, and why does he never reveal it?
The text never gives Harald a true name. He is consistently called "the child of Loki" or "the trickster." He consumed the original Harald completely and literally wears his face. By abandoning his original identity, he erases his past and becomes whoever he needs to be. This lack of a name underscores his nature as a creature of pure deception—he has no self beyond the masks he wears.

3. Why does Harald allow Steinunn to sing at Bjorn's execution if he knows she has learned the truth?
Harald is addicted to adoration and control. He believes Steinunn cannot harm him because he thinks her loyalty was secured by his "saving" her from Snorri. His arrogance blinds him to the possibility that Steinunn would use skald magic against him. Additionally, he wants a public spectacle to cement his narrative. He does not realize that Steinunn's song contains visions powerful enough to override his own magic.

4. Does Harald have any genuine affection for Bjorn, or is the entire father-son bond a lie?
Interpretation is required here. The evidence shows that Harald raised Bjorn as his son and expresses what seems like pride and care. However, every moment of apparent kindness is undercut by manipulation. He uses Bjorn's love for his mother to drive him to kill Snorri, and he later taunts Bjorn with details of his mother's death. It is plausible that Harald deludes himself into thinking he loves Bjorn, but his actions consistently prioritize control over any real affection. The text suggests his "love" is just another tool.

5. What are the limits of Harald's shape-shifting ability, and how does Freya exploit them?
Harald can take the face, voice, and build of any person he has consumed or observed closely. He can also change clothes by turning garments inside out. However, his magic has limits: he cannot perfectly mimic someone's memories or knowledge, and he must physically consume corpses to gain their faces. Freya exploits his habit of fleeing when cornered; she uses smoke and wolves to flush him out, forcing him to change form and revealing his identity. Additionally, the runic markings on his wolves Skoll and Hati can be overwritten, showing his control is not absolute.