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Erling Haaland paid $134,000 for a 430-year-old Viking kings manuscript, then gifted it to his hometown. He said: “I’ve never been a big reader, but I want people to read about those who came from my area.”
Erling Haaland and his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, quietly acquired one of Norway’s greatest literary treasures at auction: a 1594 edition of Snorri Sturluson’s Kongesagaer. Translated by Mattis Størssøn from Old Norse into Danish, it was the first printed history of Norway and helped preserve the stories of the nation’s medieval kings for generations.
Widely regarded as one of the most significant works in Norwegian literary history, the copy purchased by the Haalands was the only complete edition still in private ownership. It sold for 1.3 million Norwegian kroner (about $134,000), setting the record as the most expensive Norwegian book ever sold at auction.
Instead of keeping the rare volume in a private collection, the Haalands donated it to the library in Time Municipality, where Erling grew up. The book is now on public display, and the donation also funded a reading competition to inspire local children and young people to discover Norway’s history and literary heritage.
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