Riksmonumentet Haraldshaugen. In 1872, a 17 metre tall granite obelisk was raised at the Gard Church ruins to commemorate the battle of Hafrsfjord 1000 years earlier.The elegant spike symbolises the unification of Norway and stands in a circle of 29 stones, repre¬senting the ancient Norwegian counties that Harald brought together. On the north side, between the obelisk and the county stones, lies a gravestone flag that may be the one described by Snorre.
The commemoration obelisk can be seen as a product of the National Romanticism that raged in the late 1830s. It was a period when the country’s ancient history was being tapped to cultivate a new, national self-esteem.The monument at „Haraldshaugen“ was the brainchild of Haugesund’s Ludolf Eide, who put forth the idea in 1863 and won country-wide support.The national monument was unveiled on 18th July 1872 by Crown Prince Oscar, later Oscar II. Representatives from the royal family, the national assembly (Storting), government ministers and county dignitaries attended this “ 1000 Year Jubilee“ which occasioned much popular celebration and merrymaking.
Source: Information board on site