Erling Holand spent $134,000 on a book and gave it away to people
Manchester City forward Erling Haaland and his father purchased a unique book from 1594 at an auction. The book became the most expensive item in the history of the Norwegian book market, but the soccer player did not keep it for himself—he donated the rare volume to his hometown’s library so that anyone interested could see it.
Erling Haaland has once again drawn attention not only for his soccer achievements but also for his extraordinary gesture. Together with his father, Alf-Inge Haaland, he purchased a rare 16th-century edition at an auction and then donated it to the community. The book in question is *The Sagas of the Norwegian Kings*, printed in 1594. Its author is the Icelandic historian, poet, and politician Snorri Sturluson, who is considered one of the most important chroniclers of medieval Scandinavia.
The Golands paid 1.3 million Norwegian kroner for this unique edition, which is approximately 134,000 U.S. dollars. This is a record amount for a book auction in Norway—no other edition in the country has ever sold for such a high price. The book is of immense historical significance. It contains sagas about the first Norwegian kings, Viking raids, great maritime expeditions, power struggles, battles, and events that shaped the nation’s history.
The book devotes special attention to Norway’s transition from paganism to Christianity. Historians consider this period to be one of the key stages in the formation of Norwegian statehood. For many centuries now, the *Sagas of the Norwegian Kings* have remained one of the most valuable sources for studying the history of Norway and all of Scandinavia.
However, what impressed many people the most was not the purchase of the book itself, but what happened after the auction. Instead of keeping the priceless rarity in a private collection, Erling Holand decided to donate it to the library in Brune, the town where he grew up and took his first steps in soccer.
Thanks to this, the historic publication will be accessible to anyone interested—researchers, students, schoolchildren, and city residents will all be able to view it. For the library, it has become one of the most valuable books in its collection. This gift has already been hailed as a gesture of respect for the town’s history and cultural heritage. Holand has once again demonstrated that the memory of one’s homeland can be preserved not only through words or symbolic statements, but also through concrete actions.
“The Sagas of the Norwegian Kings” is not just an ancient book. It is a chronicle that recounts the origins of the Norwegian state, its rulers, traditions, and the events that shaped the country into what it is today. That is why the soccer player’s decision to make this treasure accessible to everyone has become an important cultural gift to his hometown and all of Norway. This was reported by Ukrainska Peremoha.
Erling Haaland is one of the best strikers of our time, a soccer player who proves in almost every match why he’s called a true goal-scoring machine. Even at a young age, he won Europe’s top club trophies, broke dozens of records, and became a legend for the Norwegian national team.
