- Magnus V of Norway
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Magnus Erlingsson King of Norway Reign 1161 – 15 June 1184 Coronation Bergen, 1163/1164 Predecessor Inge Haraldsson and Haakon the Broadshouldered Successor Sverre Sigurdsson Spouse Estrid Bjørnsdotter Issue Sigurd Magnusson?
Inge Magnusson?
Erling Magnusson Steinvegg?Father Erling Skakke Mother Kristin Sigurdsdatter Born 1156
Etne, Hordaland?Died 15 June 1184 (aged 27–28)
FimreiteBurial Bergen Magnus V Erlingsson (Old Norse: Magnús Erlingsson) (1156–1184) was a King of Norway during the Civil war era in Norway.
Contents
Biography
Magnus Erlingsson was probably born in Etne in Hordaland. He was the son of Erling Skakke. His father was a Norwegian nobleman who earned his reputation crusading with Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, the Earl of Orkney. His mother was Kristin Sigurdsdatter, daughter of king Sigurd Jorsalfare who was king of Norway from 1103 to 1130. Magnus Erlingsson was named king in 1161 at the age of eight. He was the first Norwegian king to be crowned. His father Erling took the title of earl and held the real power since Magnus was a minor. Erling Skakke continued to be the country’s real ruler even after Magnus had come of age. [1]
In 1166, Sigurd Agnhatt and his foster son Olav Ugjæva raised a force in Oppland, and had Olav proclaimed king, while earl Erling Skakke was away in Denmark. Olav was the son of Maria Øysteinsdotter, the daughter of former king Øystein Magnusson. After Erling returned to Norway to fight this uprising, Olav and his men attacked Erling in an ambush at Rydjokul in Sørum. Erling was wounded and barely escaped. In 1168 Olav and his men ventured south to the Oslofjord area, but were there defeated in battle at Stanger in Våler. Sigurd was killed in the battle, but Olav escaped and went to Denmark.[2]
Magnus' reign saw the arrival in Norway of Sverre Sigurdsson, who claimed the throne for himself. In June 1177, Sverre first led his men to Trøndelag where Sverre was proclaimed as king. Erling's position was compromised and he fell at the Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros in 1179. Several more years of warfare ended with Magnus' defeat and death in the Battle of Fimreite on June 15, 1184. Sverre attacked Magnus' fleet sending his ships into battle in squadrons, to charge and overwhelm on one ship at a time, forcing the Magnus' men to jump over to the next. As the battle proceeded, the remaining ships became extremely crammed, and then started to go down because of the weight. King Magnus is reported to have gone down on one of the last of them.[3]
Historic context
The civil war era in Norway would not end with the victory of Sverre over Magnus. After the death of Magnus, Sigurd Magnusson, Inge Magnusson and Erling Magnusson Steinvegg came forth all stating to be sons of Magnus and claiming the Norwegian throne. The civil war era in Norway extended over a 110 year period. It started with the death of King Sigurd I of Norway in 1130 and ended with the death of Duke Skule Baardsson in 1240.
During this period there were several interlocked conflicts of varying scale and intensity. The background for these conflicts were the unclear Norwegian succession laws, social conditions and the struggle between Church and King. There were then two main parties, firstly known by varying names or no names at all, but finally condensed into parties of Bagler and Birkebeiner. The rallying point regularly was a royal son, who was set up as the head figure of the party in question, to oppose the rule of king from the contesting party.
References
Other sources
- Snorre Sturlason, The Heimskringla: A History of the Norse Kings, vol. 3 (London: Norroena Society, 1907)
- Finlay, Alison editor and translator Fagrskinna, a Catalogue of the Kings of Norway (Brill Academic. 2004)
- Gjerset, Knut History of the Norwegian People (The MacMillan Company, Volume I. 1915)
- Heggland, Johannes Den unge kongen (Eide Forlag, 1999) Norwegian
Ancestry
Ancestors of Magnus V of Norway16. Erling of Gerd 8. Sven Svensson 4. Kyrpinga-Orm Svensson 18. Orm Eilifsson 9. Ragna Ormsdatter 19. Sigrid Finnsdotter 2. Erling Skakke 20. Tostig Godwinson 10. Skuli Tostisson Kongsfostre 21. Judith of Flanders 5. Ragnhild Skulesdatter 22. Nefstein 11. Gudrun Nefsteinsdatter 23. Ingerid Sigurdsdatter 1. Magnus V of Norway 24. Olaf III of Norway 12. Magnus III of Norway 25. Thora 6. Sigurd I of Norway 13. Thora 3. Kristin Sigurdsdatter 28. Vladimir II Monomakh 14. Mstislav I of Kiev 29. Gytha of Wessex 7. Malmfred of Kiev 30. Inge I of Sweden 15. Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden 31. Helena Magnus ErlingssonBorn: 1156 Died: 15 June 1184Regnal titles Preceded by
Inge Haraldsson &
Haakon HerdebreiKing of Norway
1161–1184
with Haakon Herdebrei (1161–1162)Succeeded by
Sverre SigurdssonCategories:- 1156 births
- 1184 deaths
- People from Etne
- Norwegian monarchs
- Norwegian civil wars
- Monarchs killed in action
- Medieval child rulers
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