Magnus IV of Norway

Magnus IV "the Blind"
King of Norway
Reign	1130–1135
Predecessor	Sigurd the Crusader
Successor	Harald Gille
Reign	1137–1139
Predecessor	Harald Gille
Successor	Sigurd Munn and Inge Haraldsson
Consort	Christine of Denmark m. 1132; sep. 1133
Full name
Magnus Sigurdsson
Father	Sigurd the Crusader
Mother	Borghild Olavsdatter (concubine)
Born	1115
Died	12 November 1139 Holmengrå, Sweden

Death of King Magnus
Heimskringla, J.M. Stenersen & Co., Wilhelm Wetlesen (1899)

Magnus IV Sigurdsson (ca. 1115 – 12 November 1139), also known as Magnus the Blind, was King of Norway from 1130 to 1135 and again from 1137 to 1139. His period as king marked the beginning of the civil war era in Norway, which lasted until 1240. ^[1]

Biography

Magnus was the son of King Sigurd I of Norway and Borghild Olavsdotter. When King Sigurd died in 1130, Magnus became king of Norway together with his uncle Harald Gille. After four years of uneasy peace, Magnus began to openly prepare for war on Harald. On August 9, 1134, he defeated Harald in the decisive Battle at Färlev near Färlev in Stångenäs herred in Båhuslen. Harald fled to Denmark.

Against the advice of his councilors, Magnus disbanded his army and traveled to Bergen to spend the winter there. Harald then returned to Norway with a new army and the support of the Danish King Erik Emune. Meeting little opposition, he reached Bergen before Christmas. Magnus had few men, and the city fell easily to Harald's army on January 7, 1135. Magnus was captured and dethroned. He was blinded, castrated and had one leg cut off. After this he was known as Magnus the Blind (Magnus Sigurdsson den blinde).

Magnus was put in Nidarholm Abbey on the island of Munkholmen in the Trondheimfjord where he spent some time as a monk. Harald Gille was killed in 1136 by Sigurd Slembe, another royal pretender who had himself proclaimed king in 1135. To back his claim, Sigurd Slembe brought Magnus back from the abbey and made him co-king. They decided to split up their forces, and Magnus headed for eastern Norway, where he had most popular support. There, he was defeated at the Battle of Minne by the forces of King Inge I. He then fled to Götaland and subsequently to Denmark, where he tried to get support for his cause. An attempted invasion of Norway by King Erik Emune of Denmark failed miserably.^[2]

Magnus then rejoined Sigurd Slembe's men, but they continued to have little support in Norway. After some time spent more like bandits than kings, they met the forces of King Inge I and King Sigurd II in a final battle on November 12, 1139. Magnus fell during the in the naval Battle of Holmengrå near Hvaler in Oslofjord. The loyal guard Reidar Grjotgardsson lifted his king at the final battle, but a spear impales them both. Magnus was buried in the Church of St. Hallvard in Oslo. There is a monument erected in memory of King Magnus the Blind at the Storedal farm in Skjeberg in Østfold county.^[3]

Norwegian civil war

During the civil wars period of Norwegian history (1130–1240) 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

1. ^ Magnus 4 Sigurdsson Blinde (Helge Salvesen. Store norske leksikon)
2. ^ Sigurd Slembe (Store norske leksikon)
3. ^ Magnus 4 Sigurdsson Blinde – utdypning ( Nils Petter Thuesen. Store norske leksikon)

External links

• The saga of Magnus the Blinde and Harald Gille
• The saga of the sons of Harald Gille

Ancestry

Ancestors of Magnus IV of Norway

16. Harald III of Norway

8. Olaf III of Norway

17. Tora Torbergsdatter

4. Magnus III of Norway

18. Johan or Árni lági

9. Thora

2. Sigurd I of Norway

10. Johan or Árni lági

5. Thora

1. Magnus IV of Norway

6. Óláfr of Dalr

3. Borghild Olavsdotter

Magnus the Blind House of Hardrada Cadet branch of the Fairhair dynasty Born: 1115 Died: 1139
Regnal titles
Preceded by Sigurd Jorsalfar	King of Norway 1130–1135 with Harald Gille	Succeeded by Harald Gille
Preceded by Harald Gille	King of Norway 1137–1139 with Sigurd Munn Inge Haraldsson	Succeeded by Sigurd Munn & Inge Haraldsson

Persondata
Name	Magnus 4
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death	12 November 1139
Place of death	Holmengrå, Sweden