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76-589: Today, the Birkebeins are popularly celebrated for having escorted the one-year-old Haakon Haakonsson , an heir to the Norwegian throne, safely from Lillehammer to Østerdalen to Trondheim , a long and perilous journey through treacherous mountains and forests. This is commemorated through cross-country ski races , Birkebeinerrennet and Birkebeinerrittet . The Civil war era in Norway ( borgerkrigstiden )

152-1083: A 1257 peace agreement with Christopher I of Denmark . Haakon thereafter negotiated a marriage between his only remaining son, Magnus, and Christopher's niece Ingeborg . Haakon's Nordic policies initiated the build-up to the later personal unions (called the Kalmar Union ), that in the end had dire consequences for Norway as it did not have the economic and military resources to persevere and maintain Haakon's aggressive policies. More distantly, Haakon sought an alliance with Alfonso X of Castile (a potential next Holy Roman emperor) chiefly as it would guarantee new supplies of grain to Castile in light of rising prices in England , and possibly giving access to Baltic grain through Norwegian control of Lübeck. Alfonso in turn sought to expand his influence in Northern Europe, as well as to gain Norwegian naval assistance for

228-562: A clear picture of Haakon, Helle maintains that Haakon "obviously" learned to master the political game in his early years. He interprets Haakon as an independent and strong-willed ruler to whom he assigns a "significant personal responsibility" for the policies pursued during his reign: notably regarding the internal consolidation of the kingship, the orientation towards European culture and the aggressive foreign policy. In his article in Norsk biografisk leksikon , Knut Helle acknowledges that Haakon

304-411: A great amount of time together, only to have their friendship destroyed - according to the saga, by intrigues derived from rumours and slander by men who played the two against each other. Skule was the first person in Norway to be titled duke ( hertug ) in 1237, but instead of control over a region, gained the rights to the incomes from a third of the syssels scattered across the whole of Norway. This

380-599: A king of the Birkebeiner faction, Haakon defeated the uprising of the final Bagler royal pretender, Sigurd Ribbung , in 1227. He put a definitive end to the civil war era when he had Skule Bårdsson killed in 1240, a year after he had himself proclaimed king in opposition to Haakon. Haakon thereafter formally appointed his own son as his co-regent . Under Haakon's rule, medieval Norway is considered to have reached its zenith or golden age. His reputation and formidable naval fleet allowed him to maintain friendships with both

456-563: A new development the Scottish king Alexander II claimed the Hebrides and asked to buy the islands from Norway, but Haakon staunchly rejected the proposals. Following Alexander II's death, his son Alexander III continued and stepped up his father's policy by sending an embassy to Norway in 1261, and thereafter attacking the Hebrides. In 1263, the dispute with the Scottish king over the Hebrides induced Haakon to undertake an expedition to

532-573: A new rising from 1219. The rising only gained support in parts of Eastern Norway, and was did not gain control of Viken and Opplandene as the Baglers formerly had done. In the summer of 1223, Skule forced the Ribbungar to surrender. However, The great meeting in Bergen soon after renewed the division of the Norwegian kingdom, with Skule gaining control of the northern third of the country instead of

608-462: A papal recognition. The Catholic principle of legitimacy was thus established in the Norwegian order of succession, although Haakon's new law still maintained that illegitimate children could be designated as successor in the absence of any legitimate children or grandchildren—contrary to Catholic principles. While his strong position allowed him to set boundaries to the Church's political influence, he

684-456: A region where the social tensions were not as marked, and their motive was rather to stop the transition of power from Trøndelag to Viken and Vestlandet . The powerful Trønder families were simply being left behind by their peers in the south, who had acquired a strong leader in the Vestland earl Erling Skakke in the mid-12th century. In the early 1160s, Erling had taken control of Viken and

760-1103: A remembrance of the child the Birkebeiners had to carry on their journey. The bike and ski events start in Rena and all three events finish in Lillehammer . There are also sister cross-country ski races held in Hayward Wisconsin (United States) (the American Birkebeiner ), in Edmonton (Canada) (the Canadian Birkebeiner ) and in Falls Creek (Australia). Haakon IV of Norway Haakon IV Haakonsson ( c.  March/April 1204 – 16 December 1263; Old Norse : Hákon Hákonarson [ˈhɑːˌkon ˈhɑːˌkonɑrˌson] ; Norwegian : Håkon Håkonsson ), sometimes called Haakon

836-493: A strong personal desire to be approved fully as a European king. Several papal commissions were appointed to investigate the matter, and Haakon declared his legitimate son Haakon the Young his successor instead of an older living illegitimate son. Although Haakon had children with his mistress Kanga the Young prior to his marriage with Margrete, it was his children with Margrete who were designated as his successors in accordance with

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912-503: A superficial emulator of foreign culture. Since the 1960s, historians including Narve Bjørgo , Per Sveaas Andersen , Knut Helle , Svein Haga , and Kåre Lunden have in turn professed a reaction against Koht's view. According to Sverre Bagge, modern historians tend to follow Koht when it comes to see Skule's rebellion as a last desperate attempt to stop Haakon from encroaching on Skule's power, but lean closer to Munch's overall evaluation of

988-405: A view which influenced historians such as Halvdan Koht and Edvard Bull, Sr. Haakon has often been compared with Skule Bårdsson, and historians have taken sides in the old conflict. While Munch saw Skule as a traitor to the rightful Norwegian king, Koht viewed Skule as a heroic figure. On more sketchy grounds, Kinck praised Skule as representing the original and dying Norse culture, and Haakon as

1064-402: Is a term used for the period between 1130 and 1240 in the history of Norway. During this period there were several interlocked conflicts of varying scale and intensity. Although weak in the beginning, the Birkebeiners had the upper hand for most of the conflict's duration. King Haakon IV was the ultimate victor for the Birkebeiners in 1217. In the earlier part of the reign of King Haakon, much of

1140-445: Is commemorated in modern-day Norway by the popular annual skiing event Birkebeinerrennet . Haakon's dramatic childhood was often parallelled with that of former king Olaf Tryggvasson (who introduced Christianity to Norway), as well as with the gospels and Child Jesus , which served an important ideological function for his kingship. In the saga, Haakon is described as bright and witty, and as being small for his age. When he

1216-692: Is nonetheless written openly in support of the political program of the House of Sverre , and the legitimacy of Haakon's kingship. Haakon was born in Folkenborg (now in Eidsberg ) to Inga of Varteig in the summer of 1204, probably in March or April. The father was widely regarded to have been King Haakon Sverresson , as Inga had been with Haakon in his hostel in Borg (now Sarpsborg ) in late 1203. King Haakon

1292-601: Is the Saga of Haakon Haakonsson , which was written in the years immediately following his death. Commissioned by his son Magnus , it was written by the Icelandic writer and politician Sturla Þórðarson (nephew of the famous historian Snorri Sturluson ). Having come into conflict with the royal representative in Iceland, Sturla came to Norway in 1263 in an attempt to reconcile with Haakon. When he arrived, he learned that Haakon

1368-635: The Trondheim Cathedral School after the Earl's death in 1214. Haakon was brought up alongside Inge's son Guttorm, and they were treated as the same. When he was eleven, some of Haakon's friends provoked the king by asking him to give Haakon a region to govern. When Haakon was approached by the men and was urged to take up arms against Inge, he rejected it in part because of his young age and its bad prospects, as well as because he believed it would be morally wrong to fight Inge and thus split

1444-408: The royal estate in Bergen , where he built a European-style stone palace. He used a grand fleet with stately royal ships when meeting with other Scandinavian rulers, and actively sent letters and gifts to other European rulers; his most far-reaching contact was achieved when he sent gyrfalcons with an embassy to the sultan of Tunis . The royal court in Bergen also started importing and translating

1520-604: The Arthurian romantic story Tristan and Iseult , which was finished in 1226 after orders from the young and newly-wed Haakon. Haakon's programme seems to have been the spark for the emergence of a new Norse genre of chivalric sagas . Haakon also had the popular religious text Visio Tnugdali translated into Old Norse as Duggals leiðsla . The literature also appealed to women, and both Haakon's wife Margrete and his daughter Kristina owned richly illustrated psalters . Haakon also initiated legal reforms which were crucial for

1596-582: The Baglers started hunting Haakon, a group of Birkebeiners fled with the child in the winter of 1205/06, heading for Inge Bårdsson , the new Birkebeiner king in Nidaros (now Trondheim ). As the party was struck by a blizzard, two of the best Birkebeiner skiers , Torstein Skevla and Skjervald Skrukka, carried on with the child over the mountain from Lillehammer to Østerdalen . They eventually managed to bring Haakon to safety with King Inge; this particular event

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1672-549: The Birkebeiner. He instead said that he prayed that God would give him his share of his father's inheritance when the time was right. After King Inge's death in 1217, a succession dispute erupted. Haakon was supported by the majority of Birkebeiners, including the veterans who had served under his father and grandfather. Other candidates included Inge's illegitimate son Guttorm (who dropped out very soon); Inge's half-brother Earl Skule Bårdsson , who had been appointed leader of

1748-662: The Ghibelline Emperor Frederick II, who sent ambassadors to Norway. As Haakon had gained a powerful reputation due to the strength of his fleet, other European rulers wanted to benefit from his friendship. Despite the struggle between the Pope and the Emperor, Haakon was able to maintain friendships with both. According to an English chronicler, the Pope wanted Haakon to become Holy Roman Emperor. It has been suggested that Haakon hesitated to leave Norway due to

1824-505: The Hebrides and Man. Alexander started negotiations after Norwegian landings on the Scottish mainland, but the Scots purposely prolonged the talks. The Scots waited until September and October for weather that would be trouble for Haakon's fleet. A Scottish force met a smaller Norwegian force at the Battle of Largs (2 October). Although the battle was inconclusive, Haakon withdrew to Orkney for

1900-511: The King of England; the first known Norwegian trade agreements were made with England in the years 1217–23 (England's first commercial treaties were also made with Norway), and the friendship with Henry III of England was a cornerstone of Haakon's foreign policy. As they had become kings around the same time, Haakon wrote to Henry in 1224 that he wished they could maintain the friendship that had existed between their fathers. Haakon sought to defend

1976-692: The Mongol threat. Haakon pursued a foreign policy that was active in all directions (although foremost to the west and south-east). In the north-east, the relationship with Novgorod had been tense due to a dispute over the right to tax the Sami people , as well as raiding from both Norwegian and Karelian sides. Eventually, the Mongol invasion of Rus' drove Prince Alexander Nevsky to negotiations with Haakon that likely strengthened Norwegian control of Troms and Finnmark . An embassy from Novgorod one time asked for

2052-541: The Mongols, Haakon allowed them to stay in the area surrounding the Malangen fjord and had them Christianized—something that would please the papacy. Later, in 1248, Louis IX of France proposed (by Matthew Paris as messenger) to Haakon to join him for a Crusade, with Haakon as commander of the fleet, but Haakon declined. While Haakon had been unsuccessful in gaining the recognition of Pope Gregory IX , he quickly gained

2128-813: The Norwegian sovereignty over islands in the west, namely the Hebrides and Man (under the Kingdom of Mann and the Isles ), Shetland and Orkney (under the Earldom of Orkney ), and the Faroe Islands . Further, the Norse community in Greenland agreed to submit to the Norwegian crown in 1261, and in 1262 Haakon achieved one of his long-standing ambitions when he incorporated Iceland into his kingdom by exploiting

2204-448: The Old in contrast to his namesake son , was King of Norway from 1217 to 1263. His reign lasted for 46 years, longer than any Norwegian king since Harald Fairhair . Haakon was born into the troubled civil war era in Norway , but his reign eventually managed to put an end to the internal conflicts. At the start of his reign, during his minority, Earl Skule Bårdsson served as regent . As

2280-579: The Swedes, as well as ties with opponents of the ruling line of monarchs of Denmark. In 1249, Haakon allied with Earl Birger for a joint Swedish-Norwegian invasion into Halland and Scania , but the agreement was eventually abandoned by the Swedes ( see Treaty of Lödöse ). Haakon claimed Halland in 1253, and finally invaded the province on his own in 1256, demanding it as compensation for the looting of Norwegian ships in Danish seas. But he renounced this claim in

2356-514: The Viken party, the tables turned when Sverre entered the political scene claiming to be the illegitimate son of king Sigurd Munn . Sverre sought assistance from the Swedish earl Birger Brosa who sent him Swedish forces after some hesitation. One of Birger Brosa's sons, Philippus Birgersson, became Sverre's earl. Under Sverre's leadership, the Birkebeiner movement was re-organized and pruned and

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2432-457: The Younger av Folkindberg (who is only known by name) (1198–1225), before 1225. They were: Haakon married Margrete Skulesdatter on 25 May 1225, daughter of his rival Earl Skule Bårdsson . Their children were: Håkon and Kristin were the mascots of the 1994 Winter Olympics . Håkon is named after Haakon IV of Norway and Kristin after Christina of Norway . In The Last King (2016),

2508-453: The bishopric of Nidaros and had subsequently made his underage son Magnus Erlingsson the king of Norway. The party that was behind their rule was not called the Bagli party ( Bagler ) during their time, but only later. The rival forces against the Birkebeins were dubbed several names, successively Lendsmenn , Heklungs , Kuvlungs , Øyskjeggs and Bagler . After some initial victories for

2584-408: The border-area around Elven from the late 1240s through the 1250s. He sent grand fleets as embassies; some reportedly numbered over 300 ships. Haakon also reconciled with the Swedes when he his son Haakon the Young married Rikissa , a daughter of Swedish leader Earl Birger . Haakon sought to expand his kingdom southwards of Elven into the Danish province of Halland . He thus looked for alliance with

2660-534: The campaign or crusade he had proposed in Morocco (seeing that the Iberian Moors received backing overseas from North Africa). Haakon could thus potentially also fulfill his papal vow of crusade, although he likely did not intend to. He sent an embassy to Castile in 1255. A Castilian ambassador to Norway returned with the embassy, and proposed to establish the "strongest ties of friendship" with Haakon. At

2736-537: The city of Bergen to the Hanseatic League . During the conflict, Haakon had reportedly been offered control over the city by Emperor Frederick II. In any case, Haakon's policy regarding Northern German ports largely derived from his strategy of attempting to exploit the internal turmoil in Denmark after the death of King Valdemar II in 1241. In Scandinavia, Haakon regularly met with neighbouring rulers in

2812-411: The development of justice in Norway. Haakon's "New Law", written around 1260, was a breakthrough for both the idea and practice of public justice, as opposed to the traditional Norwegian customs of feuds and revenge. The influence of the reforms is also apparent in Haakon's Konungs skuggsjá ("King's Mirror"), an educational text intended for his son Magnus, which was probably written in cooperation with

2888-700: The dispute could have divided the Birkebeiners, Skule settled on becoming regent for Haakon during his minority. In connection with the dispute over the royal election, Haakon's mother Inga had to prove his parentage through a trial by ordeal in Bergen in 1218. The result of the trial strengthened the legal basis for his kingship, and improved his relationship with the Church. The saga's claim that Haakon already had been generally accepted as king in 1217/18 has however been contested by modern historians such as Sverre Bagge . Skule and Haakon increasingly drifted apart in their administration, and Skule focused mainly on governing Eastern Norway after 1220, which he had gained

2964-434: The east, in what marked a setback despite his military victory. In 1224, Sigurd escaped from Skule's custody, and Haakon was left to fight him alone as the new ruler of Eastern Norway. Skule remained passive throughout the rest of the war, and his support for Haakon was lukewarm at best. Assuming the military lead in the fight, Haakon nevertheless defeated Ribbung through comprehensive and organisationally demanding warfare over

3040-692: The end of his rule added Iceland and the Norse Greenland community to his kingdom, leaving the Norwegian realm at its territorial height. Although he for the moment managed to secure Norwegian control of the islands off the northern and western shores of Scotland, plus the Isle of Man , he fell ill and died when wintering in Orkney following some military engagements with the expanding Kingdom of Scotland . The main source of information concerning Haakon

3116-406: The final end of Norway's civil war era. While the Church in Norway initially had refused to recognise Haakon as King of Norway, it had largely turned to support his claim to the throne by the 1223 meeting, although later disagreements occurred. Despite being the undisputed ruler of Norway after 1240, Haakon was still not approved as king by the pope due to his illegitimate birth. He nonetheless had

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3192-512: The first true European literature that became available to a wider Norwegian audience. The literature which was popular then was heroic-romantic literature derived from the French and, in turn, English courts, notably chansons de geste around Charlemagne (the Matter of France ) and tales of King Arthur (the Matter of Britain ). The first work that was translated into Old Norse was reportedly

3268-522: The hand of Haakon's daughter Christina , but Haakon refused due to the Mongol threat. With Norwegian ships from the port of Elven were active in the waters south of Sweden and into the Baltic Sea , Norway increasingly relied on Baltic grain from Lübeck . This trade was halted in the late 1240s by the plundering of Norwegian ships in Danish seas by ships from Lübeck. In 1250, Haakon made a peace and trade agreement with Lübeck, which eventually also opened

3344-456: The importance of Bergen as a trading centre, while Orkney, the Hebrides, and Man had more natural ties with the Scottish mainland. Although traditionally having had ties with the community of Norse settlers in northern Scotland , Scottish rulers had increasingly asserted their sovereignty over the entire mainland. Haakon had at the same time gained stronger control of the Hebrides and Man than any Norwegian ruler since Magnus Barefoot . As part of

3420-471: The island's internal conflicts in his favour. The dependency on Norwegian maritime trade and their subordination to the Nidaros ecclesiastical province were some of the key reasons which allowed Haakon to assert sovereignty over the islands. The Norwegian kingdom was at the largest it has ever been by the end of Haakon's reign. Norwegian control over the Faroe Islands and Shetland was strong due to

3496-534: The islands. Haakon learned in 1262 that Scottish nobles had raided the Hebrides and that Alexander III planned to conquer the islands. In 1263 Haakon mounted an expedition with his formidable leidang fleet of at least 120 ships. He had become accustomed to negotiating while backed by an intimidating fleet. The fleet left Bergen in July, and reached Shetland and Orkney in August, where they were joined by chieftains from

3572-527: The journey are dramatised in The Last King . The Birkebeins managed to hold some power, despite short reigns of their monarchs. In 1209, a resolution was made between Bagler and Birkebeiner. Bagler pretender Philip Simonsson was recognized as ruler of the eastern third of the country, Østlandet , without the title of king. Birkebeiner's Inge Baardsson was recognized to be King of Norway. They both died in 1217 and Birkebeiner-born Haakon IV ascended

3648-822: The king's hird at Inge's deathbed and was supported by the Archbishop of Nidaros as well as part of the Birkebeiners; and Haakon the Crazy's son, Knut Haakonsson . With his widespread popular support in Trøndelag and western Norway, Haakon was proclaimed king at Øyrating in June 1217. He was later the same year hailed as king at Gulating in Bergen, and at Haugating , Borgarting and local things east of Elven (Göta Älv). While Skule's supporters initially had attempted to cast doubt about Haakon's royal ancestry, they eventually suspended open resistance to his candidacy. As

3724-473: The most criminal elements were brutally purged from the party. The army consisted more and more of mercenaries from Sweden and England . As early as 1177, Sverre was proclaimed king by his followers, but in reality his power did not extend beyond the borders of Trøndelag and it took two decisive battles in 1179 and 1184 before he could be formally elected king. By then, both the main opponents were dead, i.e., earl Erling (1179) and King Magnus Erlingsson (1184), and

3800-594: The next few years. As part of the campaign, Haakon additionally led a large army into the Värmland district of Sweden in 1225, to punish the inhabitants for their support of Sigurd. Sigurd died in 1226, and the revolt was finally quashed in 1227 with the surrender of its last leader, Haakon the Crazy's son Knut Haakonsson. This left Haakon more or less uncontested monarch. Haakon's councillors had sought to reconcile Haakon and Skule by proposing marriage between Haakon and Skule's daughter Margaret in 1219. Haakon accepted

3876-459: The opposition was greatly reduced. The Birkebeiner's political program was a continuation of earl Erling's centralization which underscores the geographical motivations behind the movement. Their leadership did not seek a social revolution, only to move the centre of power back to Trøndelag. The opposition around Viken organized in 1196 into a new faction called the Bagler . Around the year 1200,

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3952-441: The parties of Bagler and Birkebeiners. The rallying point was regularly a royal son, who was set up as the figurehead of the party in question, to oppose the rule of the king from the contesting party. The Birkebein party was formed of some earlier groups with the original goal of deposing king Magnus V of Norway (Magnus Erlingsson) and his father Earl Erling Skakke . From a socio-historical perspective, scholars have interpreted

4028-470: The party as the result of the rapid increase in landless markamenn (meaning "border men"), who settled along the Swedish border and made their living by pillaging the rich old settlements. It was this lawless population that became the foremost basis of the Birkebeiner, even though it is questionable whether their leaders were paupers wearing shoes made of birch bark. Their leadership came from Trøndelag ,

4104-409: The party. Today, the historic event of the rescue of Haakon Haakonsson is honoured in Norway by three annual sporting events, a run, Birkebeinerløpet ; a mountain bike race, Birkebeinerrittet ; a cross-country ski race, Birkebeinerrennet and, beginning in 2012, Landeveisbirken , a road bicycle race. Common for the bike and ski events is the requirement of carrying a backpack weighing 3.5 kg as

4180-672: The pope and the Holy Roman Emperor , despite their conflict. He was at different points offered the imperial crown by the pope, the High Kingship of Ireland by a delegation of Irish kings, and the command of the French crusader fleet by the French king. He amplified the influence of European culture in Norway by importing and translating contemporary European literature into Old Norse , and by constructing monumental European-style stone buildings. In conjunction with this he employed an active and aggressive foreign policy, and at

4256-510: The pretender to the throne. In 1206, the Birkebeiners set off on a dangerous journey through treacherous mountains and forests, taking the now one-year-old Haakon Haakonsson to safety in Trondheim . Norwegian history credits the Birkebeiners' bravery with preserving the life of the boy who later became King Haakon Haakonsson IV , ended the civil wars in 1240 and forever changing Northern Europe 's history through his reign. The events surrounding

4332-424: The process or moved to another location. Norwegian historians have held differing views on Haakon's reign. In the 19th century, P. A. Munch portrayed Haakon as a mighty, almost flawless ruler, which in turn influenced Henrik Ibsen in his 1863 play The Pretenders . In the early 20th century, poet Hans E. Kinck countered and viewed Haakon as an insignificant king subordinated to forces outside of his control,

4408-439: The proposal (although he did not think it would change much politically), but the marriage between Haakon and Margrete did not take place before 1225, partly due to the conflict with Sigurd. The relationship between Haakon and Skule nevertheless deteriorated further during the 1230s, and attempted settlements at meetings in 1233 and 1236 only distanced them more from each other. Periodically, the two nonetheless reconciled and spent

4484-425: The request of Alfonso, Haakon sent his daughter Christina to Castile to marry one of Alfonso's brothers. However, Christina died four years later without children, which marked the effective end of the short-lived alliance, and the proposed crusade fell into the blue. Haakon employed an active and aggressive foreign policy to strengthen Norwegian ties in the west. His policy relied on friendship and trade with

4560-399: The right to rule in 1218 as his third of the Norwegian kingdom. From 1221 to 1223, Haakon and Skule separately issued letters as rulers of Norway, and maintained official contacts abroad. In 1223 a great meeting of bishops, clergy, secular nobles, and other high-ranking figures from all across the country was held in Bergen to decide finally on Haakon's right to the throne. Other candidates to

4636-422: The rival groups shared the goal of controlling the entire country. In 1202, when King Sverre died, he had managed to acquire most of Norway, but in Østerdalen , the Baglers were still very powerful. Sverre's death meant some decrease in the power of the Birkebeins. His successor, King Haakon Sverresson , died only two years later, leaving his son Haakon Haakonsson as the ultimate target for the Baglers to get rid of

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4712-637: The royal court in the mid-1250s. Relations were hostile with both Sweden and Denmark from the start of his reign. During Haakon's rivalry with Earl Skule, Skule sought the support of Valdemar II of Denmark , but any aid was made impossible after Valdemar's capture by one of his vassals. Since the Danes wanted overlordship of Norway and supported the Guelphs (those supporting the Pope over the Holy Roman Emperor), Haakon in turn sought closer ties with

4788-483: The royal power was in the hands of Skule Bårdsson . In 1239, the conflict between the two erupted into open warfare, when Skule had himself proclaimed king in Nidaros . The rebellion ended in 1240 when Skule was put to death. The background for these conflicts was 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 condensing into

4864-494: The support from Pope Innocent IV who sought alliances in his struggle with Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II . Haakon finally achieved royal recognition by Pope Innocent in 1246, and Cardinal William of Sabina was sent to Bergen and crowned Haakon in 1247. After consolidating his position in 1240, Haakon focused on displaying the supremacy of the kingship, influenced by the increasingly closer contact with European culture. He built several monumental royal buildings, primarily in

4940-451: The throne were present either personally or through attorneys, but Haakon was in the end unanimously confirmed as King of Norway by the court. The last Bagler king Philip Simonsson died in 1217. Speedy political and military manoeuvering by Skule led to a reconciliation between the Birkebeiners and Baglers, and thus the reunification of the kingdom. However, some discontented Baglers found a new royal pretender, Sigurd Ribbung , and launched

5016-409: The throne, relatively unopposed, under the regency of Duke Skule . The city arms of Lillehammer show a Birkebeiner skiing in honour of the historic rescue. The mascots Håkon and Kristin of the 1994 Winter Olympics are depicted as Birkebeiner children, bearing the names of the son and daughter of king Sverre. Near Drammen , the sports association Idrettsforeningen Birkebeineren took their name from

5092-441: The two men. Knut Helle interprets the saga to leave an impression of Skule as a skilled warrior and politician, while noting that the author of the saga purposely created a diffuse image of his role in the conflict with Haakon. On the other hand, Helle notes that Skule was outmaneuvered with relative ease by Haakon's supporters in the years immediately after 1217, and that this may suggest some limited abilities. While neither giving

5168-707: The winter. A delegation of Irish kings invited Haakon to become the High King of Ireland and expel the Anglo-Norman settlers in Ireland, but this was apparently rejected against Haakon's wish. Haakon over-wintered at the Bishop's Palace in Kirkwall, Orkney , with plans to resume his campaign the next year. During his stay in Kirkwall he however fell ill, and died in the early hours of 16 December 1263. Haakon

5244-666: Was buried in the St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall for the winter; in spring, his body was exhumed and taken back to Norway, where he was buried in the Old Cathedral in his capital Bergen. Centuries later, in 1531, the cathedral was demolished by the commander of Bergenhus , Eske Bille , for military purposes in connection with the Protestant Reformation , and the graves of Haakon and other Norwegian kings buried there might have been destroyed in

5320-433: Was empowered by the strong institutional position of the kingship at the end of his reign (which he had developed himself), and that his policies were not always successful. Helle nonetheless recognises the substantial political abilities and powerful determination Haakon must have had in order to progress from the difficult position in which he started his reign. Haakon had three illegitimate children with his mistress Kanga

5396-430: Was in Scotland, and that Magnus ruled Norway in his place. While Magnus initially took an unfriendly attitude towards Sturla, his talents as a story-teller and skald eventually won him the favour of Magnus and his men. The saga is considered the most detailed and reliable of all sagas concerning Norwegian kings, building on both written archive material and oral information from individuals who had been close to Haakon. It

5472-545: Was notably the first Norwegian king to receive formal education at a school. From the late civil war era, the government administration relied increasingly on written communication, which in turn demanded literate leaders. When Haakon was in Bergen under the care of Haakon the Crazy, he began his education at the age of seven, likely at the Bergen Cathedral School . He continued his education under King Inge at

5548-425: Was on the other hand prepared to give the Church much autonomy in internal affairs and relations with the rural society. Haakon also attempted to strengthen his ties with the papacy by taking a vow to go on Crusade . In 1241 he converted this into a vow of waging war against pagan peoples in the north in light of the Mongol invasion of Europe . When a group of Karelians ("Bjarmians") had been forced westwards by

5624-470: Was part of an attempt by Haakon to limit Skule's power. In 1239 the conflict between the two erupted into open warfare when Skule had himself proclaimed king. Although he had some support in Trøndelag, Opplandene, and eastern Viken, he could not stand up to Haakon's forces. The rebellion ended when Skule was killed in 1240, leaving Haakon the undisputed king of Norway. This revolt is generally taken to mark

5700-472: Was the leader of the Birkebeiner faction in the ongoing civil war against the Bagler faction. He was dead by the time his son Haakon was born (many believed to have been poisoned by his Swedish stepmother Margaret ), but Inga's claim was supported by several of the king's followers. Haakon was born in Bagler-controlled territory, and his mother's claim placed them in a dangerous position. When

5776-565: Was three years old, he was captured by the Baglers but refused to call the Bagler king Philip Simonsson his lord (he nonetheless came from the capture unharmed). When he learned at the age of eight that King Inge Bårdsson and his brother Earl Haakon the Crazy had made an agreement for the succession to the throne that excluded himself, Haakon pointed out that the agreement was invalid due to his attorney not having been present. He subsequently identified his attorney as "God and Saint Olaf ." Haakon

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