Magnus V of Norway

Magnus V Erlingson (1156 - 1184) king of Norway of 1162 with 1184

Magnus Erlingsson born in 1156 was the son Christina of Norway, the legitimate girl of the king Sigurd I, and of noble the Erling Skakke. He is elected king in 1162 with the support of the church after the death of Inge I and is crowned by the bishops in 1164. His/her father appointed regent of the kingdom, eliminates various applicants before falling in him even the June 29th 1179 in a combat against Sverre Sigurdsson which had proclaimed king in his turn with the support of the party of Birkebeiner.

Magnus V also is finally overcome to him by Sverre Sigurdsson in 1180. It must be withdrawn in Denmark. It is killed the June 15th 1184 at the time of the Bataille of Fimreite after an ultimate attempt to find its throne.

Magnus V had married Elrid Björnsdatter, widowed young person of Thoerer Skindfeld, and the girl of Björn Byrdasvend and Ranfrid Guttormsdatter. The couple had three legitimate girls:

Christina married in 1208 with Hreidar Sendemand a chief of the party of Baglers.
Ingeborg died in 1213 and married in 1204 with Peter Steyper, wire of a sister of the king Sverre Sigurdsson.
Magareta married in 1206 with Philippe de Vegin

Many applicants with the throne supported by the party of the Baglers proclaimed, after its death, its illegitimate sons.

Vikar king of Varbelgs killed in 1190
Inge Magnusson 1st king of Baglers in 1196 killed in 1202
Erling Steinvegg 2nd king of Baglers in 1205 died into 1206/1207.
Benedikt "roi" of Slitungs died in 1222

Birkebeiner

The authoritarian regime imposed as from 1161 by the regent Erling Skakke father of the young king Magnus V Erlingsson and his attempt to exterminate all the descent of the king Harald IV which he regarded as a usurper, generated a very strong opposition to its capacity and drew up against him new forces which relit the civil war. Many convinced opponents that Erling sought to eliminate them estimated that the armed struggle was their only means of surviving. With their following They were withdrawn in the forests and the mountains where as of the brigands they lived a life of constant dangers. This party the dissatisfied popular ones had gathered in the little populated areas of the Eastern borders from where they were thrown alternatively on the Vestfold or Viken and Oslo or the Trondelag and Trondheim. They could thus easily seek refuge in Sweden. In the concern of legitimating their combat, they brought supports to them with all the applicants, kids true or supposed of the royal family. They were called Birkebeiner (i.e leggings of birch ) because they were sometimes obliged to cover their feet with birch bark in the place of shoes.

In their combat against the “tyrannical” mode of Erling and minor king Magnus, Birkebeiner were to be transformed into “patriotic” party which shortly after under the control of an extraordinary chief carried out a revolution and revived the lost ideal of plain and independent Norway directed by a strong monarchy.

Initially Birkebeiner joined around Eystein Eysteinsson a small son of Harald IV and a natural son of the king Eystein Haraldsson It was young person, small and had pretty a face and was called for that Møyla (virgin). Swedish Jarl Birger Brosa (+1202) which was married with Brigitta a girl of promised Harald IV her assistance and the money supply and men.

Sources

Heimskringla of Snorri Sturluson

Sagas off the Norse King " Magnus Erlingson" Chapter XVII (English translation) for the years of 1162 to 1177

Sverissaga of Karl Jonsson

Saga of king Sverre of Norway (English translation) for the end of the reign

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