The Birkebein Party or Birkebeinar was the name for a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 around the pretender Eystein Meyla. The name has its origins in propaganda from the opposing party that the rebels were so poor that they made their shoes of birch bark. Although originally a pejorative term, the birkebeiner adopted the name for themselves, and continued using it after they came to power in 1184. Eystein the Maiden, Øystein Øysteinsson Møyla was elected a rival king of Norway at Øyratinget in 1176. ... Birch bark or birchbark is generally understood to be the bark of the Paper Birch tree (Betula papyrifera), or sometimes of related species such as Gray (Wire) Birch (Betula populifolia). ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ...

The civil war era of Norwegian history lasted from 1130 to 1217. During this period there were several interlocked conflicts of varying scale and intensity. Although weak in the beginning, the Birkebeins had the upper hand in the dispute almost all the time it existed. King Haakon IV was the ultimate victor for the Birkebeins in 1217. Norwegian longship The Civil war era of Norwegian history (Norwegian borgerkrigstida) is a term used for the period between 1130 and 1240 in the history of Norway. ... // [edit] Etymology Modern etymologists believe the countrys name means the northward route (the way north), which in Old Norse would be nor veg or *norð vegr. ... An illustration of Hákon, King of Norway, and his son Magnus, from Flateyjarbók Håkon IV (1204 – December 16, 1263), (Norwegian Håkon Håkonsson, Old Norse Hákon Hákonarson) also called Haakon the Old. ...

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 Birkebeins. Introduction Succession laws are used for determining who will be the next heir to the throne of a kingdom, principality, etc. ... The Bagler faction which was made up of aristocracy, clergy and merchants contested with the Birkebeiners, essentially a faction of peasants, led by the pretender King Sverre, for control in a Norwegian civil war during the late 12th century. ...

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 the king from the contesting party.

The Birkebein party was formed of some earlier groups with the original goal to depose king Magnus V of Norway (Magnus Erlingsson) and his father Earl Erling Skakke. Magnus Erlingsson (1156-1184) was a king of Norway, from Etne in Hordaland. ... Erling Skakke, the son of Kyrpinga-Orm, was a Norwegian strongman and earl during the 13th century. ...

From a socio-historical perspective, scholars have interpreted 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, 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 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. Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the middle of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. ... Viken (literally the bay) is a landscape defined by Oslofjord in southeastern Norway which terminates at Terra Scania on the coast of West Sweden. ... Vestlandet is the region along the Atlantic coast of southern Norway. ... (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Events Eric IX of Sweden is succeeded by Karl Sverkersson. ... Nidaros was the old name of Trondheim, Norway, in the middle ages. ... Magnus Erlingsson (1156-1184). ...

The rival forces against Birkebeins were dubbed by several names, successively Lendsmenn, Heklungs, Kuvlungs, Oyskjeggs and Bagler. The Bagler faction which was made up of aristocracy, clergy and merchants contested with the Birkebeiners, essentially a faction of peasants, led by the pretender King Sverre, for control in a Norwegian civil war during the late 12th century. ...

After some initial victories of 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, Filip, became Sverre's earl. Sverre Sigurdsson (Old Norse Sverrir Sigurðsson) (c. ... Sigurd II (1133–1155) was the son of Harald Gille, king of Norway and his mistress Tora Guttormsdottir. ... Birger Brosas sealBirger Brosa (Brosa means smiling), earl of Sweden 1174-1202, d. ...

Under Sverre's leadership, the Birkebeiner movement was re-organized and pruned and the most criminal elements were brutally purged from the party. The army consisted more and more of mercenaries from Sweden and England. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ...

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 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. Viken (literally the bay) is a landscape defined by Oslofjord in southeastern Norway which terminates at Terra Scania on the coast of West Sweden. ... The Bagler faction which was made up of aristocracy, clergy and merchants contested with the Birkebeiners, essentially a faction of peasants, led by the pretender King Sverre, for control in a Norwegian civil war during the late 12th century. ...

1200 onwards

Rescue of Haakon Haakonsson, painted by Knud Bergslien 1869

Around the year 1200, the rival groups shared the identical but opposite 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 power of 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 the pretender to the throne. In 1206, the Birkebeiners set off on a dangerous voyage through treacherous mountains and forests, taking the now two-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 changed Northern Europe's history through his reign. Image File history File links Birkebeinerne_ski. ... Image File history File links Birkebeinerne_ski. ... Haakon III (HÃ¥kon Sverreson) was a king of Norway from 1202-1204. ... County Sør-Trøndelag District Municipality NO-1601 Administrative centre Trondheim Mayor (2005) Rita Ottervik (AP) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 258 342 km² 322 km² 0. ... An illustration of Hákon, King of Norway, and his son Magnus, from Flateyjarbók HÃ¥kon IV (1204 – December 16, 1263), (Norwegian HÃ¥kon HÃ¥konsson, Old Norse Hákon Hákonarson) also called Haakon the Old. ... Northern Europe is marked in dark blue Northern Europe is a name of the northern part of the European continent. ...

The Birkebeins managed to hold some power, despite short reigns of their monarchs, and in 1209 a resolution was made between Bagler and Birkebeiner, which recognized Bagler pretender Philip as ruler of Opland and Vigen without the title of king, and recognized Birkebeiner's Inge Baardsson as king. They both died in 1217 and Birkebeiner-born Haakon IV ascended the throne, relatively unopposed, under the regency of Duke Skule. Håkon IV (1204—December 15, 1263), also called Haakon the Old, was declared to be the son of Håkon III of Norway, the leader of the Birkebeiner, who had seized control over large parts of Norway in 1202. ... Skule Baardsson or Duke Skule (old norse Skúli Bárðarson) was an earl and a duke in Norway during the reign of king Haakon Haakonsson. ...

Birkebeiner Run

Today, the historic event of the rescue of Haakon Haakonsson is honoured in Norway by three annual sporting events, a run, a mountain bike race and a cross-country ski race, Birkebeinerrennet or the Birkebeiner Run. Common for these events is the requirement of carrying a heavy backpack weighing 3.5 kg as a remembrance of the child the Birkebeiners had to carry on their journey. The events are located in the Lillehammer and Rena area. There are also sister cross-country ski races held in Hayward, WI USA (the American Birkebeiner) and in Canada [1]. Birkebeinerrennet (lit. ... KG, Kg or kg may indicate: A Kampfgeschwader, a bomber squadron of the former German Luftwaffe Basketball Player Kevin Garnett An abbreviation for kilogram (always kg) Knight of the Garter, a British decoration Kommanditgesellschaft, German version of a limited partnership Kongo language (ISO 639 alpha-2) An abbreviation for konig... County Oppland District Gudbrandsdal Municipality NO-0501 Administrative centre Lillehammer Mayor (2005) Synnøve Brenden Klemetrud (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 211 477 km² 450 km² 0. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The American Birkebeiner (or Birkie) is one of the longest cross country ski races in North America. ...