Sverre Sigurdsson (Old Norse Sverrir Sigurðsson) (c. 1145/1151 - 1202) was a king of Norway from 1184-1202. Many consider him one of the most important rulers in Norwegian history. He assumed power as the leader of the rebel group, the Birkebeins, during their struggle against King Magnus Erlingsson. After Magnus fell at the Battle of Fimreite in 1184, Sverre ruled as sole king of Norway. Differences with the Church, however, led to his excommunication in 1194. Another civil war began against the church-supported Baglers, which lasted beyond Sverre's death in 1202. Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ... Events Pope Lucius II is succeeded by Pope Eugene III Nur ad-Din ascends to power in Syria Construction begins on Notre-Dame dChartres in Chartres, France Korean historian Kim Pusik compiled the historical text Samguk Sagi. ... Events Ghazni is burned by the princes of Ghur Geoffrey of Anjou dies, and succeeded by his son Henry, aged 18. ... Events August 1 - Arthur of Brittany captured in Mirebeau, north of Poitiers Beginning of the Fourth Crusade. ... This article is a list of rulers of Norway up until the present, including: The Norwegian kingdom (with the Faroe Islands) The Union with Iceland and Greenland (1262-1814) The Norwegian kingdom (with Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands 1262-1814) The Union of Sweden and Norway (1319-1343) The... Events Abbeville receives its commercial charter. ... Events August 1 - Arthur of Brittany captured in Mirebeau, north of Poitiers Beginning of the Fourth Crusade. ... According to traditional Icelandic sagas, the Nor in Norway is from king Nor Thorrasson, who after founding his sister went home to his territory. ... Birkebeinar was a contemporary pejorative name for a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 by Eystein Meyla. ... Magnus Erlingsson (1156-1184) was a king of Norway, from Etne in Hordaland. ... Events Abbeville receives its commercial charter. ... Excommunication - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Events November 20 - Palermo falls to Henry VI, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire December 25 - Henry VI is crowned king of Sicily. ... 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 most important historical source on Sverre’s life is his biography, Sverris saga, largely written while Sverre was alive. This saga is likely biased, since the foreword states that part was written under Sverre’s direct sponsorship. Biography (from the Greek words bios meaning life, and graphein meaning write) is a genre of literature and other forms of media like film, based on the written accounts of individual lives. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Bias has several different meanings, most relating to an offset or prejudice of some sort. ...

King Sverre was a short man. Thus, he usually directed his troops from horseback during battles. Sverre was a talented improvisor, both in political and military life. His innovative tactics often helped the Birkebeins against more tradition-bound opponents. Tactics is the collective name for methods of winning a small-scale conflict, performing an optimization, etc. ...

Early life

According to the saga, Sverre was born in 1151, allegedly as the son of Gunnhild and her husband Unås, a comb maker from the Faeroes. When Sverre was five, the family moved to the Faeroes where Sverre grew up in the household of Unås’ brother Roe, who was bishop on the Faeroes. Here Sverre received training to become a priest and was also eventually ordained. However, Sverre didn’t settle well into a life as a priest. The saga tells that he had several dreams which he took as signs that he was destined for greater things, and then in 1175, his mother to him revealed that Sverre was really the son of king Sigurd Munn. The next year Sverre travelled to Norway to seek his destiny. Events Ghazni is burned by the princes of Ghur Geoffrey of Anjou dies, and succeeded by his son Henry, aged 18. ... The Faroe Islands (Faroese: Føroyar, meaning Sheep Islands) are a group of islands in the north Atlantic Ocean between Scotland and Iceland. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... Roman Catholic priest LCDR Allen R. Kuss (USN) aboard USS Enterprise A priest or priestess is a holy man or woman who takes an officiating role in worship of any religion, with the distinguishing characteristic of offering sacrifices. ... This article is about the sacrament. ... Destiny or Fate concerns the fixed natural order of the universe. ... Events Ruaidri Ua Conchobair (Rory OConner), last High King of Ireland, submits to Henry II as vassal of Ireland with the Treaty of Windsor Ly Cao Ton becomes ruler of Vietnam William of Tyre becomes archbishop of Tyre Massacre of Abergavenny ends with several noblemen dead at the hands... Sigurd II (1133–1155) was the son of Harald Gille, king of Norway and his mistress Tora Guttormsdottir. ...

The veracity of Sverre’s claim

The tale told in Sverre’s saga is very much the official version. We have only his own word for his paternity. Most modern historians consider his claim to be King Sigurd’s son to be false, an opinion shared with many of Sverre’s contemporaries. That the kings had bastard sons was taken for granted, the main problem is chronological. According to the saga, Sverre was 24 when he learnt about his ancestry. However by Canon law, priest candidates had to be at least 30 years to be eligible, which would put Sverre’s birth date no later than 1145. Sigurd Munn was born in 1133 and could thus not possibly be Sverre’s father. The age requirement could be waived if no other suitable candidates existed, but other indices also points to Sverre being in his early thirties when he came to Norway, such as the age of his own sons and those of his younger sisters. However, if Sverre’s claim was false, he lacks legitimation for contesting the throne, such an enterprise must have seen doomed to failure. However, his motivation is clear enough: the kingship of Norway was appealing and the country had seen similar claimants at least since Harald Gille - whose paternity is not any better proven. In Western culture, canon law is the law of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. ... Events Pope Lucius II is succeeded by Pope Eugene III Nur ad-Din ascends to power in Syria Construction begins on Notre-Dame dChartres in Chartres, France Korean historian Kim Pusik compiled the historical text Samguk Sagi. ... Events Geoffrey of Monmouth produces the Historia Regum Britanniae Durham Cathedral is completed Construction of Exeter Cathedral begun Births March 5 - Henry II of England (died 1189) Honen Shonin, Japanese founder of Pure Land Buddhism (died 1212) Sigurd II of Norway (died 1155) Deaths December 18 - Hildebert, French writer and... Harald Gylle (1103–1136), king of Norway, was born in Ireland. ...

The fact that Sigurd Munn's daughter Cecilia acknowledged Sverre as Sigurd's son lacks evidentiary value. Sverre's actions offered her a welcome possibility to divorce from the marriage with Folkvid lagman, which she claimed to have been forced by Erling Skakke.

Support from earl Birger Brosa of Sweden is rather a sign of pragmatic politics from the part of the Swedes, as their ally party in Norway needed a new leader and had chosen Sverre. Sverre was not the jarl's first choice, they have first supported Eystein Meyla and only after the latter's death transferred. The Swedes obviously chose to support Sverre only after he has shown himself to be a winner. Birger Brosas sealBirger Brosa (Brosa means smiling), earl of Sweden 1174-1202, d. ... Eystein the Maiden, Øystein Øysteinsson Møyla was elected a rival king of Norway at Øyratinget in 1176. ...

Norway in 1176

Norway in 1176 was slowly recovering after several decades of civil wars. These had in large part begun because of the lack of any clear succession laws. According the old customs, all the king’s sons, bastards included, had equal right to the kingship. It was customary for brothers to rule the kingdom together, but when quarrels arose, this often lead to warring and open bloodshed. A civil war is a war in which the competing parties are segments of the same country or empire. ... Introduction Succession laws are used for determining who will be the next heir to the throne of a kingdom, principality, etc. ... For an illegitimate child, see Illegitimacy. ...

The civil wars period of Norwegian history lasted altogether from 1130 to 1217. 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. According to traditional Icelandic sagas, the Nor in Norway is from king Nor Thorrasson, who after founding his sister went home to his territory. ... Events February 13 - Innocent II is elected pope An antipope schism occurs when Roger II of Sicily supports Anacletus II as pope instead of Innocent II. Innocent flees to France and Anacletus crowns Roger King. ... Events April 9 - Peter of Courtenay crowned emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople at Rome, by Pope Honorius III May 20 - First Barons War, royalist victory at Lincoln. ... Introduction Succession laws are used for determining who will be the next heir to the throne of a kingdom, principality, etc. ...

Sigurd Munn, who Sverre claimed as his father, had been slain by his brother Inge Krokrygg in 1155. Sigurd’s son Håkon Herdebrei had then been chosen as king by his father’s followers. The conflict had now assumed aspects of a regional conflict, with King Inge having the strongest support in Viken, while most of Håkon’s followers came from Trøndelag. Inge Krokrygg fell in 1161. His party then took the five year old Magnus Erlingsson as king. Magnus was the son of Erling Skakke and Kristin, daughter of King Sigurd Jorsalfar. In 1162, at the Battle of Veøy, Håkon Herdebrei fell and his faction began to fall apart. In 1164 Magnus was crowned by Øystein Erlendsson, Archbishop of Nidaros. With the Church and most of the aristocracy on his side, Magnus’ kingdom seemed secure. Several uprisings followed, but they were all suppressed. Erling Skakke had been regent during his son’s minority and continued to be the country’s real ruler even after Magnus had come of age. Inge Haraldson, krokrygg the crouchback (1135 - 1161) was the king of Norway between 1136 and 1161. ... Events Frederick I Barbarossa crowned Holy Roman Emperor. ... Haakon II Sigurdsson (Herdebrei), king of Norway from 1157 until 1162. ... Viken (literally the bay) is a landscape defined by Oslofjord in southeastern Norway which terminates at Terra Scania on the coast of West Sweden. ... Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the middle of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. ... Events Bartholomew Iscanus becomes Bishop of Exeter. ... Magnus Erlingsson (1156-1184) was a king of Norway, from Etne in Hordaland. ... Sigurd I Magnusson (1089?-1130), nicknamed Sigurd Jorsalfar (Sigurd the Crusader) was king of Norway 1103-1130. ... Events June 3 - Thomas Becket consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury. ... // Events Count Henry I of Champagne marries Marie de Champagne. ... The Ancient Greek term Aristocracy meant a system of government with rule by the best. This is the first definition given in most dictionaries. ...

Sverre meets the Birkebeins

Thus when Sverre came to Norway, he found the prospects for a successful uprising to be small. Distraught he travelled east and came to Östergötland in Sweden just before Christmas. There he met with the local ruler, Birger Brosa, who married to Sigurd Munn’s sister, Brigit Haraldsdotter. Sverre revealed to Birger Brosa his claim to the throne, but Birger was at first unwilling to give any aid. He was already supporting another group, the Birkebeins’ — the Birchlegs. This group had risen in 1174 under the leadership of Øystein Møyla who claimed to be the son of King Øysten Haraldsson. They had received the name Birkebeins because of their habit to wound the bark of the birch about their legs. But in January 1177, the Birkebeins met a crushing defeat at the Battle of Re and Øystein fell. Sverre met with the remnants in Värmland. After some initial doubts, Sverre let himself be persuaded to become the Birkebeins’ next leader. Östergötland is the name of a geographical region in Sweden which can refer to: Ostrogothia, or Östergötland - a historical Province of Sweden Östergötland County, or Östergötlands län - a current County of Sweden The Eastern part of Götaland - an ancient Land of Sweden This is... Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... Birger Brosas sealBirger Brosa (Brosa means smiling), earl of Sweden 1174-1202, d. ... Birkebeinar was a contemporary pejorative name for a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 by Eystein Meyla. ... Events Vietnam is given the official name of Annam by China. ... Eystein the Maiden, Øystein Øysteinsson Møyla was elected a rival king of Norway at Øyratinget in 1176. ... Øystein Haraldson (died 1157), son of king Harald IV of Norway. ... Species Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. ... January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Events November 25 - Baldwin IV of Jerusalem and Raynald of Chatillon defeat Saladin at the Battle of Montgisard. ... Värmland is the name of a geographical region in Sweden which can refer to: Wermelandia, or Värmland - a historical Province of Sweden Värmland County, or Värmlands län - a current County of Sweden Part of Närke and Värmland County, or Närkes och V...

Rise to power

When he met them, the Birkebeins had been reduced to little more than a ragtag army of brigands and vagabonds, no more than 70 men according to the saga. That Sverre over time managed to forge them into a force of skilled and professional soldiers, stands as testimony of his leadership qualities.

Difficult years

During the first years as leader of the Birkebeins, Sverre and his men were almost constantly on the move. The populace most of all wanted peace, and the Birkebeins were viewed as troublemakers with little chance to success. The peasant gatherings were no match for the battle hardened Birkebeins, but as soon Magnus or Erling Skakke came too close, the Birkebeins were forced to flee.

In 1177, Sverre first led his men to Trøndelag where Sverre was hailed as king at Øreting in June. This was an important symbolic event, since traditionally new kings were chosen there. After this, the Birkebeins moved south until they came to Hadeland, where they were forced to move northwards again. Sverre then decided to move west in an attempt to take Bergen by surprise, but at Voss the Birkebeins were ambushed by the local peasants. Although the Birkebeins were victorious, the surprise element was now gone, and they had to move east again. After almost freezing to death on Sognefjell, they spent the winter in Østerdal. June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. ... Hadeland is a landscape located at the southern end of lake Randsfjorden in Oppland, Norway. ... County Hordaland Landscape Midhordland Municipality NO-1201 Administrative centre Bergen Mayor (2004) Herman Friele (H) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 215 465 km² 445 km² 0. ... County Hordaland Landscape Municipality NO-1235 Administrative centre Voss Mayor (2003) Bjørn Christensen (Ap) Official language form Nynorsk Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 38 1,806 km² 1,732 km² 0. ... The upper river valleys of Norwegian rivers have distinctive names which are vestiges of earlier cultural distinctions such as building styles, traditional clothing or bunad and domestic crafts. ...

The next spring, after a short stay in Viken, Sverre and the Birkebeins went back to Trøndelag. The Birkebeins now shifted to a more confrontational strategy, but their attack on the city of Nidaros failed, and the Birkebeins were beaten at the Battle of Hatthammeren. Defeated, they fled south until they met Magnus’ army in Ringerike. This skirmish ended in a tactical victory for the Birkebeins. Encouraged, the Birkebeins moved north to Trøndelag again and managed to subdue the region enough to stay in Nidaros during the winter. Nidaros was the old name of Trondheim, Norway, in the middle ages. ... Ringerike is a municipality in the county of Buskerud, Norway. ...

Spring 1179, Magnus and Erling Skakke arrived with their army, and Sverre once again abandoned Nidaros. Confident that the Birkebeins had again fled southwards, Magnus’ men grew lax. However, this time Sverre turned around at Gauldal and marched upon the city. The two armies met 19 June in the Battle of Kalvskinnet. Here Erling Skakke was killed and the battle ended in a clear victory for Sverre. With this victory Sverre secured his grip on Trøndelag. Events Third Council of the Lateran condemned Waldensians and Cathars as heretics, institutes a reformation of clerical life, and creates the first ghettos for Jews Afonso I is recognized as the true King of Portugal by Portugal the protection of the Catholic Church against the Castillian monarchy Philip II is... Gauldal is a landscape in the central part of Norway, consisting of the municipalities Midtre Gauldal and Rennebu. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ...

Victory over the Heklungs

After Sverre’s victory at Kalvskinnet, the war changed somewhat in character. The Trønders accepted Sverre as their king; the two sides were now much more equal in power. At some point, Magnus’ party acquired the nickname Heklungs. Hekle is Old Norse for hood and is here likely meant to imply the traditional monk garb. The Heklungs thus probably got their name from their close connection with the church. Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ... A Roman Catholic monk A monk is a person who practices monasticism, adopting a strict religious and ascetic lifestyle, usually in community with others following the same path. ...

Several battles now followed. Magnus Erlingsson again attacked Trøndelag in spring 1180, this time reinforced by conscripts from western Norway. But in the Battle of Ilevollene, just outside of Nidaros, the Heklungs were again defeated and Magnus fled to Denmark. With Magnus out of the country, Sverre could sail south and occupy Bergen, but his hold on the region remained weak. Events April 13 - Frederick Barbarossa issues the Gelnhausen Charter November 18 - France Emperor Antoku succeds Emperor Takakura as emperor of Japan Afonso I of Portugal is taken prisoner by Ferdinand II of Leon Artois is annexed by France Prince Mochihito amasses a large army and instigates the Genpei War between...

Determined to achieve a decisive victory against the Birkebeins, Magnus returned with his fleet the next year. The two forces met at sea 31 May 1181 in the Battle of Nordnes. The battle ended in a tactical victory for the Birkebeins; the Heklungs fled when Magnus was mistakenly believed to have been killed. With his men in poor shape, Sverre decided to withdraw to Trøndelag. Some attempts at negotiation were now done, but these soon broke down. Magnus would not accept Sverre as co-king with equal status, and Sverre could not accept becoming Magnus’ vassal. May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining, as the last day of May. ... Events Jayavarman VII assumes control of the Khmer kingdom. ...

With Magnus controlling western Norway from his seat at Bergen, it became problematic for Sverre to keep his men supplied. Sverre therefore led his men south to Viken, a firm Heklung stronghold. He could therefore let his men plunder here with little damage to his cause. However, Magnus exploited Sverre’s absence well. In November he raided Trøndelag and managed to seize and burn the Birkebeiner fleet. Sverre had to return or risk losing his one secure foothold. November is the eleventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ...

During summer 1182, Magnus made an attempt to take Nidaros by siege, but was repulsed with grave losses when the Birkebeins launched a surprise night attack. Sverre now started an extensive ship-building program. Without a fleet, he could have no hopes of expanding his influence further south. In spring 1183 Sverre attacked Bergen with parts of his new fleet. Avoiding detection by the enemy scouts, he caught the Heklungs off guard, seizing their entire fleet. Magnus fled to Denmark, leaving crown and sceptre behind. Events Canute VI crowned king of Denmark Serbia allies itself with Hungary to gain independence First Sejm, or Polish Parliment, convenes at Łęczyca Jews expelled from Paris by Philip Augustus Maronites reestablish their affiliation with Catholicism Venetians massacred during a riot in Constantinople Raynald of Chatillon instigates another war between... Events Three-year old Emperor Go-Toba ascends to the throne of Japan after the forced abdication of his brother Antoku during the Genpei War William of Tyre excommunicated by the newly appointed Heraclius of Jerusalem, firmly ending their struggle for power Andronicus I Comnenus becomes the Byzantine emperor Births... Crown names several entities associated with monarchy: A crown (headgear), the headgear worn by a monarch. ... A sceptre or scepter is an ornamental staff held by a ruling monarch, a prominent item of kingly regalia. ...

In the sea battles of medieval Scandinavia, the side with largest and highest ships would usually have an advantage since this meant the crew could attack the enemy from above with projectiles and other weapons. Sverre now the set out build largest ship of them all, the Mariasuda. As a result of its great size, the seaworthiness of the Mariasuda was rather low and it would only be useful within the narrow fjords. Either because of luck or good strategy such a situation would soon arise. The Oseberg longship (Viking Ship Museum, Norway) Oseberg longship from the front - one of the most stunning expressions of Norse art and craftsmenship A longship tacking in the wind Longships, langskip or drakkar were boats used by the Scandinavians and Saxons for their raids on costal and inland settelments. ... Lysefjorden in Norway A fjord (sometimes written fiord, notably in New Zealand English) is a glacially overdeepened valley, usually narrow and steep-sided, extending below sea level and filled with salt water. ...

Early spring 1184 returned to Viken from Denmark with new ships. In April Magnus sailed north towards Bergen. At about the same time, Sverre had gone to Sogn to put down a local uprising and was still there when Magnus came to Bergen in June. After chasing out the few Birkebeins there, Magnus set sail again, having heard news of Sverre’s current position. The two fleets met 15 June at Fimreite in the long and narrow Sognefjord. The Battle of Fimreite proved to be final struggle between Birkebeins and Heklungs. Magnus had several large ships, but none as huge as the Mariasuda. While the Mariasuda held up half of the enemy fleet, the rest attacked the outlying enemy ships. Panic began to spread as the Heklungs fled aboard their larger ships. These ships soon became overloaded and begun to sink. Many of the wounded and tired men could not keep themselves afloat and drowned, including King Magnus. Most of the Heklung leadership fell there, along with a huge number of men at both sides, 2160 according to the saga (though this number is probably too high). Leaderless, the Heklungs were now broken as a political party. Sverre could now finally, after a six years long struggle, claim to be the sole and uncontested king of Norway. Events Abbeville receives its commercial charter. ... Sogn is a landscape in the western part of Norway, surrounding Sognefjorden. ... June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... An arm of the Sognefjord The Sognefjord (Sognefjorden) is the second largest fjord in the world after Scoresby Sund on Greenland, and the largest in Norway. ...

Troubled reign

The dissatisfied priest and his band of vagrants and outcasts had become the king and upper leadership of Norway; now Sverre begun the work of consolidating his power. He placed his own men in high positions throughout the kingdom and negotiated marriage alliances between the old and new nobility. Sverre himself married Margrete, daughter of Erik the Saint and sister of King Knut Eriksson of Sweden. Norway had seen several conflicts the last decades, but once a decisive victory had been won, the victor had reconciled himself with his opponents. However this time, this proved to be more difficult than earlier. This war lasted longer and with higher causalities than usual, most of the old noble dynasties had lost men they wanted avenged. That so many people of lowborn origin were now to be considered their equals was also difficult to accept. The peace was not to last for long. Coat of Arms of Stockholm, depicting Eric IX of Sweden Eric IX of Sweden (or Erik the Lawgiver or Eric the Saint. ... Seal of Canute I Canute I Eriksson or Knut Eriksson in Swedish was king of Sweden from 1167 to 1195. ...

Kuvlungs and Øyskjeggs

Autumn 1185 the Kuvlungs rose in Viken. Their leader, Jon Kuvlung, was a former monk and was claimed to be the son of Inge Krogrygg. This group was in many ways the direct successor of the Heklungs, with many of its members coming from former Heklung families. The Kuvlungs soon gained control of eastern and western Norway, the old Heklung strongholds. Events April 25 - Genpei War - Sea Battle of Dan-no-ura leads to Minamoto victory in Japan Templars settle in London and begin the building of New Temple Church End of the Heian Period and beginning of the Kamakura period in Japan. ... Jon Ingesson Kuvlung, a pretender to the crown of Norway, was claimed to be a son of king Inge I of Norway the Hunchback, though this is highly improbable, as Inge was generally known to have been too invalid. ... Inge Haraldson, krokrygg the crouchback (1135 - 1161) was the king of Norway between 1136 and 1161. ...

In autumn 1186, the Kuvlungs attacked Nidaros. This offensive took Sverre by surprise; he took refuge in the recently constructed stone castle Sion. The Kuvlungs, unable to take the castle, were forced to retreat. In 1188 Sverre sailed south with a large fleet. They first met at Tønsberg, but neither side dared to offer battle. The Kuvlungs slipped away to Bergen. Sverre attacked Bergen just before Christmas. Here Jon Kuvlung was killed and thus ending the Kuvlung rising. Events John the Chanter becomes Bishop of Exeter. ... Sverresborg or (Sverre Sigurdsson’s castle (also named Zion after King David’s castle in Jerusalem), was a fortification built at the medieval city of Nidaros (later Trondjem) by Sverre Sigurdsson. ... Events Saladin unsuccessfully besieges the Hospitaller fortress of Krak des Chevaliers in modern Syria. ... County Vestfold Landscape Viken Municipality NO-0704 Administrative centre Tønsberg Mayor (2004) Per Arne Olsen (FrP) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 381 107 km² 106 km² 0. ...

Some minor uprisings followed, but these never rose above banditry and were suppressed on a local scale.

The next serious threat came in 1193 with the Øyskjeggs – the Isle Beards. The nominal king for this group was a child claimed to be the bastard son of Magnus Erlingsson. The real leader was Hallkjell Jonsson who was Magnus’ brother-in-law. Conspiring with Earl of the Orkneys, Harald Maddadsson, Hallkjell gathered most of his men on the Orkneys and Shetland, hence the name of the group. After establishing themselves in Viken, the Øyskjeggs sailed on to Bergen. Although they occupied the city itself and the surrounding regions, a force of Birkebeins held on in Bergenshus Fortress. Spring 1194 Sverre sailed south to confront the Øyskjeggs. The two fleets met 3 April in the Battle of Florvåg. Here the battle experience of the Birkebeiner veterans proved to be decisive. Hallkjell fell with most of his men. Events Saladin dies, and the lands of the Kurdish Ayyubid dynasty of Egypt and Syria are split among his descendants. ... The Orkney Islands form one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, and are a Lieutenancy Area. ... See Shetland (disambiguation) for other meanings. ... Bergenshus is a fortress located in Bergen, Norway. ... Events November 20 - Palermo falls to Henry VI, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire December 25 - Henry VI is crowned king of Sicily. ... April 3 is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 272 days remaining. ...

Sverre and the Church

The Church of Norway had been organized under the Archbishopric of Nidaros in 1152. Øystein Erlendsson, who had become archbishop in 1161, had been one of Magnus Erlingsson’s main supporters. In return the church had secured its position as an independent institution and also gained several other privileges. Events March 4 - Frederick I Barbarossa is elected King of the Germans Eleanor of Aquitaine has her marriage to Louis VII annulled May 18 - Eleanor of Aquitaine marries Henry of Anjou Church of Ireland acknowledges Popes authority Almohad Dynasty conquers Algeria Establishment of the archbishopric of Nidaros (Trondheim), Norway... Events Bartholomew Iscanus becomes Bishop of Exeter. ...

Øystein had returned to Nidaros from England in 1183 and during his last years a state of truce existed between church and king. When Øystein died 26 January 1188, the bishop of Stavanger, Eirik Ivarsson, was elected as his successor. Sverre now probably hoped that his relationship with the church could be normalised. He therefore approached Eirik with hopes of being crowned — the definite proof of recognition. However, in Eirik’s eyes, Sverre was little more than a usurper and king-murderer. January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events Saladin unsuccessfully besieges the Hospitaller fortress of Krak des Chevaliers in modern Syria. ... County Rogaland Landscape Jæren Municipality NO-1103 Administrative centre Stavanger Mayor (2004) Leif Johan Sevland (H) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 406 71 km² 68 km² 0. ...

The situation now escalated into an open breach as Sverre began building up a list of privileges that were contrary to the church law made by St. Olaf. Eirik on side preached against the king and his men, and sent letters of complaint to the Pope, but on the short term is offensive weapons were few. In 1190 Sverre now attempted to force the Archbishop into submission, claiming that Eirik had broken the law by having 90 armed men in his service. According to law, the Archbishop’s guard was limited upwards to 30 men. Rather than to submit to the king’s will, Eirik fled to Lund where the Danish archbishop had his seat. From there he sent a delegation to Rome asking the Pope for advice. Events March 16 - Massacre and mass-suicide of the Jews of York, England prompted by Crusaders. ... Lund is a city in Scania in southernmost Sweden, and the center of the Lund Municipality. ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,546,807 almost 4,000,000 1...

With the archbishop absent, Sverre tightened his grip on the bishops, and on Nikolas Arnesson, who became bishop of Oslo in 1190, in particular.

The Bagler war

Only after 1184 was Sverre's position somehow stabilized. He could then marry daughter of king of Sweden. That became the formal conformation that the neighboring realm in east recognized the faroese upstart pretender as Norway's king despite his unclear paternity.

Sverre's reign became in practice a long period of civil war, interrupted briefly by armistices in 1189-92 and 1194-96.

When Magnus had 1184 died in the battle of Fimreite continued bishops Nicholas and Eric as Sverre's hardest opposers. They raised their own war band, later to be known as bagli party, and also worked to have Sverre excommunicated by the poop. 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 strong opposition from the church led o Sverre becoming excommunicated. Since 1190 archbishop Eric had been exile, and in 1196 he joined the opposition, the Bagli party.

The churchmen succeeded in having Poop Innocentius III proclaim a bull to admonish neighboring kings to dispossess Sverre. The closest neighbors did the contrary: Sweden continued actively support the Birkebeins and John I of England sent troops to help Sverre. John of England depicted in Cassells History of England (1902) John (French: Jean) (December 24, 1166/67–October 18/19, 1216) reigned as King of England from 1199 to 1216. ...

Conflict with Bagli was underway when Sverre died unexpectedly in Bergen 1202. You may be looking for: Bergen, Norway Bergen, Belgium, see Mons Bergen, Hessen (Germany) Bergen, Lower Saxony (Germany) Bergen, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Germany) Bergen, Limburg (Netherlands) Bergen, North Holland (Netherlands) (comprising Bergen aan Zee) Bergen (town), New York (United States) Bergen (village), New York (United States) Bergen, Wisconsin (United States... Events August 1 - Arthur of Brittany captured in Mirebeau, north of Poitiers Beginning of the Fourth Crusade. ...

In a decisive battle of Strindsjøen Sverre 1199 succeeded yet again conquer Bagli wartroops, so fully that the war zone was moved and Bagli held any say only somewhere in Viken. Viken (literally the bay) is a landscape defined by Oslofjord in southeastern Norway which terminates at Terra Scania on the coast of West Sweden. ...

Until his death, Sverre has rose to the position of uncontested king of entire Norway.

Thus, he died presumably convinced that the peace of Birkebein kingdom would be longer than that two years which then happened.

He died in Bergen March 8, 1202. County Hordaland Landscape Midhordland Municipality NO-1201 Administrative centre Bergen Mayor (2004) Herman Friele (H) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 215 465 km² 445 km² 0. ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ... Events August 1 - Arthur of Brittany captured in Mirebeau, north of Poitiers Beginning of the Fourth Crusade. ...

External links

• Oslo's coin cabinet – Coins issued by Sverre

References

Karl Jonsson and others; translation to Norwegian by Halvdan Koht (1967). Sverresoga. Oslo: Det Norske Samlaget. ISBN 82-521-4474-8. Claus Krag (2005). Sverre – Norges største middelalderkonge. Oslo: H. Aschehoug & Co. ISBN 82-03-23201-9.

Magnus Erlingsson (1156-1184) was a king of Norway, from Etne in Hordaland. ... This article is a list of rulers of Norway up until the present, including: The Norwegian kingdom (with the Faroe Islands) The Union with Iceland and Greenland (1262-1814) The Norwegian kingdom (with Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands 1262-1814) The Union of Sweden and Norway (1319-1343) The... Haakon III (HÃ¥kon Sverreson) was a king of Norway from 1202-1204. ...