Sigurd Magnusson

Sigurd Magnusson (* around 1180 ; † April 3, 1194 ) was a Norwegian rival king.

His parents were King Magnus Erlingsson (1156–1184) and his wife Gyrid Aslaksdatter († 1193).

Sigurd Magnusson is the only universally recognized son of King Magnus Erlingsson. He was proclaimed king in 1193 by the Øyskjeggene , a group of insurgents from the Scottish Isles, but was still too young to rule. He was therefore only a figure of identification of the rebels against King Sverre .

His guardian Hallkjell Jonsson first brought him to Olav Jarlsmåg in the Shetland Islands . This trip abroad was harmless because Olav had large estates there. From there he came to Orkney in 1193 , where he was supported by Jarl Harald Maddaðsson , who had been good friends with Sigurd's father. He was already given the king's name, and many men from the Orkneys and Shetlands swore allegiance to him. The team was named Øyskjegger (island axes).

In the summer of 1193 the Øyskjeggene came to Viken , where Sigurd was proclaimed king on the Haugating.

From 1193 to 1194 Sigurd sat with his main force in Bergen . There he was very popular.

During Lent 1194, King Sverre advanced from the north. On April 3, there was a sea battle at Florvåg on the southeast side of Askøy, northwest of Bergen. The Øyskjeggene initially had an advantage, and the Birkebeiner had to withdraw. Hallkjell was the better tactician here. But when the Øyskjeggene tried to pursue the Birkebeiner, it turned out that their oars were unusable. So they were floating in the current, unable to maneuver. Then the Birkebeiner turned around and attacked the ships of the Øyskjeggene one by one. Sigurd jumped overboard and was killed while swimming in the water. Hallkell Jonsson and his men fell on their ship. Almost the entire force was wiped out. Sigurd's body was found some time later.

literature

• Knut Peter Lyche Arstad: Article “Sigurd Magnusson” in: Norsk biografisk leksikon , accessed on November 3, 2010.