Tore Håkonsson

Tore Håkonsson (norrön: Þórir byskupsson Hákonarson) († 1317 ) was Norwegian Chancellor, Sýslumaður and diplomat.

His father was Bishop Håkon of Oslo, later Archbishop, his mother is unknown. In 1276 he married Ingebjørg Erlingsdotter, daughter of Erling Alvsson zu Tornberg and had with her the son Håkon Toresson and the daughter Elin Toresdatter.

His marriage to Ingebjørg Erlingsdotter strengthened his position vis-à-vis the king and thus also his political and economic position within the Norwegian ruling class, because she came from a family with large estates in the country.

For 50 years Tore under three kings played an important role in the Norwegian government. This happened partly on site as Sýslumaður, partly as a key advisor in foreign policy matters. At the beginning of his career he also performed important tasks in central administration.

politics

Until 1280

He is mentioned for the first time in 1271 when, as Chancellor, he seals a king's letter about the construction of a church in Voss. In this letter he is also called "Sira", a term for clergy. That speaks at least for a theological training. But he must not have been ordained a priest. Because he married and rose in the secular hierarchy to the baron. He probably took over the office of Chancellor in 1270 as the successor to Chancellor Askatin . According to the Árna saga biskups , he was also trained in canon law , which suggests studying abroad. It can also be assumed that he was involved in the extensive legislative work of King Magnus lagabætir in the 1260s. Sometime before 1273 he became the king's feudal man. In the summer of 1273 he was sent by the king together with Audun Hugleiksson as an observer to the negotiations in the dispute over sovereignty over the local church institutions (staðamál) in Iceland . He was also on the Borgarthing in 1276 when King Magnus Lagabætir's Landslov was adopted.

As Chancellor he took part in the imperial assembly in Bergen in 1273 , where the first Concordat between the Kingdom of Norway and the Church was negotiated. He was one of the witnesses who sealed the agreement. In August 1277 he sealed the final concordat approved by the Pope between the Church and the Norwegian Empire (sættargjerda) and took an oath on it, along with other barons. The feudal status was changed to "baron". Soon afterwards he must have given up the office of Chancellor in connection with the takeover of the local government in Østlandet . He left the central administration and was not involved in the guardianship government for Erik Magnusson even after the death of King Magnus . He also stayed out of the clash between the king and the church in the 1280s.

From 1280

From the 1280s until his death he was active in two different areas: On the one hand he was envoy and negotiator in the service of foreign policy, on the other hand he worked in local administration, especially as Sýslumaður in the Skienssysla .

Foreign policy

His foreign policy activities were based on a solid legal education and his language skills. In 1276 he was in the retinue of King Magnus, who wanted to mediate in the Swedish succession dispute. In 1287 he sealed the king's letter of protection for the Danish peacemakers and in 1289 he headed the embassy that negotiated with the English king about Margarete Eriksdatter's takeover of the Scottish throne . In November 1289 he guaranteed the agreement between England, Scotland and Norway on the position of Margaret as Queen and Heiress of Scotland.

In 1290 Tore, together with Bishop Narve von Bergen, led the delegation that was to bring Margrete to Scotland. In the 1290s he was often on the campaigns in the Danish waters. In 1294 he was one of the king's advisers in the decisive negotiations with the German seaside towns in Tønsberg . In 1295 he took part in the preliminary negotiations for an armistice agreement between Denmark and Norway, which was then concluded on September 25th in Hindstavl ( Funen ), and was one of its guarantors. In 1297 he received an English letter of safe conduct for negotiations on behalf of King Erik. These were certainly related to the fact that Norway had joined France in the Franco-English war. Although he played an important role in Erik's foreign policy, he was not called "adviser to the king" during his reign. It was not explicitly mentioned until 1312 by the advisers of King Håkon. Still, it is not certain that he was then a member of the royal council.

He also received diplomatic assignments abroad under Håkon V. Magnusson . In 1300 he was in the king's entourage on his journey to Denmark and also sealed the peace treaties of 1309 and 1310.

Domestic politics

His central position in the local administration in Østlandet limited his sphere of activity in the royal headquarters. The king finally appointed him Sýslumaður in Skienssysla. But documents about his work there are only available from the 14th century. In 1302, for example, a visitation trip through Telemark and in 1315 a testimony in a murderous matter came down to us. His son Håkon Toresson took over the Skienssysla after his father.

Real estate

Tore acquired a large property, partly through inheritance, partly through his marriage, but probably also through purchase. In correspondence with the English king he is regularly referred to as “Tirricus de campis ludi”, whereby “campis ludi” is a Latinization of Lekum ( Eidsberg ) = Leikvang = playground. He probably inherited this property from his mother. Land registers show that he also owned land on both sides of the Oslofjord . He has also acquired land in the Orkneys .

literature

• Narve Bjørgo: "Tore Håkonsson Biskopsson" in: Norsk biografisk leksikon .

Explanations and individual evidence

1. ↑ The Icelandic annals in the Flateyjarbók for the year 1317.
2. ↑ According to several family trees in the network, Tore had several children, but no evidence can be found for them. But Elin is occupied because she married Erling Vidkunnsson . Håkon is also mentioned as a participant in a delegation.
3. ↑ "Overeenskomst mellem Kongen og Erkebiskoppen" of August 1, 1273 in Norges gamle Love vol. 2 pp. 455–462 (Latin) = Diplomatarium Norvegicum vol. 1 no. 64. a.
4. ↑ "Overeenskomst mellem Kongen og Erkebiskoppen" of August 9, 1277 in Norges gamle Love Vol. 2 pp. 462–467 (Latin with translation into Old Norwegian pp. 467–477); Diplomatarium Islandicum Vol. 2 No. 65 with translation into Norrön and extensive listing of the texts that have been handed down.
5. ↑ The Icelandic Gottskalk annáll for the year 1276.
6. ↑ Diplomatarium Norvegicum Vol. 3 No. 24. The Danish King Erik menved had declared the murderers of his father Erik klipping to be peaceless , whereupon they fled to Norway.
7. ↑ Diplomatarium Norvegicum Vol. 19 No. 328. In this Latin text Tore is called “Tirricum de Campis Ludi”.
8. ↑ Diplomatarium Norvegicum Vol. 19 No. 333.
9. ^ Regesta Norvegica vol. 2 no. 790. His son Torvald Toresson was there.
10. ^ Regesta Norvegica vol. 2 no. 877.
11. ^ The Danish refugees operated against Denmark from Norway. This had led to a war between Norway and Denmark, which was now ended in the peace treaties.