Haakon IV Haakonsson, sometimes called Haakon the Old in contrast to his namesake son, was King of Norway from 1217 to 1263. His reign lasted for 46 years, longer than any Norwegian king since Harald Fairhair. Haakon was born into the troubled civil war era in Norway, but his reign eventually managed to put an end to the internal conflicts. At the start of his reign, during his minority, Earl Skule Bårdsson served as regent. As a king of the Birkebeiner faction, Haakon defeated the uprising of the final Bagler royal pretender, Sigurd Ribbung, in 1227. He put a definitive end to the civil war era when he had Skule Bårdsson killed in 1240, a year after he had himself proclaimed king in opposition to Haakon. Haakon thereafter formally appointed his own son as his co-regent.
Inge II was King of Norway from 1204 to 1217. His reign was within the later stages of the period known in Norwegian history as the age of civil wars. Inge was the king of the birkebeiner faction. The conclusion of the settlement of Kvitsøy with the bagler faction in 1208 led to peace for the last nine years of Inge’s reign, at the price of Inge and the birkebeiner recognising bagler rule over Viken.
Haakon Sverresson was King of Norway from 1202 to 1204.
Skule Bårdsson or Duke Skule was a Norwegian nobleman and claimant to the royal throne against his son-in-law, King Haakon Haakonsson. Henrik Ibsen's play Kongs-Emnerne (1863) is about the dispute between Duke Skule and King Haakon.
Haakon the Crazy was a Norwegian jarl and Birkebeiner chieftain during the civil war era in Norway. Håkon Galen was born no later than the 1170s and died in 1214. His epithet "the crazy" or "the mad" can also be translated as frenzied, furious or frantic and probably refers to ferociousness in battle.
Óláfr Þórðarson was an Icelandic skald and scholar. He is usually called Óláfr hvítaskáld in contrast to a contemporary skald called Óláfr svartaskáld. Óláfr was the paternal nephew of Snorri Sturluson and spent his youth in Snorri's home where he had an important part of his scholarly education. Particular important is his Grammatical Treatise. His father was Þórður Sturluson, his mother was Þóra “Yngri” Bjarnadóttir and he was the brother of Guttormur Thordarson, Böðvar Þórðarson, Halla Þórðardóttir, Thordur Thordarson, Valgerdur Thordardottir (1210-?), Gudrun Thordardottir (1210-?), Sturla Thordarson and Ogmundur Thordurson.
Ogmund Crouchdance was a lendmann - a Norwegian noble in the 13th century and Sysselman (Governor) of Orkdal under the kings Håkon IV of Norway and Magnus VI of Norway. His nickname Crouchdance is probably derived from the name of a Norwegian medieval dance.
Sturla Þórðarson was an Icelandic chieftain and writer of sagas and contemporary history during the 13th century.
Hákonar saga Hákonarsonar or Hákonar saga gamla is an Old Norse Kings' Saga, telling the story of the life and reign of King Haakon Haakonarson of Norway.
The civil war era in Norway began in 1130 and ended in 1240. During this time in Norwegian history, some two dozen rival kings and pretenders waged wars to claim the throne.
Knut Haakonsson was a Norwegian nobleman and claimant to the throne during the Civil war era in Norway.
Sigurd Erlingsson Ribbung was a Norwegian nobleman and pretender to the throne of Norway during the civil war era in Norway.
The Pretenders is a dramatic play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.
Haakon Haakonsson the Young was the son of king Haakon Haakonsson of Norway, and held the title of king, subordinate to his father, from 1 April 1240 to his death. He was referred to as Haakon the Young to distinguish him from his father, who was sometimes correspondingly called Haakon the Old.
Jarl is a rank of the nobility in Scandinavia. In Old Norse, it meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. Jarl could also mean a sovereign prince. For example, the rulers of several of the petty kingdoms of Norway had the title of jarl and in many cases they had no less power than their neighbours who had the title of king. It became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced by duke (hertig/hertug/hertog). The word is etymologically related to the English earl.
The Játvarðar Saga is an Icelandic saga about the life of Edward the Confessor, King of England (1042–1066). It was compiled in the 14th century, in Iceland, using a number of earlier English sources as well as the French Chronicon Universale Anonymi Laudunensis. It was translated into English in 1894 by George Webbe Dasent. Among the various details contained in the saga, there is an account of the origin of an English colony in the Black Sea founded by one "Siward earl of Gloucester", a refugee of the Norman Conquest of England.
Philip of the Croziermen was a 13th-century Norwegian Earl and Anti-king. Along with Erling Stonewall and Ingi of the Crozier-men he was a leader of the Croziermen. He seems to have spent most of his time in Tønsberg acting as the ruler of that city during his tenure as king of the Croziermen. Sometime around 1206 AD. he was chosen to be the new king of the Crozier-men following the death of Erling Stonewall. Around 1207 he led an army to Bergen where Prince Haakon IV of Norway was staying and were going to take the castle by force but it was given to them on the advice of the Archbishop Thorir. Many of the Crozier-men thought it would be a good idea to replace Philip with Haakon who they could control more. Philip was not aware of these plans. Soon Philip heard that Earl Haakon the Crazy was on his way to Bergen with an army and the crozier-men decided to flee from the city. Philip departed and left Prince Haakon with the Archbishop Thorir per his request. Some time after this he married King Sverre of Norway's daughter Lady Christine.
Simon Kine (~1190-1245) was a liegeman, and steward during the reign of King Haakon IV of Norway. Before the death of Philip Simonsson he was a Bagler. He appears as a captain leading men against the Ribbalds in 1222 AD. along with Thord Draffle, and Thorfin the Bad. Simon Kine was summoned from the bay to a meeting of the Magnates of the land in 1223 AD. At yule of 1223 AD. he did homage to king Haakon and became his liegeman/vassal. When the king sailed to Tønsberg in 1224 Simon Kine with Arnbjorn Johnson and other stewards and liegeman came with him. Later in the same year while Haakon was planning his invasion of Värmland he sent word to Simon, Bard Toughstone, Halvard Downright, and other bay-dwellers to meet him in the marches. Along with Halvard he led six hundred men to the marches as the king had commanded him, quite a significant number of men to command t this time in this region. In 1225 when the ribbungs sent word for peace in exchange for a share of the kingdom king Haakon gives a speech in which he says he will not share the kingdom out because he believes it is his right to hold the entire kingdom. After making the speech he directly addresses Arnbjorn Johnson and Simon Kine. Simon responds:
John Steel was a Norwegian warrior, likely of noble birth, who fought under King Sverre Sigurdsson and became a liegeman, or vassal, under King Haakon IV of Norway.
Andrew Shieldband was a liegeman, kinsman, raider, and special friend of King Haakon IV of Norway. In 1214 in response to king Inge II of Norway's refusal to grant him the fief of Jämtland or any other fief, Shieldband was one of the king's kinsmen who advised Haakon to flee Inge's court and raise an army. In 1218, he fasted with the king's mother Inga of Varteig along with Dagfinn the Yeoman, Sigurd Kingskin and several clerks in preparation for the ordeal by hot iron which she would suffer in order to prove her son was the rightful heir to the throne.
