Haakon III of Norway facts for kids

Haakon Sverresson (in Norwegian: Håkon Sverresson; born around 1183 – died January 1, 1204) was the King of Norway (known as Haakon III) from 1202 to 1204. He was a key figure during a time when different groups were fighting for control of Norway.

Haakon's Early Life and the Civil War Era

Haakon was the son of Sverre, who would later become king. Sverre was an adventurer from the Faroe Islands. Haakon grew up during a period of civil war in Norway. This time, from 1130 to 1240, saw many conflicts.

The main reason for these fights was that the rules for who should become king were not clear. There were also disagreements between powerful families and between the Church and the King. Two main groups fought for power: the Bagler and the Birkebeiner. Each group usually had a royal son as their leader, who would try to become king. Haakon and his father Sverre were leaders of the Birkebeiner group.

Haakon first appears in history as a leader in his father's army. This was during a battle against the Bagler group in Oslo in 1197. He continued to fight in many of his father's wars against the Bagler.

Becoming King

When his father, King Sverre, was dying on March 9, 1202, he said that Haakon was his only living son. Sverre also wrote a letter to Haakon, telling him to make peace with the Church.

When the Birkebeiner group heard about Sverre's death, they were gathered in Nidaros. Haakon was quickly chosen as their new leader. Soon after, he was named king at an important meeting (called a thing) in Nidaros.

Making Peace with the Church and Ending the War

In the same spring, Norwegian bishops who had been living in exile in Sweden and Denmark returned. They had supported the Bagler, but now they made a deal with Haakon. It seems Haakon agreed to most of their requests. Because of this, Norway was no longer under a ban from the Church, which had happened during Sverre's rule.

Haakon was known for being friendly with farmers and common people. This made the Bagler group lose much of their support. In the autumn of 1202, the Bagler king, Inge Magnusson, was killed by local farmers. This led to the Bagler group in Norway breaking up.

A new person claiming to be the Bagler king, Erling Steinvegg, appeared in Denmark. However, he decided not to start fighting again. He saw that he had little chance against Haakon. So, Haakon became the undisputed ruler of Norway.

Haakon's Death and Succession

Haakon seemed to have a difficult relationship with his father's queen, Margareta Eriksdotter. After Sverre died, Margareta tried to go back to her home country, Sweden, with her daughter, Kristina. Haakon's men stopped her and kept Kristina at his court. Later, Margareta seemed to make peace with Haakon and stayed at his court.

During Christmas in 1203, Haakon became sick after a medical treatment common at the time. He died on January 1, 1204. People suspected he might have been poisoned. His stepmother, Margareta, was suspected of the crime. To prove her innocence, she had one of her men undergo a special test called a trial by ordeal. The man was badly burned, which was seen as proof of her guilt. Margareta then had to flee back to Sweden.

Haakon Sverresson was not married. When he died, no heirs were known. So, his 4-year-old nephew, Guttorm Sigurdsson, became king. However, after Haakon's death, a woman named Inga Olafsdatter of Varteig came forward. She had been with Haakon for a time in 1203. She had a baby son and claimed he was Haakon's child. The boy was born after Haakon died. This boy, named Haakon after his father, later became King Haakon IV. In the summer of 1218, Inga successfully passed a trial by ordeal in Bergen to prove her son's father was Haakon.

During his short time as king, Haakon managed to lift the Church's ban on Norway. He also brought an end to the civil wars, at least for a while. It's hard to say if the peace would have lasted if he had lived longer. His early death led to new fighting. The Bagler leader Erling Steinvegg quickly gathered an army and came to Norway to claim the throne.

Haakon was buried in the old cathedral in Bergen. This cathedral was torn down in 1531. Today, a memorial marks the spot where it once stood.

The main information about Haakon's life comes from two old stories, the Sverris saga and the Bagler sagas. Both were written soon after these events, in the 1200s.