Inge Bårdsson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Inge Bårdsson |
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Seal of King Inge II Bårdsson of Norway
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| King of Norway | |
| Reign | 1204 – 23 April 1217 |
| Predecessor | Guttorm |
| Successor | Haakon IV |
| Born | 1185 |
| Died | 23 April 1217 (aged 31–32) Nidaros |
| Burial | Nidaros Cathedral |
| Issue | Guttorm Ingesson |
| House | Godwin (agnatic) Gille (cognatic) |
| Father | Bård Guttormsson |
| Mother | Cecilia Sigurdsdotter |
Inge II (also known as Inge Bårdsson) was a King of Norway who ruled from 1204 to 1217. His time as king was during a period in Norwegian history called the age of civil wars. During this time, different groups fought to control the country.
King Inge was the leader of a group called the birkebeiner (meaning "birch-legs"). They were one of the main groups fighting for power. In 1208, a peace deal was made with their rivals, the bagler group. This agreement brought peace for the last nine years of Inge's rule. As part of the deal, the birkebeiner agreed that the bagler would rule the Viken area (around the Oslofjord).
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Who Was King Inge II?
Inge's father, Bård Guttormsson, was an important leader from the Trøndelag region. He was an early supporter of King Sverre. King Sverre helped the Birkebeiner group gain power in the late 1100s.
Inge's mother, Cecilia, was the daughter of an earlier king, Sigurd Munn. She had been married before, but her marriage was later ended. She then married Bård Guttormsson. Inge was their only son.
Becoming King
After King Sverre died in 1202, his son and grandson also passed away within two years. This left the birkebeiner group without a clear leader. At the same time, their rivals, the bagler, started a new attack on the Viken area.
After the young King Guttorm died in 1204, the birkebeiner needed a strong new leader. Some leaders wanted Inge's older half-brother, Haakon the Crazy, to be king. But the archbishop and farmers in Trøndelag wanted Inge.
They reached a compromise: Inge became king. His half-brother Haakon became the leader of the army and received half of the royal income.
Years of War and Peace
The next four years were filled with intense fighting between the birkebeiner and the bagler. The bagler king died in 1206, but the fighting continued under their new king, Philip Simonsson.
The bagler controlled the Viken area, including the cities of Tønsberg and Oslo. King Inge controlled Trøndelag and the city of Nidaros. The city of Bergen in western Norway changed hands many times.
In 1206, the bagler attacked Nidaros. King Inge barely escaped by swimming across the freezing Nidelva river. The war continued, with neither side winning completely.
The Kvitsøy Agreement
In 1207, church leaders began talks to end the conflict. They arranged a meeting between King Inge, King Philip, and Earl Haakon in Kvitsøy in 1208.
They made a peace agreement. Philip agreed to stop calling himself king. He would still control eastern Norway (Viken), but as an earl under King Inge. Earl Haakon was given control of western Norway. Inge would be the only king, ruling over both Philip and Haakon, and directly ruling Trøndelag. To make the peace stronger, Philip married King Sverre's daughter, Kristina.
The peace lasted for the rest of Inge's reign. However, Philip did not fully follow the agreement and kept calling himself king. The relationship between Inge and his half-brother Haakon also remained tense. Haakon wanted to be declared king too, but Inge refused.
In 1214, Inge stopped a rebellion by farmers in Trøndelag. Some suspected Earl Haakon was involved. But the two brothers never fought openly. Haakon died in 1214, and Inge took over his lands.
In 1217, King Inge became ill in Nidaros. Before he died, he made his younger half-brother, Skule Bårdsson, the new earl and army leader. King Inge died on April 23, 1217, and was buried in Nidaros Cathedral. He was succeeded by Haakon Haakonsson, a 13-year-old grandson of King Sverre.
How Historians See Inge
Some historians have thought Inge was a weak king. He never fully controlled all of Norway. He also agreed to share power with the bagler, even when Philip broke the agreement.
However, other historians believe Inge was a strong ruler. They say he was able to stop the civil wars for a time. He resisted pressure from those in his own group who wanted to keep fighting.
Old writings from that time describe Inge as a quiet and calm person. He preferred spending time with close friends rather than attending big parties. His health was not strong after his near-death experience in Nidaros in 1206.
