Magnus V of Norway facts for kids

Magnus V (Old Norse: Magnús Erlingsson, born 1156 – died 15 June 1184) was a king of Norway. He ruled during a time of many fights over who should be king, known as the civil war era. Magnus was the first king in Scandinavia to have a special crowning ceremony. He also helped make a rule called primogeniture, which meant the oldest son would inherit the throne. King Magnus died in the Battle of Fimreite in 1184. He was fighting against Sverre Sigurdsson, who then became the next King of Norway.

Life of King Magnus

Magnus Erlingsson was likely born in a place called Etne in Hordaland, Norway. His father was Erling Skakke, a brave Norwegian nobleman. Erling became famous for going on a crusade (a religious war) with Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, who was a powerful leader from Orkney.

Magnus's mother, Kristin, was the daughter of Sigurd the Crusader. Sigurd had been the king of Norway from 1103 to 1130. This meant Magnus had royal blood from his mother's side.

Becoming King at a Young Age

Magnus Erlingsson was made king in 1161 when he was only five years old. He was the first Norwegian king to have a formal crowning ceremony. Because Magnus was so young, his father Erling took the title of earl (a high-ranking noble). Erling held the real power and ruled the country. He continued to be the main ruler even after Magnus grew up.

Early Challenges to Magnus's Rule

In 1166, a man named Sigurd Agnhatt and his foster son, Olav Ugjæva, gathered an army in Oppland. They declared Olav as king while Earl Erling Skakke was away in Denmark. Olav was also related to royalty; his mother was the daughter of a former king, Øystein Magnusson.

When Erling returned to Norway, he fought against this uprising. Olav and his men tried to ambush Erling at Rydjokul in Sørum. Erling was hurt but managed to escape. In 1168, Olav and his men moved south to the Oslofjord area. However, they were defeated in a battle at Stanger in Våler. Sigurd was killed in this battle, but Olav escaped and went to Denmark.

The Rise of Sverre

During Magnus's reign, a new challenger arrived in Norway: Sverre Sigurdsson. Sverre claimed that he was the son of a previous king and therefore had a right to the throne.

In June 1177, Sverre led his followers to Trøndelag. There, he was declared king by his supporters. This made Erling's position much weaker. Erling was eventually killed in the Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros in 1179.

Magnus's Final Battle

The fighting continued for several more years. It all ended with Magnus's defeat and death in the Battle of Fimreite on June 15, 1184.

Sverre attacked Magnus's fleet of ships in a clever way. He sent his ships into battle in smaller groups, attacking and overwhelming one enemy ship at a time. This forced Magnus's men to jump from their sinking ships onto others. As the battle went on, the remaining ships became extremely crowded with too many people. Because of the heavy weight, these ships began to sink. King Magnus is said to have gone down with one of the last ships.

Norway's Civil War Era

The victory of Sverre over Magnus did not immediately end the civil war era in Norway. After Magnus died, several other men came forward claiming to be his sons. These included Sigurd Magnusson, Inge Magnusson, and Erling Magnusson Steinvegg. They all wanted to be the next king of Norway.

The civil war era in Norway lasted for a very long time, about 110 years. It began when King Sigurd I of Norway died in 1130 and finally ended with the death of Duke Skule Baardsson in 1240.

During this period, there were many conflicts, big and small. The main reasons for these fights were:

• Unclear rules about who should become king in Norway.
• Problems with how society was organized.
• A power struggle between the Church and the King.

There were usually two main groups fighting. At first, they had different names or no names at all. But eventually, they became known as the Bagler and Birkebeiner parties. Each group would usually choose a royal son to be their leader and challenge the king from the other side.

Other Sources

• Snorre Sturlason, The Heimskringla: A History of the Norse Kings, vol. 3 (London: Norroena Society, 1907)
• Finlay, Alison editor and translator Fagrskinna, a Catalogue of the Kings of Norway (Brill Academic. 2004)
• Gjerset, Knut History of the Norwegian People (The MacMillan Company, Volume I. 1915)
• Heggland, Johannes Den unge kongen (Eide Forlag, 1999) Norwegian

See also

In Spanish: Magnus V de Noruega para niños