_Haakon Haakonson the Old (1217-1263)_
After the death of King Inge, the discord which had been fermenting
began to show itself. The ambitious Earl Skule, while pretending to
favor King Inge's young son, Guthorm, really considered himself the
successor to the throne, while a few, who had been special friends
of the late Earl Haakon Galen, favored the latter's son Knut, who
was with his mother in Sweden. Earl Skule had the aid and sympathy
of Archbishop Guthorm and the other dignitaries of the cathedral at
Nidaros, and advocated a postponement of the election of a king, until
the archbishop, who was absent on a journey, should return. In spite
of all intriguing, however, the Birchlegs summoned the Oere-Thing and
proclaimed Haakon Haakonson king of Norway, and he swore fidelity to
the laws of the country, although he could not, according to usage, do
so on the shrine of Saint Olaf, because the canons of the cathedral
refused to allow the shrine to be taken out of the church and carried
to the Thing. The next day all the court-men and the delegates present
took the oath of allegiance to Haakon as king and to Skule as earl. The
king and the earl now proceeded to Bergen, where the Gula-Thing was
summoned, in order that Haakon might also be proclaimed king there. The
day before the Thing a meeting was held by the king and the earl and
their advisers. The king's advisers suggested that Earl Skule should
swear an oath of allegiance to King Haakon; but this the earl bluntly
refused to do, unless he was given in fief one-third of the kingdom
and of its dependencies. As it was learned that the earl had been
negotiating with the so-called Bagler king, Philip, in Viken, and the
king's party was hardly strong enough to fight a combination of that
kind, it was thought that there was nothing to do but to acquiesce
in the earl's demands. The next day, at the Thing, King Haakon made
his oath to uphold the laws, but the wily earl had made use of his
position as the king's guardian to insert in the oath a pledge to keep
the agreement already made between the king and the earl. Shortly
after this, news was received that the Bagler king, Philip, was dead.
King Haakon and Earl Skule immediately proceeded to Viken, where, at
the suggestion of Bishop Nicholas, negotiations were opened with the
Baglers. It was finally decided that the Baglers should retain, during
the coming winter, one-half of the fiefs which Philip had held as
earl, and that both parties should send men north to the archbishop
to request him, next summer, to arrange a permanent peace. The other
half of Viken was given up to King Haakon and Earl Skule, who appointed
prefects there. Thereupon they summoned the Hauga-Thing, where Haakon
was acknowledged as the rightful king.
King Haakon had several enemies to contend with, and the most dangerous
among them were by no means those who were in open rebellion. A new
band of rebels was organized under the leadership of a chaplain by
the name of Benedict, or Bene Skinkniv (Skin knife), as the peasants
called him, who claimed to be a son of King Magnus Erlingson. His
followers were originally mostly thieves and bandits, who only sought
an opportunity for robbery and plunder. On account of their ragged
appearance they were called the "Slitungs" (vagabonds or "tramps").
After a short campaign against the Slitungs, the king and the earl
returned northward. When they arrived in Nidaros, the earl was received
with the utmost courtesy by the archbishop, but the latter refused to
show the proper honor to the king; and the reason being given that
there was some doubt as to whether Haakon was really the son of Haakon
Sverreson, it was agreed that his mother, Inga of Varteig, was to
submit to the ordeal of fire. This was done in Bergen in the presence
of the king, the earl, the archbishop, and other bishops and chiefs.
The result was in every way satisfactory. The church declared that King
Haakon had proved his paternity, and Earl Skule was for the time being
apparently reconciled with the king.
The strained relations between Earl Skule and the king soon came to the
surface again, however, and there were frequent conflicts between the
"earl's-men" and the "king's-men." The friends of both finally came to
the conclusion that something ought to be done to bind them together
by common interests, and as the best means to this end they proposed
a marriage between King Haakon and the earl's daughter, Margreta. The
plan was accepted by both parties, and the betrothal took place in
September, 1219. The actual marriage was preliminarily postponed on
account of the tender age of both parties, the king being then about
fourteen years and the bride scarcely more than nine years old.
During the next winter a new band of rebels was organized in Viken
by Gudolf of Blakkestad, a former prefect, who had been discharged
from office on account of his harsh treatment of the peasants. The
Slitungs joined the new party, which was commonly called the Ribbungs
(robbers). They chose as their leader and candidate for the throne
a young man by the name of Sigurd, who claimed to be the son of the
former Bagler king, Erling Steinvegg. They seem to have had the secret
support of Bishop Nicholas, in spite of the fact that the latter had
professed friendship for King Haakon. After having fought this party
for about two years and defeated it several times, Earl Skule induced
Bishop Nicholas to assist in ending the struggle. In the spring of
1223, Sigurd Ribbung made overtures for peace, but had the audacity to
demand as a condition for laying down his arms one third of the kingdom
and the earl's daughter in marriage. The earl answered that he would
not give his daughter away to live in the woods, and as for the third
of the kingdom he would have to apply to King Haakon; but he promised
Sigurd and his men amnesty and safe conduct, in case Sigurd wished
to apply personally to the king. Although these conditions were more
severe than expected, Sigurd Ribbung surrendered. The earl was greatly
praised for having gained this victory without a battle, in having
induced such a mighty force to lay down their arms, and thus secured
peace throughout the country. This peace, however, was not as complete
as it was thought; for the earl was at this time cherishing more
far-reaching plans than ever before. It appears that he had made a levy
of troops and taxes outside of his own fiefs, and had been reprimanded
for this in a letter from King Haakon. After having made peace with
the Ribbungs, he immediately sailed for Denmark, it being no doubt his
intention to renounce his allegiance to King Haakon, and, with the aid
of the Danish king, take possession of the country and hold it in fief
from him. Upon arriving in Copenhagen he learned that King Valdemar
(the Victorious) had been taken prisoner by Count Henry of Schwerin and
brought to Mecklenburg. Earl Skule, therefore, was obliged to return
and continue to feign friendship for King Haakon. At a state meeting
in Bergen in the fall of 1223, where the archbishop, the bishops, and
other leading men of the country were present, Haakon's right to the
throne was reaffirmed, and Earl Skule agreed to take the northern third
of the country in fief instead of the southern part, which he had held
before.
By the agreement at the state meeting in Bergen, Norway was divided
into two domains, of which that of the king included Viken, the
Uplands, and the Gulathingslag, except Söndmöre, while that of
the earl included everything north of the king's domain, and this
division remained in force for over fifteen years. The earl made his
headquarters in Nidaros, while the king took up his residence in Oslo.
Sigurd Ribbung remained with the earl, who had promised to watch him,
but escaped during the summer of 1224, and again organized a band of
rebels who resumed their old guerilla warfare. Whenever they were met
by a superior force, they would make their escape across the frontier
into the Swedish province of Vermeland, where they had many adherents.
At last King Haakon found it necessary to invade Vermeland with an
army of 2,400 men, early in 1225, in order to punish the inhabitants.
He burned a great number of houses, but did not succeed in meeting the
Ribbungs in any decisive battle.
In April, King Haakon proceeded to Bergen, in order to celebrate his
marriage with Earl Skule's daughter, Margreta. The earl received him
apparently with great cordiality, and grand preparations were made for
the wedding, which took place May 25, 1225. This marriage had been
dictated by political considerations; but Earl Skule derived no direct
benefits from it, for during all the later struggles Margreta stood
faithfully by her husband, in spite of the fact that the principal
opponent was her own father.
The Ribbungs continued their guerilla warfare, secretly aided by Bishop
Nicholas. The latter died in Oslo, November 7, 1225, after having
asked and obtained the king's forgiveness for all his treachery. He
was between seventy and eighty years old at the time of his death.
During the winter Earl Skule and the archbishop at Nidaros attempted
to negotiate peace between the Ribbungs and the king, but without any
success. In the spring of 1226 Sigurd Ribbung was taken sick and died,
and Squire Knut, the son of Haakon Galen and Christina, was induced
to become the chief of the Ribbungs. The Ribbungs suffered several
reverses, and in the following year Squire Knut disbanded his army and
submitted to King Haakon, whose devoted friend he ever remained.
Earl Skule continued his intriguing for the ultimate overthrow of
the king, and, while strengthening himself at home, negotiated with
the king of Denmark for aid from that quarter. Meanwhile King Haakon
did everything to retain the earl's allegiance. In 1233 a meeting
was held in Bergen, where a new compact was made, only to be broken
shortly afterward by the earl. When the king discovered that the earl
had tried to involve him in a conflict with the Church, and had sent
damaging reports about him to Rome, he again summoned him to a meeting
in Bergen. This time Earl Skule did not see fit to come to the meeting,
but proceeded with an army across the mountains to the Uplands, thus
entering the reserved territory of the king. Through the mediation
of the archbishop peace was patched up for the coming winter, on the
condition that the earl was to have one-third of all the prefectures.
The following year a new agreement was made, by which Skule was to
retain the privileges thus obtained in the southern part of the
country, besides which he was raised to the rank of duke, a title which
no one so far had held in Norway.
Nothing, however, seemed to satisfy Skule short of the dignity of
king. He prepared himself in every way for an open conflict--built
and equipped ships, and steadily increased his force of warriors. His
followers were called the "Varbelgs," the same name that a rebellious
party during the reign of King Sverre had carried. In November, 1239,
Duke Skule convened the Oere-Thing, where he had his friends proclaim
him king of Norway, whereupon he made the usual oath of fidelity to the
laws, with his hand upon Saint Olaf's shrine, which had been forcibly
taken from the cathedral and carried to the Thing.
There was now open war between Duke Skule and King Haakon. The duke
proceeded south to the Uplands with an army of six hundred men. At
Laaka, Raumarike, he met and defeated the king's forces under Squire
Knut, who had been appointed earl in Skule's place. After this victory
he proceeded to Oslo, but here he was soon afterward attacked by King
Haakon and was badly defeated. A great many of the Varbelgs fell in
the battle, while others surrendered to the king and were pardoned.
Duke Skule with a few men escaped and fled north to Nidaros. Shortly
afterward the town was suddenly attacked by the Birchlegs, who, after
the battle of Oslo, had been sent north by King Haakon with a fleet
under the command of Aasulf of Austraat, one of Skule's bitter enemies.
Duke Skule, awoke by the alarm, armed himself and sent his messengers
around in the town to call the Varbelgs together; but they would not
obey orders, and his men took refuge in the churches. Skule himself
crossed the Nid River and hid himself with a few men in a forest near
by. Two days later the monks at Elgeseter Cloister sent them cloaks,
and thus disguised they reached the cloister. The Birchlegs, however,
discovered the duke's whereabout, and, proceeding to the cloister,
demanded that he be delivered up. This being refused they set fire
to the building. Skule then came out with his men, and they were all
slain, May 24, 1240.
After the fall of Skule the rebellion of the Varbelgs died out
completely, the power of King Haakon was undisputed, and the country
could at last enjoy peace and order. On Saint Olaf's Day, July 29,
1247, King Haakon was crowned with grand ceremonies in Christ Church
in Bergen by Cardinal William of Sabina, whom the Pope had sent north
for that purpose. At the grand feast that followed there were so many
people present that there was not room enough in the king's mansion,
and the king therefore had a huge boat-house temporarily fitted out as
a festival hall, the walls being covered with colored cloth, and the
hall furnished with costly benches with gold-embroidered silk cushions.
This feast lasted for three days, and after that the king gave a party,
lasting five days, in the royal home for the cardinal and the most
prominent men. When the cardinal departed from Norway, the king sent
with him 15,000 marks sterling as a gift to the Pope, and also gave the
cardinal personally fine presents.
The reign of King Haakon, after peace had been restored, was very
beneficial to the country. He improved the laws, and, among other
changes, abolished the ordeal of fire. This was done after consultation
with the visiting cardinal, who declared that it was not proper for
Christians to challenge God to give his verdict in human affairs. It
was decided that at the death of a king the oldest legitimate son
was to succeed to the throne, and the kingdom was not to be divided
between two or more princes. In architecture great progress was made,
and a great deal of money was spent for the erection of monasteries,
churches and royal mansions. A wall was built around the royal mansion
in Bergen; this wall was the beginning of the fort afterward called
Bergenhus. King Haakon also built the grand royal hall in Bergen and
a hospital for lepers. In Tunsberg he built a monastery, and the
strong wall of the fort is still to be seen. He began to Christianize
the Finns and built churches for them. The church which he built at
Tromsoe was the northernmost Christian church in the world.
King Haakon gained a high reputation in foreign countries. The Russian
grand-duke, Vasilij, asked for the hand of his daughter Christina,
and the Spanish king, Alfonso X. of Castile, wooed her for one of his
brothers. The latter suit was accepted, and Christina was married to
the Spanish prince, Don Philip, in 1257. The pope wanted Haakon for
emperor of Germany, and the French king, Louis IX., urged him to take
the command of a crusade.
During the reign of King Haakon, in 1261, Greenland was made a
dependency of Norway, and the next year Iceland acknowledged the
supremacy of Norway. The Icelanders agreed to pay the king of Norway a
tribute; but they were to retain their own laws and their own officers.
In the summer of 1263 King Haakon sailed with a strong fleet and a
large army westward to make war on Alexander III. of Scotland, who had
tried to annex the Norwegian possessions west and north of Scotland.
King Haakon proceeded to the Sudr Islands (the Hebrides), where he met
with terrible storms, during which his fleet suffered considerable
loss. In a battle at Largs, near the entrance to the Firth of Clyde,
some of Haakon's best men fell. Scotch and Norwegian accounts differ
as to which side was really defeated; but even from Scotch sources it
appears that there was for some time afterward a great dread of the
reappearance of "the black fleet of Norway." A contemporary Scotch poet
and soothsayer, Thomas of Erceldoune, wrote:
It will be seen upon a day
Between the Bass and Bay,
Craigin and Fidderay,
The black fleet of Norroway.
Quhen the black fleet is come and gane,
Then may they bigg thair burgh of lime and stane
Quhilk they biggit of straw and hay--
That will stand till doomes day.
Shortly after the battle at Largs, King Haakon retired to the Orkneys,
intending to winter there and to renew the attack in the spring. In
the town of Kirkevaag (Orkneys) he was taken seriously ill; dying
December 15, 1263. During his illness he had his men read aloud to him
portions of the Bible and several books in Latin. Afterward he had
Norwegian books read to him, first the stories of holy men (legends)
and afterward the sagas of his ancestors, from Halfdan the Black down
to his grandfather, King Sverre. During the reading of Sverre's saga
he sank rapidly, and toward midnight, when King Sverre's saga was
finished, he expired.
King Haakon was fifty-nine years old when he died. He had been king of
Norway forty-six years. His body was temporarily entombed in Kirkevaag,
and, in the following spring, was brought back to Norway and buried in
the Christ Church in Bergen.