Inge Haraldsson (
Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...
: ''Ingi Haraldsson''; 1135 – 3 February 1161) was
king of Norway
The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingdoms ...
(being Inge I) from 1136 to 1161. Inge’s reign fell within the start of the period known in Norwegian history as the
civil war era
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
. He was never the sole ruler of the country. He is often known as Inge the Hunchback ( no, Inge Krokrygg; Old Norse: ''Ingi krókhryggr''), because of his physical disability. However, this epithet does not appear in medieval sources.
Childhood and accession
Inge was the only son of King
Harald Gille
Harald Gille (Old Norse: ''Haraldr Gilli'' or ''Haraldr Gillikristr'', c. 1102 − 14 December 1136), also known as Harald IV, was king of Norway from 1130 until his death. His byname Gille is probably from Middle Irish ''Gilla Críst'' "servant o ...
by his wife,
Ingiríðr Ragnvaldsdóttir
Ingrid Ragnvaldsdotter (Old Norse language, Old Norse: ''Ingiríðr Rögnvaldsdóttir'') (1100/1110 – after 1161 AD) was born a member of the Swedish royal family, became a member of Danish royalty by marriage and later was Queen consort of Norwa ...
. At the time, however,
legitimate birth
Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as ''b ...
was not an important factor in determining succession to the throne. Inge was fostered by ''Ögmund'' or ''Ámund Gyrðarson'' in eastern Norway. His father, Harald, was murdered in 1136 by the pretender
Sigurd Slembe
Sigurd Magnusson Slembe (or Slembedjakn) (died 12 November 1139) was a Norwegian pretender to the throne.
He was the subject of ''Sigurd Slembe'', the historical drama written by the Norwegian playwright Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson in 1862.
Biograph ...
. The one-year-old Inge was named king at the
thing
Thing or The Thing may refer to:
Philosophy
* An object
* Broadly, an entity
* Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant
* Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuses ...
of ''Borgarting'' near
Sarpsborg
Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg.
Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neigh ...
. His two half-brothers, also infants,
Magnus
Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
and
Sigurd
Sigurd ( non, Sigurðr ) or Siegfried (Middle High German: ''Sîvrit'') is a legendary hero of Germanic heroic legend, who killed a dragon and was later murdered. It is possible he was inspired by one or more figures from the Frankish Meroving ...
, were also named king at other things. Their respective guardians joined forces against Sigurd Slembe and his ally, the former king
Magnus the Blind
Magnus Sigurdsson (c. 1115 – 12 November 1139), also known as Magnus the Blind, was King of Norway (being Magnus IV) from 1130 to 1135 and again from 1137 to 1139. His period as king marked the beginning of the civil war era in Norway, which las ...
. In 1139, they were defeated and killed at the
Battle of Holmengrå
The Battle of Holmengrå (Norwegian: ''Slaget ved Holmengrå'') was a naval battle fought on 12 November 1139 near the island Holmengrå south of Hvaler, between the forces of the child kings Sigurd Haraldsson and Inge Haraldsson on the one side ...
. According to the sagas
Morkinskinna
''Morkinskinna'' is an Old Norse kings' saga, relating the history of Norwegian kings from approximately 1025 to 1157. The saga was written in Iceland around 1220, and has been preserved in a manuscript from around 1275.
The name ''Morkinskinna' ...
and
Heimskringla
''Heimskringla'' () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorre Sturlason (1178/79–1241) 1230. The name ''Heimskringla'' was first used in the 17th century, derived ...
, Inge’s infirmity stemmed from having been carried into battle by one of his guardians during a battle in 1137: “''...his back was knotted into a hump, and the one foot was shorter than the other; and he was besides so infirm that he could scarcely walk as long as he lived.''”
s:Heimskringla/Saga of Sigurd, Inge, and Eystein, the Sons of Harald#Of Sigurd Slembidjakn. The
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
chronicler
Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus (c. 1150 – c. 1220), also known as Saxo cognomine Longus, was a Danish historian, theologian and author. He is thought to have been a clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, the main advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. ...
offers the alternative explanation that he became a hunchback after having been dropped on the floor by a maid during infancy. During the minority of Inge, Sigurd and Magnus, the country was ruled in peace by their guardians, prominent among whom was Inge’s mother, queen Ingiriðr. Magnus, of whom little more is known, died at some point in the 1140s. In 1142, a fourth, older brother,
Eystein, came to Norway from
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, where he had grown up. Harald Gille had acknowledged Eystein as a son before his death, and Eystein was therefore given a share of the kingdom.
Adulthood and reign
The division of the kingdom does not seem to have been territorial, all brothers seem to have held equal regal status over all parts of the country. According to the sagas, relations between the brothers were peaceful as long as their guardians were alive. This period of their reign saw the establishment of an independent Norwegian
Archiepiscopacy
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
in
Nidaros
Nidaros, Niðarós or Niðaróss () was the medieval name of Trondheim when it was the capital of Norway's first Christian kings. It was named for its position at the mouth (Old Norse: ''óss'') of the River Nid (the present-day Nidelva).
Althou ...
(
Trondheim
Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...
) in 1152. As their guardians died, and the brothers grew up, conflict broke out.
In 1155, a meeting between the brothers in
Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula of ...
resulted in fighting breaking out between the men of king Inge and king Sigurd, in which king Sigurd was killed. King Eystein was late in arriving for the meeting, and only approached the city after Sigurd was already dead. An uneasy settlement was reached between Inge and Eystein. The reasons for the fighting in Bergen remain disputed. According to the sagas, Eystein and Sigurd had plotted to strip Inge of his royal title and divide his share of the kingdom between them. Some modern historians doubt this version, seeing it as Inge’s excuse for his own aggressive actions. In any event, peace between Inge and Eystein did not hold for long after the events of 1155. In 1157, both sides gathered their forces for a confrontation. Inge’s forces outnumbered Eystein’s, and when they met, on the west coast near
Moster
Moster is a former municipality in the old Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1916 until 1963, when it was merged into the new, larger municipality of Bømlo. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village o ...
, Eystein’s forces melted away. Eystein was forced to flee, he was caught and killed in
Bohuslän
Bohuslän (; da, Bohuslen; no, Båhuslen) is a Swedish province in Götaland, on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea ...
later the same year.
Inge was now the last remaining brother. However, the supporters of Sigurd and Eystein united behind a son of Sigurd,
Haakon the Broadshouldered. They renewed the fight against Inge. ''Heimskringla'' notes that Inge was popular among the “chieftains” – the
lendmenn – because he allowed them a great say in the running of the kingdom. Foremost among his advisors was the ''lendmann''
Gregorius Dagsson, another prominent supporter was
Erling Skakke
Erling Skakke (1115 – 18 June 1179) was a Norwegian Jarl during the 12th century. He was the father of Magnus V, who reigned as King of Norway from 1161 to 1184.
Biography
Erling Ormsson was born at Etne in the county of Hordaland, Norway. He w ...
. The king’s mother, who survived her son, also appears to have remained influential throughout his reign.
7 January 1161, Gregorius was killed in a skirmish with king Haakon’s forces.
On 3 February the same year, Inge was defeated and killed, leading his men into
battle
A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...
against King Haakon near
Oslo
Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...
, after many of his men, led by his vassal
Guðrøðr Óláfsson
Guðrøðr Óláfsson (died 10 November 1187) was a twelfth-century ruler of the kingdoms of Dublin and the Isles. Guðrøðr was a son of Óláfr Guðrøðarson and Affraic, daughter of Fergus, Lord of Galloway. Throughout his career, Guðr ...
, the exiled
King of the Isles
The Kingdom of the Isles consisted of the Isle of Man, the Hebrides and the islands of the Firth of Clyde from the 9th to the 13th centuries AD. The islands were known to the Norse as the , or "Southern Isles" as distinct from the or Nort ...
, defected to King Haakon’s side. He was buried in St. Hallvard’s church in Oslo.
Aftermath
The period of peace during the minority of king Inge and his brothers – from 1129 until 1155 - was the longest peaceful period Norway was to see until 1240, as the dispute between the brothers ushered in the Norwegian civil war era. ''Heimskringla'' describes Inge thus:
:''King Inge was the handsomest among them in countenance. He had yellow but rather thin hair, which was much curled. His stature was small; and he had difficulty in walking alone, because he had one foot withered, and he had a hump both on his back and his breast. He was of cheerful conversation, and friendly towards his friends; was generous, and allowed other chiefs to give him counsel in governing the country. He was popular, therefore, with the public; and all this brought the kingdom and the mass of the people on his side.''
s:Heimskringla/Saga of Sigurd, Inge, and Eystein, the Sons of Harald#Habits and Manners of Harald's Sons.
After Inge’s fall, his supporters rallied behind the lendmann Erling Skakke and his son, king
Magnus Erlingsson
Magnus Erlingsson ( non, Magnús Erlingsson, 1156 – 15 June 1184) was a king of Norway (being Magnus V) during the civil war era in Norway. He was the first known Scandinavian monarch to be crowned in Scandinavia. He helped to establish primoge ...
. This party is sometimes referred to as the ''lendmann-party''. The sagas of king Inge do not mention any offspring, but one of the pretenders against king
Sverre,
Jon Kuvlung Jon Ingesson Kuvlung (died 1188) was a pretender to the Royal Crown during the civil war era in Norway. He was a rival of the reigning King Sverre of Norway.
Background
Jon Ingesson was claimed to be a son of former King Inge I of Norway, althoug ...
(died 1188), claimed to be Inge’s son.
Sources
The main sources to Inge’s reign are the
kings’ sagas Heimskringla
''Heimskringla'' () is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorre Sturlason (1178/79–1241) 1230. The name ''Heimskringla'' was first used in the 17th century, derived ...
,
Fagrskinna
''Fagrskinna'' ( ; is, Fagurskinna ; trans. "Fair Leather" from the type of parchment) is one of the kings' sagas, written around 1220. It is an intermediate source for the ''Heimskringla'' of Snorri Sturluson, containing histories of Norwegian k ...
,
Morkinskinna
''Morkinskinna'' is an Old Norse kings' saga, relating the history of Norwegian kings from approximately 1025 to 1157. The saga was written in Iceland around 1220, and has been preserved in a manuscript from around 1275.
The name ''Morkinskinna' ...
and
Ágrip. The three former base at least part of their account on the older saga
Hryggjarstykki ''Hryggjarstykki'' (Mid 12th c. Old Norse: ; ) is a Lost work, lost kings' sagas, kings' saga written in Old Norse language, Old Norse in the mid-twelfth century and dealing with near-contemporary events. The author was Eiríkr Oddsson, an Icelander ...
, which was written some time between 1150 and 1170, and was thus a near-contemporary source. This saga itself has not been preserved.
References
*Matthew James Driscoll (ed.); (1995). ''Agrip Af Noregskonungasogum''. Viking Society for Northern Research.
*Kari Ellen Gade & Theodore Murdock Andersson (eds.); (2000) ''
orkinskinna: The Earliest Icelandic Chronicle of the Norwegian Kings (1030–1157)'.
Cornell University Press
The Cornell University Press is the university press of Cornell University; currently housed in Sage House, the former residence of Henry William Sage. It was first established in 1869, making it the first university publishing enterprise in th ...
.
*Alison Finlay; editor and translator (2004). ''Fagrskinna, a Catalogue of the Kings of Norway''. Brill Academic Publishers.
*
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of the ...
; translator Lee M. Hollander (repr. 1991).
Heimskringla : History of the Kings of Norway'.
University of Texas Press
The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is a university press that is part of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly books and journals in several areas, including Latin American studies, Texan ...
.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inge 01 Of Norway
1135 births
1161 deaths
12th-century Norwegian monarchs
House of Gille
Norwegian civil wars
Monarchs killed in action
Medieval child rulers
Norwegian military personnel killed in the Norwegian civil wars
Norwegian people of Irish descent