Sigurd Magnusson (1089 – 26 March 1130), also known as Sigurd the Crusader (
Old Norse: ''Sigurðr Jórsalafari'',
Norwegian: ''Sigurd Jorsalfar''), was
King of Norway (being Sigurd I) from 1103 to 1130. His rule, together with his half-brother
Øystein (until Øystein died in 1123), has been regarded by historians as a golden age for the medieval Kingdom of Norway. He is otherwise famous for leading the
Norwegian Crusade (1107–1110), earning the eponym "the Crusader", and was the first European king to personally participate in a crusade.
[Literally "Jerusalem-farer", but commonly translated into English as "the Crusader".]
Early life
Sigurd was one of the three sons of King
Magnus III, the other two being
Øystein and
Olaf
Olaf or Olav (, , or British ; Old Norse: ''Áleifr'', ''Ólafr'', ''Óleifr'', ''Anleifr'') is a Scandinavian and German given name. It is presumably of Proto-Norse origin, reconstructed as ''*Anu-laibaz'', from ''anu'' "ancestor, grand-father" a ...
. They were all
illegitimate sons of the king with different mothers. To avoid feuds or war, the three half-brothers co-ruled the kingdom from 1103. Sigurd ruled alone after Olaf died in 1115 and Øystein in 1123.
Before being proclaimed King of Norway, Sigurd was styled as
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 ...
and
Earl of Orkney. Neither Øystein nor
Olav received such prestigious titles. Sigurd passed the Earldom of Orkney on to
Haakon Paulsson.
Many historians have viewed Sigurd and Øystein's rule as a golden age for the medieval Kingdom of Norway. The state flourished economically and culturally, allowing Sigurd's participation in the
Crusades and gaining international recognition and prestige.
Expedition with Magnus III
In 1098, Sigurd accompanied his father, King Magnus III, on his expedition to the
Orkney Islands
Orkney (; sco, Orkney; on, Orkneyjar; nrn, Orknøjar), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, situated off the north coast of the island of Great Britain. Orkney is 10 miles (16 km) north ...
,
Hebrides and the
Irish Sea. He was made Earl of Orkney the same year, following the swift removal of the incumbent earls of Orkney,
Paul and Erlend Thorfinnsson. He was also apparently made
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 ...
in that same year, following the overthrow of their king by his father, Magnus. Although Magnus was not directly responsible for the death of the previous king of the Isles, he became the next ruler of the kingdom, most likely due to his conquest of the islands. This was the first time the kingdom had been under direct control of a Norwegian king. It is not certain whether Sigurd returned home with his father to Norway after the 1098 expedition. However, it is known that he was in Orkney when Magnus returned west in 1102 for his next expedition. While there, a marriage alliance was negotiated between Magnus and
Muircheartach Ua Briain. He proclaimed himself
High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned ana ...
, as he was one of the most powerful rulers in Ireland, as well as the ruler of
Dublin. Sigurd was to marry Muirchertach's daughter
Bjaðmunjo, a young Irish princess and for a short period, queen. The marriage might not even have been
consummated
In many traditions and statutes of civil or religious law, the consummation of a marriage, often called simply ''consummation'', is the first (or first officially credited) act of sexual intercourse between two people, following their marriage t ...
.
When King Magnus was ambushed and killed in
Ulaid by an Irish army in 1103, the 14-year-old Sigurd returned to Norway along with the rest of the Norwegian army, leaving his child-bride behind. Upon arriving in Norway, he and his two brothers, Øystein and Olav, were proclaimed kings of Norway and jointly ruled the kingdom together for some time. The expeditions conducted by Magnus were somewhat profitable to the Kingdom of Norway, as the many islands under Norwegian control generated wealth and manpower. However the Hebrides and
Man quickly re-asserted their independence after Magnus' death.
Norwegian Crusade
In 1107, Sigurd led the
Norwegian Crusade to support the newly established
Kingdom of Jerusalem which had been founded after the
First Crusade. He was the first
European king to lead a crusade, and his feats earned him the nickname ''Jorsalafari''. Sigurd possessed a total force of about 5000 men in about 60 ships, as recorded by the sagas. The two kings, Øystein and Sigurd, initially disputed about who should lead the contingent and who should remain home to rule the kingdom. Sigurd was eventually chosen to lead the crusade, possibly because he was a more experienced traveler, having been on several expeditions with his father,
Magnus III, to
Ireland and islands in the seas around
Scotland.
Sigurd fought in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
, various
Mediterranean islands and
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
. He would often fight the enemies himself, amongst his loyal soldiers and kinsmen; they were continually victorious and vastly successful, gaining considerable amounts of treasure and booty. However, the loot probably never reached Norway, as Sigurd left almost everything he had gained in
Constantinople. On his way to
Jerusalem (''Jorsala'') he visited the Norman King
Roger II of Sicily
Roger II ( it, Ruggero II; 22 December 1095 – 26 February 1154) was King of Sicily and Africa, son of Roger I of Sicily
Roger I ( it, Ruggero I, Arabic: ''رُجار'', ''Rujār''; Maltese: ''Ruġġieru'', – 22 June 1101), nicknamed Rog ...
in his
castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
at
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
.
Upon arriving in the
Holy Land
The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
he was greeted by King
Baldwin I of Jerusalem. He received a warm welcome, and spent much time with the king. The two kings rode to the
Jordan River
The Jordan River or River Jordan ( ar, نَهْر الْأُرْدُنّ, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn'', he, נְהַר הַיַּרְדֵּן, ''Nəhar hayYardēn''; syc, ܢܗܪܐ ܕܝܘܪܕܢܢ ''Nahrāʾ Yurdnan''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Shariea ...
, where Sigurd might have been
baptized
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
. King Baldwin asked Sigurd to join him and
Ordelafo Faliero, Doge of Venice in the capture of the coastal city of
Sidon, which had been re-fortified by the
Fatimids
The Fatimid Caliphate was an Isma'ilism, Ismaili Shia Islam, Shi'a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries AD. Spanning a large area of North Africa, it ranged from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea in the ea ...
in 1098. The
Siege of Sidon
The siege of Sidon was an event in the aftermath of the First Crusade. The coastal city of Sidon was captured by the forces of Baldwin I of Jerusalem and Sigurd I of Norway, with assistance from the Ordelafo Faliero, Doge of Venice.
Background ...
was a great success for the crusaders, and the city was conquered on 5 December 1110.
Eustace Grenier was granted the
Lordship of Sidon
The Lordship of Sidon (french: Saete/Sagette), (Later County of Sidon) was one of the four major fiefdoms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem,According to the 13th-century writer John of Ibelin one of the Crusader States. However, in reality, it appears ...
after the city was captured. By order of Baldwin and the
patriarch of Jerusalem,
Ghibbelin of Arles Ghibbelin of Sabran (also spelled Gibelin) ( 1045 – 1112) was Archbishop of Arles (1080–1112), papal legate (1107–1108), and Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem (1108–1112).
Biography
Ghibbelin was named Archbishop of Arles at the Council of A ...
, a splinter was taken from the
True Cross and given to Sigurd after the siege, as a token of friendship and as a relic for his heroic participation in the crusades. Thereafter, King Sigurd returned to his ships and prepared to leave the
Holy Land
The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...
. They sailed north to the island of
Cyprus, where Sigurd stayed for a time. Sigurd then sailed to
Constantinople (''Miklagard'') and entered the city through the gate called the Gold Tower, riding in front of his men. He stayed there for a while, meeting and spending much time with Emperor
Alexios I Komnenos.
Return to Norway
Before leaving Constantinople, Sigurd gave all of his ships and many treasures away to Emperor Alexios. In return the emperor gave him many strong horses, for him and his fellow kinsmen. Sigurd planned to return to Norway over land, but many of his men stayed behind in Constantinople, to take up service for the emperor as part of his
Varangian Guard. The trip took three years and he visited many countries en route. Sigurd traveled from Serbia and Bulgaria, through Hungary, Pannonia, Swabia and Bavaria where he met with the
Emperor Lothar II
Lothair III, sometimes numbered Lothair II and also known as Lothair of Supplinburg (1075 – 4 December 1137), was Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 until his death. He was appointed Duke of Saxony in 1106 and elected King of Germany in 1125 before ...
of the
Holy Roman Empire. He later arrived in Denmark where he was greeted by King
Niels of Denmark
Niels ( la, Nicolaus, English exonym Nicholas; – 25 June 1134) was the King of Denmark from 1104 to 1134. Niels succeeded his brother Eric Evergood and is presumed to have been the youngest son of King Sweyn II Estridson. King Niels actively ...
, who eventually gave him a ship in which to sail to Norway.
Upon returning to Norway in 1111, Sigurd came back to a flourishing and prosperous kingdom. King Øystein had created a strong and stable country and the church gained more wealth, power and prestige. During Sigurd's reign, the
tithe (a 10% tax to support the church) was introduced in Norway, which greatly strengthened the church in the country. Sigurd also founded the
diocese of Stavanger
The Diocese of Stavanger ( no, Stavanger bispedømme) is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers all of Rogaland county in western Norway. The cathedral city is Stavanger, where the Stavanger Cathedral is located. The bishop is Anne Li ...
. He had been denied divorce by the bishop in
Bergen, so he simply installed another bishop further south and had him perform the divorce.
Sigurd made his capital in Konghelle (in the vicinity of
Kungälv in present-day Sweden) and built a strong castle there. He also kept the
relic
In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...
given to him by King Baldwin, a splinter reputed to be from the
True Cross. In 1123, Sigurd once again set out to fight in the name of the church, this time in the
Swedish Crusade to
Småland
Småland () is a historical province () in southern Sweden.
Småland borders Blekinge, Scania, Halland, Västergötland, Östergötland and the island Öland in the Baltic Sea. The name Småland literally means ''Small Lands''. The Latinized fo ...
in Sweden. The inhabitants had reportedly renounced Christianity and were again worshiping
Old Norse deities
Old Norse religion, also known as Norse paganism, is the most common name for a branch of Germanic religion which developed during the Proto-Norse period, when the North Germanic peoples separated into a distinct branch of the Germanic people ...
.
Death
Sigurd died in 1130 and was buried in
Hallvard's church (''Hallvardskirken'') in
Oslo. Sigurd was married to
Malmfred
Malmfred of Kiev (between 1095 and 1102 – died after 1137) was a Norwegian and Danish queen consort, wife first to King Sigurd I of Norway and second to king Eric II of Denmark.
Life
Malmfred was born to Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev and Prin ...
, a daughter of
Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev and granddaughter of King
Inge I of Sweden. They had a daughter,
Kristin Sigurdsdatter
Kristin Sigurdsdatter (ca. 1125–1178) was a Norwegian princess and mother of King Magnus V of Norway.
Kristin was a daughter of King Sigurd I of Norway and Malmfred of Kiev. She married Erling Skakke (''Erling Ormsson Skakke''), a Norwegian no ...
.
He left no legitimate sons.
Magnus, his illegitimate son with
Borghild Olavsdotter
Borghild Olavsdatter (fl. 1115), was the Norwegian royal mistress of King Sigurd the Crusader (c. 1090 – 1130) and the mother of King Magnus IV of Norway (ca. 1115 – 1139). She probably lived within the period 1090 to 1150 and was one of few ...
, became king of Norway. He shared the throne in an uneasy peace with another claimant,
Harald Gille. This led to a power struggle following Sigurd's death between various illegitimate sons and other royal pretenders, which escalated into a lengthy and devastating civil war. This gave rise to long feuds over who should rule the
Kingdom of Norway in the 12th century and early 13th century.
Primary sources
Most of the information gathered about the saga of Sigurd and his brothers is taken from the
Heimskringla,
written by
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 ...
around 1225. The accuracy of this work is still debated by scholars. Sigurd is also mentioned in various European sources.
In theatrical works
In the 19th century,
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson wrote a historical drama based on the life of the king, with
incidental music
Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as t ...
(titled
''Sigurd Jorsalfar'') composed by
Edvard Grieg.
Notes
Other sources
* Bergan, Halvor (2005) ''Kong Sigurds Jorsalferd. Den unge kongen som ble Norges helt'' (Norgesforlaget)
* Morten, Øystein (2014) ''Jakten på Sigurd Jorsalfare'' (Spartacus)
Related reading
* Riley-Smith, Jonathan (1986) ''The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading'' (University of Pennsylvania Press)
External links
Sigurd the Crusader: Stories from His Saga
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sigurd 01 Of Norway
1089 births
1130 deaths
12th-century rulers of the Kingdom of the Isles
12th-century Norwegian monarchs
Monarchs of the Isle of Man
Norwegian Roman Catholics
Roman Catholic monarchs
House of Hardrada
Medieval child rulers
Burials at Akershus Fortress
Christians of the Norwegian Crusade
History of Bohuslän