Fairhair dynasty
Encyclopedia
The Fairhair dynasty
was a family of king
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...

s founded by Harald I of Norway
Harald I of Norway
Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair , , son of Halfdan the Black, was the first king of Norway.-Background:Little is known of the historical Harald...

 which ruled Norway with few interruptions from 800 to 1387 (the traditional view), or through only three generations of kings (the view of many modern scholars), in the 10th century CE.

Dynasty itself: traditional view vs artificial construct

The Fairhair Dynasty is traditionally regarded as the first royal dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...

 of the united kingdom
Hereditary Kingdom of Norway
The Kingdom of Norway as a unified realm was initiated by King Harald Fairhair in 9th century. His efforts in unifying the petty kingdoms of Norway, resulted in the first known Norwegian central government...

 of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

. It was founded by Harald I of Norway, known as Haraldr hinn hárfagri (Harald Fairhair or Finehair), the first King of Norway, as opposed to "in Norway", who defeated the last petty kings who resisted him at the Battle of Hafrsfjord
Battle of Hafrsfjord
The Battle of Hafrsfjord has traditionally been regarded as the battle in which western Norway for the first time was unified under one monarch.The national monument of Haraldshaugen was raised in 1872, to commemorate the Battle of Hafrsfjord...

 in 872. The last member of the family to rule as King of Norway, according to the traditional view, was Olav IV
Olav IV of Norway
Olaf II Haakonsson was king of Denmark as Olaf II and king of Norway as Olaf IV . Olaf was son of King Haakon VI of Norway and the grandson of King Magnus IV of Sweden. His mother was Queen Margaret I of Denmark which made him the grandson of King Valdemar IV of Denmark...

, who died in 1387. However, Håkon V Magnusson (r. 1299–1319) is regarded as being the last member of the male-line dynasty.

According to the traditional view, after Harald Fairhair first unified the kingdom, Norway was inherited by his agnatic (male) descendants. In the 13th century, this was codified in law. Unlike other Scandinavian monarchies and Anglo-Saxon England, Norway was never an elective monarchy.

However, in the first centuries after Harald Fairhair, there were several periods during which the country was effectively ruled not by a king but by one of the Jarls of Lade
Jarls of Lade
The Jarls of Lade or Old Norse Hlaðir were a dynasty of Norwegian rulers, who ruled Trøndelag and Hålogaland from the 9th century to the 11th century. -Lade Gaard:...

, (Old Norse Hlaðir), from the northern part of Norway. The first such period was from about 975 to about 995 under Haakon Sigurdsson
Haakon Sigurdsson
Haakon Sigurdarsson was the de facto ruler of Norway from about 975 to 995.-Background:Haakon was the son of Sigurd Haakonsson, Jarl of Lade and ruler of Trøndelag and Hålogaland. His mother was Bergljot Toresdatter, daughter of Tore Ragnvaldsson, Earl of Møre...

 (Hákon Sigurðarson, often called 'Jarl Haakon'). Also, although Harald Fairhair's kingdom was the kernel of a unified Norway, it was still small and his power centre was in Vestfold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...

, in the south. And when he died, the kingdom was divided between his sons. Some historians put emphasis on the actual monarchical control over the country and assert that Olav II
Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...

 (Olav the Stout, who later became St. Olav), who reigned from 1015, was the first king to have control over the entire country. He is generally held to be the driving force behind Norway's final conversion to Christianity and was later revered as Rex Perpetuum Norvegiæ (Latin: eternal king of Norway). Some provinces did not actually come under the rule of the Fairhair kings before the time of Harald III (Harald Hardrada, r. 1046–1066). Either of these may therefore be regarded as further unifiers of Norway. And some of the rulers were nominally or actually vassals of the King of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

, including Jarl Haakon.

It is undisputed that later kings, until Magnus IV
Magnus IV of Norway
Magnus IV Sigurdsson , also known as Magnus the Blind, was King of Norway 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 lasted until 1240....

 (Magnus the Blind, r. 1130–1135 and 1137–1139), were descended from Harald Hardrada: the 'Hardrada dynasty'. However, many modern historians doubt whether Harald III was in fact descended from Harald Fairhair (for example questioning the identification of Halfdan in Hadafylke with the father of Sigurd Syr
Sigurd Syr
Sigurd Syr Halfdansson was a petty king in northern Ostlandet in Norway.Sigurd was subking of Ringerike, an ancient territory in the county of Buskerud, southern Norway. Through his marriage with Åsta Gudbrandsdatter, he was the stepfather of King Olav II of Norway and father of King Harald III...

 or Harald Fairhair's fathering of Sigurd Hrise on a Sami girl called Snæfrid) and whether he in fact made such a claim, or whether this lineage is a construction from the 12th century. Sverre Sigurdsson
Sverre of Norway
Sverre Sigurdsson was king of Norway from 1177 to 1202. He married Margareta Eriksdotter, the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Saint, by whom he had the daughter Kristina Sverresdotter....

's claim to be the son of Sigurd Munn
Sigurd II of Norway
Sigurd II Haraldsson was king of Norway from 1136 to 1155. He was son of Harald Gille, king of Norway and his mistress Tora Guttormsdotter . He served as co-ruler with his half-brothers, Inge Haraldsson and Eystein Haraldsson. His epithet Munn means "the Mouth" in Old Norse...

 is also usually considered to be false, which would make Inge II
Inge II of Norway
align=right|Inge Baardson was king of Norway from 1204 to 1217. His reign was within the later stages of the period known in Norwegian history as the age of civil wars. Inge was the king of the birkebeiner faction...

 (Inge Bårdsson) the last king of a dynasty.

Scholars now consider the Fairhair dynasty at least partly the product of medieval invention. One motive would be to increase the legitimacy of rulers by giving them a clear royal ancestry dating back to the foundation of the kingdom. Another was to provide pedigrees for other people by connecting them to the royal house. Versions of the royal descent are preserved in various works by Icelandic skald
Skald
The skald was a member of a group of poets, whose courtly poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking Age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry .The most prevalent metre of skaldic poetry is...

s and historians, some based on now lost works: Þjóðólfr of Hvinir
Þjóðólfr of Hvinir
Þjóðólfr of Hvinir was a Norwegian skald, active around the year 900. He is considered to have been the original author of Ynglingatal, a poem glorifying the Norwegian petty king Ragnvald the Mountain-High, by describing how he was descended from the Swedish kings and the Norse gods.He is also...

's Ynglingatal
Ynglingatal
Ynglingatal is a skaldic poem listing the kings of the House of Ynglings, dated by most scholars to the late 9th century.The original version is attributed to Þjóðólfr af Hvini who was the skald of a Norwegian petty king named Ragnvald the Mountain-High and who was a cousin of Harald Fairhair...

, in Nóregs konungatal
Nóregs konungatal
Nóregs konungatal is an Icelandic skaldic poem. Composed around 1190 the poem is preserved in the 14th century Flateyjarbók manuscript. It is based on the lost historical work of Sæmundr fróði and is the best extant testimony on the scope of Sæmundr's work...

(which preserves information from a lost work by Sæmundr fróði
Sæmundr fróði
Sæmundr Sigfússon was an Icelandic priest and scholar. Sæmundr is known to have studied abroad. Previously it has generally been held that he studied in France, but modern scholars rather believe his studies were carried out in Franconia. In Iceland he founded a long-lived school at Oddi...

), and at greatest length in Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...

's Heimskringla
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 Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...

(which preserves information from a now lost version of Ari Þorgilsson
Ari Þorgilsson
Ari Þorgilsson was Iceland's most prominent medieval chronicler. He is the author of Íslendingabók, which details the histories of the various families who settled Iceland...

's Íslendingabók
Íslendingabók
Íslendingabók, Libellus Islandorum or The Book of Icelanders is an historical work dealing with early Icelandic history. The author was an Icelandic priest, Ari Þorgilsson, working in the early 12th century. The work originally existed in two different versions but only the younger one has come...

). These differ in some respects. Joan Turville-Petre
Joan Turville-Petre
Joan Elizabeth Turville-Petre was a noted academic at Oxford University, England, in the field of Anglo-Saxon, Icelandic and Scandinavian language studies....

 explored the relationship between them and argued that the original aims were to establish a framework of regnal years for dating and to connect Icelandic chieftains to them, and that the Vestfold origin of the dynasty was deliberately altered and they were connected to the Swedish Yngling
Yngling
The Ynglings were the oldest known Scandinavian dynasty. It can refer to the clans of the Scylfings , the semi-legendary royal Swedish clan during the Age of Migrations, with kings such as Eadgils, Onela and Ohthere...

s rather than the Skjǫldung
Scylding
Old English Scylding and Old Norse Skjöldung , meaning in both languages "People of Scyld/Skjöld" refers to members of a legendary royal family of Danes and sometimes to their people. The name is explained in many text by the descent of this family from an eponymous king Scyld/Skjöld...

s to fit Icelandic tradition. Claus Krag
Claus Krag
Claus Krag is a Norwegian educator, historian, and writer. He is a noted specialist in Old Norse philology and medieval Norwegian history. Krag earned his Cand.philol. in 1969...

 argued that an important motive was to establish a hereditary claim to Viken, the region around Oslo, because the area had been paying taxes to the King of Denmark.

Turville-Petre speaks of a "decisive reconstruction of Harald [Hardrada]'s ancestry probably carried out by Icelanders, some two hundred years after his time" which made Halfdan the Black
Halfdan the Black
Halfdan the Black was a ninth-century king of Vestfold. He belonged to the House of Yngling and was the father of Harald Fairhair, the first king of Norway.-Biography:...

 the progenitor of a dynasty which stretched in three branches from Harald Fairhair to Olaf Tryggvason, Olav II
Olaf II of Norway
Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...

 and Harald. - in fulfillment of prophetic dreams, according to Heimskringla
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 Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...

, in which the genealogy reaches its full form.

One particular point of doubt raised by historians is whether Harald III's father was actually descended in unbroken male line from a younger (and somewhat obscure) son of Harald Fairhair, and Olav II in another obscure but unbroken male line. It has been suggested that their claims to the throne were bolstered by genealogical invention because although they shared the same mother, Åsta Gudbrandsdatter
Åsta Gudbrandsdatter
Åsta Gudbrandsdatter was the mother of two Norwegian kings, King Olaf II of Norway and King Harald III of Norway.According to the sagas, Åsta Gudbrandsdatter was from Vestfold. Åsta's father was Gudbrand Kula from Oppland...

, the mother's descent was unimportant in inheritance according to traditional Germanic law.

In this critical view, only three generations of Fairhair kings reigned, from 930 to 1030, for 40 years altogether. The kings Olav Tryggvason and St. Olav, their family ties with the Fairhair dynasty perhaps a 12th-century invention, ruled for 18 years altogether and Harald Hardrada then founded a new dynasty. There may be as many as 6 dynasties altogether subsumed under the title of Fairhair dynasty: Harald Fairhair's, Olav Tryggvason's, St. Olav's, Harald Hardrada's, Magnus Erlingsson
Magnus V of Norway
Magnus V Erlingsson was a King of Norway during the Civil war era in Norway.-Biography:Magnus Erlingsson was probably born in Etne in Hordaland. He was the son of Erling Skakke. His father was a Norwegian nobleman who earned his reputation crusading with Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, the Earl of Orkney...

's and Sverre
Sverre of Norway
Sverre Sigurdsson was king of Norway from 1177 to 1202. He married Margareta Eriksdotter, the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Saint, by whom he had the daughter Kristina Sverresdotter....

's.

Kings of the Fairhair dynasty

  • Harald I of Norway
    Harald I of Norway
    Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair , , son of Halfdan the Black, was the first king of Norway.-Background:Little is known of the historical Harald...

     Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) : c. 890–c. 930
  • Eric I of Norway Eric Bloodaxe (Eirik Blodøks) : c. 930–934
  • Haakon I of Norway
    Haakon I of Norway
    Haakon I , , given the byname the Good, was the third king of Norway and the youngest son of Harald Fairhair and Thora Mosterstang.-Early life:...

     Haakon the Good (Håkon den Gode) : 934–961
  • Harald II of Norway
    Harald II of Norway
    Harald II Greycloak was a king of Norway.Harald Greycloak was the son of Eirik Bloodaxe and a grandson of Harald Fairhair...

     Harald Grayfur (Harald Gråfell) : 961–976
  • Olaf I of Norway
    Olaf I of Norway
    Olaf Tryggvason was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken , and, according to later sagas, the great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first King of Norway.Olaf played an important part in the often forcible, on pain of torture or death, conversion of the...

     Olaf Tryggvason : 995–1000
  • Olaf II of Norway
    Olaf II of Norway
    Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...

     Olaf Haraldsson, Olav the Stout, St. Olav (Olav Digre / Sankt Olav / Olav den Hellige) : 1015–1028
  • Magnus I of Norway
    Magnus I of Norway
    Magnus I , known as the Good or the Noble, was the King of Norway from 1035 to 1047 and the King of Denmark from 1042 to 1047. He was an illegitimate son of king Olaf II of Norway, but fled with his mother in 1028 when his father was dethroned. In 1035 he returned to Norway and was crowned king at...

     Magnus the Good (Magnus den Gode) : 1035–1047
  • Harald III of Norway Harald Hardrada (Harald Hardråde) : 1046–1066
  • Magnus II of Norway
    Magnus II of Norway
    Magnus II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1066 to 1069, jointly with his brother Olaf Kyrre from 1067.-Background:Magnus was a son of King Harald III of Norway...

     Magnus Haraldsson : 1066–1069
  • Olaf III of Norway
    Olaf III of Norway
    Olaf Kyrre , or Olaf III Haraldsson, was King of Norway from 1067 to 1093. He was present at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in England in 1066 where his father, Harald Hardrada, saw defeat and was killed in action...

     Olaf the Peaceful (Olav Kyrre) : 1066–1093
  • Haakon Magnusson
    Haakon Magnusson of Norway
    Haakon Magnusson was king of Norway from 1093 until 1094. Haakon was only partially recognized within Norway and his reign was thus of limited significance. He has been generally not been counted in the numbered series of Norwegian kings...

     (Håkon Magnusson) : 1093–1094
  • Magnus III of Norway
    Magnus III of Norway
    Magnus Barefoot or Magnus III Olafsson was King of Norway from 1093 until 1103 and King of Mann and the Isles from 1099 until 1103.-Background:...

     Magnus Barefoot (Magnus Berrføtt) : 1093–1103
  • Olaf Magnusson
    Olaf Magnusson of Norway
    Olaf Magnusson was king of Norway 1103–1115. He was the son of King Magnus Barefoot and Sigrid, daughter of Sakse of Vik....

     : 1103–1115
  • Eystein I of Norway
    Eystein I of Norway
    Eystein I Magnusson was king of Norway from 1103 to 1123.-Biography:Eystein became king, together with his brothers Sigurd and Olaf, when his father Magnus Barefoot died in 1103...

     (Øystein Magnusson) : 1103–1123
  • Sigurd I of Norway
    Sigurd I of Norway
    Sigurd I Magnusson , also known as Sigurd the Crusader , was King of Norway from 1103 to 1130. His rule, together with his brother Eystein I of Norway , has been regarded by historians as a golden age for the medieval Kingdom of Norway...

     Sigurd the Crusader (Sigurd Jorsalfare) : 1103–1130
  • Magnus IV of Norway
    Magnus IV of Norway
    Magnus IV Sigurdsson , also known as Magnus the Blind, was King of Norway 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 lasted until 1240....

     Magnus the Blind (Magnus Blinde) : 1130–1135
  • Harald IV of Norway
    Harald IV of Norway
    Harald Gille was king of Norway from 1130 until his death in 1136. His byname Gille is probably from Gilla Críst, i.e. servant of Christ.-Background:...

     Harald Gille : 1130–1136
    • Sigurd Slembe
      Sigurd Slembe
      Sigurd Magnusson Slembe 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 1863...

       Sigurd the Noisy (Sigurd Slembe) : 1135–1139, rival king
  • Sigurd II of Norway
    Sigurd II of Norway
    Sigurd II Haraldsson was king of Norway from 1136 to 1155. He was son of Harald Gille, king of Norway and his mistress Tora Guttormsdotter . He served as co-ruler with his half-brothers, Inge Haraldsson and Eystein Haraldsson. His epithet Munn means "the Mouth" in Old Norse...

     Sigurd Munn : 1136–1155
  • Øystein Haraldsson
    Eystein II of Norway
    Eystein Haraldsson , born c. 1125 apparently in Scotland, died 1157 in Bohuslän, Norway, was king of Norway from 1142 to 1157. He ruled as co-ruler with his brothers, Inge Haraldsson and Sigurd Munn...

     : 1142–1157
  • Inge I of Norway
    Inge I of Norway
    Inge Haraldsson was king of Norway from 1136 to 1161. Inge’s reign fell within the start of the period known in Norwegian history as the civil war era. He was never the sole ruler of the country. He is often known as Inge the Hunchback , because of his physical disability...

     Inge the Hunchback (Inge Krokrygg) : 1136–1161
  • Haakon II of Norway
    Haakon II of Norway
    Haakon II Sigurdsson , also known as Haakon Herdebrei, was King of Norway from 1157 until 1162 during the Civil war era in Norway.-Biography:His nickname, Herdebrei, means broad-shouldered...

     Haakon Broadshoulder (Håkon Herdebreid) : 1157–1162
  • Magnus V of Norway
    Magnus V of Norway
    Magnus V Erlingsson was a King of Norway during the Civil war era in Norway.-Biography:Magnus Erlingsson was probably born in Etne in Hordaland. He was the son of Erling Skakke. His father was a Norwegian nobleman who earned his reputation crusading with Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, the Earl of Orkney...

     Magnus Erlingsson : 1161–1184
    • Sigurd Markusfostre
      Sigurd Markusfostre
      Sigurd Sigurdsson Markusfostre was a pretender and rival king during the Civil war era in Norway.-Background:Sigurd Sigurdsson was reportedly a bastard son of King Sigurd II of Norway. He must have been born some time before 1155, when his father was killed in a battle with his half-brother King...

       : 1162–1163, rival king
    • Olav Ugjæva
      Olav Ugjæva
      Olav Ugjæva was a pretender to the Norwegian throne during the civil war era in Norway. Olaf was named king in 1166, but was subsequently defeated by King Magnus V of Norway and forced to flee the country.-Background:Olav Gudbrandsson was the son of Gudbrand Skavhoggsson and Maria...

       : 1166–1169, rival king
    • Eystein Meyla
      Eystein Meyla
      Eystein Meyla was elected a rival King of Norway during the Norwegian Civil War period.-Biography:Eystein was son of Eysteinn Haraldsson, King Eystein II of Norway. His nickname Møyla means maiden, girl, cute woman. His father was king of Norway from 1142 to 1157, ruling as co-ruler with his...

       Eystein the Maiden (Øystein Møyla) : 1174–1177, rival king
  • Sverre Sigurdsson
    Sverre of Norway
    Sverre Sigurdsson was king of Norway from 1177 to 1202. He married Margareta Eriksdotter, the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Saint, by whom he had the daughter Kristina Sverresdotter....

     : 1177–1202
    • Jon Kuvlung
      Jon Kuvlung
      Jon Ingesson Kuvlung 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:...

       : 1185–1188, rival king
    • Sigurd Magnusson
      Sigurd Magnusson
      Sigurd Magnusson was a Norwegian nobleman who campaigned against King Sverre of Norway during the Civil war era in Norway. -Background:...

       : 1193–1194, rival king
    • Inge Magnusson
      Inge Magnusson
      Inge Magnusson or Inge Baglar-king was from 1196 to 1202 the Bagler candidate for pretender to the Norwegian throne during the Civil war era in Norway.In 1197, a serious challenge to the reign of King Sverre of Norway arose...

       : 1196–1202, rival king
  • Haakon III of Norway
    Haakon III of Norway
    Håkon III was king of Norway from 1202 to 1204.-Biography:...

     Håkon Sverreson : 1202–1204
  • Guttorm Sigurdsson : 1204
  • Inge II of Norway
    Inge II of Norway
    align=right|Inge Baardson was king of Norway from 1204 to 1217. His reign was within the later stages of the period known in Norwegian history as the age of civil wars. Inge was the king of the birkebeiner faction...

     Inge Bårdsson : 1204–1217
    • Erling Steinvegg
      Erling Steinvegg
      Erling Magnusson Steinvegg or Erlingr Magnússon Steinveggr was the candidate of the Bagler to the Norwegian throne from 1204 to 1207. His candidacy resulted in the second Bagler War which lasted until 1208, when the question of the Norwegian succession was temporarily settled.-Biography:Erling...

       Erling Stonewall : 1204–1207, rival king
  • Haakon IV of Norway
    Haakon IV of Norway
    Haakon Haakonarson , also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Under his rule, medieval Norway reached its peak....

     Håkon IV Håkonsson : 1217–1263
  • Magnus VI of Norway
    Magnus VI of Norway
    Magnus VI Lagabøte or Magnus Håkonsson , was king of Norway from 1263 until 1280.-Early life:...

     Magnus Lawmender (Magnus Lagabøte) : 1263–1280
  • Eric II of Norway Eric Magnusson : 1280–1299
  • Haakon V of Norway
    Haakon V of Norway
    Haakon V Magnusson was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319.-Biography:Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, King of Norway, and his wife Ingeborg of Denmark. Haakon was descended from king Saint Olav and is considered to have been the last Norwegian king in the Fairhair...

     Håkon V Magnusson : 1299–1319

Genealogy

After Olav II of Norway's recognition as a saint, successors of his half-brother, Harald III, were also known as the 'St. Olav dynasty'.

Sub-dynasties of Fairhair dynasty

The problem points (points of broken genealogy) in the medieval royal lineage in the so-called Fairhair dynasty are:
  • whether either Olav I of Norway or Olav II of Norway descended from Harald I of Norway
    Harald I of Norway
    Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair , , son of Halfdan the Black, was the first king of Norway.-Background:Little is known of the historical Harald...

     (Harald Fairhair)


  • whether Harald IV of Norway
    Harald IV of Norway
    Harald Gille was king of Norway from 1130 until his death in 1136. His byname Gille is probably from Gilla Críst, i.e. servant of Christ.-Background:...

     was son of King Magnus III of Norway
    Magnus III of Norway
    Magnus Barefoot or Magnus III Olafsson was King of Norway from 1093 until 1103 and King of Mann and the Isles from 1099 until 1103.-Background:...


  • whether King Sverre
    Sverre of Norway
    Sverre Sigurdsson was king of Norway from 1177 to 1202. He married Margareta Eriksdotter, the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Saint, by whom he had the daughter Kristina Sverresdotter....

     was son of King Sigurd II of Norway
    Sigurd II of Norway
    Sigurd II Haraldsson was king of Norway from 1136 to 1155. He was son of Harald Gille, king of Norway and his mistress Tora Guttormsdotter . He served as co-ruler with his half-brothers, Inge Haraldsson and Eystein Haraldsson. His epithet Munn means "the Mouth" in Old Norse...

    ,

  • whether Haakon IV of Norway
    Haakon IV of Norway
    Haakon Haakonarson , also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Under his rule, medieval Norway reached its peak....

     was son of King Haakon III


Each of them came from "nowhere" and won the kingdom, the three latter claiming to be hitherto unknown natural sons of an earlier king.

Olav I is historically known to have claimed male-line descent from Harald I, as grandson of Harald's alleged son Olav in Vika. And Olav II is known to also have claimed male-line descent from Harald I, as great-grandson of Harald I's alleged son Bjørn in Vestfold. Opposing sources claim that Viken and its region of Norway, Vestfold
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...

, were not parts of Harald I's dominions but subject to the Danish. The reliability of these two claims depends on the credibility of the Icelandic accounts (in particular Heimskringla
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 Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...

) and the sources used to compile them.

Harald III is historically attested to have referred only to his kinship with his maternal half-brother, King Olav II of Norway, whose father in turn, as previously mentioned, is claimed to have descended from Harald I (even that descent is subject to some doubt). Much later legends (sagas authored under the patronage of royal courts of Harald III's descendants) claim Harald III's father also to have descended from Harald I (through Harald Fairhair's alleged son Sigurd Hrise). Based on historical sources, this claimed descent from Harald I is of much later origin than the claims of descent of Olav I and Olav II, which apparently were known to their contemporaries, not made only a century or so later as seems to be the case with Harald III.

Thus, Harald III started the 'Hardrada dynasty', a putative branch of the Fairhair dynasty. They also became known as the 'St. Olav dynasty' in honor of the founder's half-brother.

Harald IV arrived in Norway from his native Ireland and claimed to be the natural son of Magnus III, sired during the latter's Irish expedition. His claim seems, from historical sources, to be based on tales told by his Irish mother and family circle during his youth.

Thus, Harald IV started the 'Gille' or 'Gylle dynasty' (the "Irish branch"), a putative branch of the alleged ancient dynasty.

The most seriously discredited alleged son, practically regarded as an impostor by many modern academics, was Sverre I, who arrived in Norway from his native Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...

, took up leadership in the embattled and heirless Birkebeiner
Birkebeiner
The Birkebein Party or Birkebeinar was the name for a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 around the pretender to the Norwegian throne, Eystein Meyla...

 party of the civil war, and claimed to be the natural son of Sigurd II
Sigurd II of Norway
Sigurd II Haraldsson was king of Norway from 1136 to 1155. He was son of Harald Gille, king of Norway and his mistress Tora Guttormsdotter . He served as co-ruler with his half-brothers, Inge Haraldsson and Eystein Haraldsson. His epithet Munn means "the Mouth" in Old Norse...

 by Gunhild, Sverre's attested mother. Sverre was sired during his mother's marriage with another man, Unas the Combmaker. Only in adulthood, so the claim goes according to legends, did his mother tell Sverre his 'real' paternity. Based on historical sources, no one else appears to have given the story credence. During that stage of the civil war, the strife was so intense that genealogical truth had evolved to a relative concept. Many royal pretenders claimed to be sons of King Sigurd II, and that was mostly a political statement - their claims were at best dubious. It may have meant just that the claimant desired to continue the perceived policies of Sigurd and his party, and in that sense were his 'sons'.
Thus, Sverre I started the Sverre dynasty (the "Faroese branch"), a putative branch of the alleged ancient dynasty. The house of Sverre is mentioned in non-Norwegian contexts too; for example, its one female member, Margaret, Maid of Norway
Margaret, Maid of Norway
Margaret , usually known as the Maid of Norway , sometimes known as Margaret of Scotland , was a Norwegian princess who was Queen of Scots from 1286 until her death...

, inherited the Crown of Scotland
Crown of Scotland
The Crown of Scotland is the crown used at the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland. Remade in its current form for King James V of Scotland in 1540, the crown is part of the Honours of Scotland, the oldest set of Crown Jewels in the United Kingdom...

.

Haakon IV was born to a Norwegian peasant girl after the death of King Haakon III. She and the late king's inner circle affirmed that she had been the king's lover and that the boy had been sired by him. Of all the last-mentioned four problematic points of descent, this appears, on the face of it, as the most trustworthy.

Thus, Haakon IV, who can be regarded as having started yet another new dynasty, is generally regarded as having continued the 'Sverre dynasty' (the "Faroese branch"). However, this itself has uncertain status as a branch of the Fairhair dynasty.

Kings and pretenders in sub-dynasties

Original Fairhair lineage:
  • Harald I of Norway
    Harald I of Norway
    Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair , , son of Halfdan the Black, was the first king of Norway.-Background:Little is known of the historical Harald...

     Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) : c. 890 – c. 930
  • Eric I of Norway Eric Bloodaxe (Eirik Blodøks) : c. 930–934
  • Haakon I of Norway
    Haakon I of Norway
    Haakon I , , given the byname the Good, was the third king of Norway and the youngest son of Harald Fairhair and Thora Mosterstang.-Early life:...

     Haakon the Good (Håkon den Gode) : 934–961
  • Harald II of Norway
    Harald II of Norway
    Harald II Greycloak was a king of Norway.Harald Greycloak was the son of Eirik Bloodaxe and a grandson of Harald Fairhair...

     Harald Greyfur (Harald Gråfell): 961–976


Vigen branch:
  • Olaf Tryggvason
    Olaf I of Norway
    Olaf Tryggvason was King of Norway from 995 to 1000. He was the son of Tryggvi Olafsson, king of Viken , and, according to later sagas, the great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first King of Norway.Olaf played an important part in the often forcible, on pain of torture or death, conversion of the...

     : 995–1000


Vestfold branch, the start of the St. Olav dynasty:
  • Olaf II of Norway
    Olaf II of Norway
    Olaf II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1015 to 1028. He was posthumously given the title Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae and canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell, one year after his death in the Battle of Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. Enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral...

     Olaf Haraldsson, Olav the Stout, St. Olav (Olav Digre / Sankt Olav / Olav den Hellige) : 1015–1028
  • Magnus I of Norway
    Magnus I of Norway
    Magnus I , known as the Good or the Noble, was the King of Norway from 1035 to 1047 and the King of Denmark from 1042 to 1047. He was an illegitimate son of king Olaf II of Norway, but fled with his mother in 1028 when his father was dethroned. In 1035 he returned to Norway and was crowned king at...

     Magnus the Good (Magnus den Gode) : 1035–1047


Hardrada dynasty:
  • Harald III of Norway Harald Hardrada (Harald Hardråde) : 1046–1066
  • Magnus II of Norway
    Magnus II of Norway
    Magnus II Haraldsson was King of Norway from 1066 to 1069, jointly with his brother Olaf Kyrre from 1067.-Background:Magnus was a son of King Harald III of Norway...

     Magnus Haraldsson : 1066–1069
  • Olaf III of Norway
    Olaf III of Norway
    Olaf Kyrre , or Olaf III Haraldsson, was King of Norway from 1067 to 1093. He was present at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in England in 1066 where his father, Harald Hardrada, saw defeat and was killed in action...

     Olaf the Peaceful (Olav Kyrre) : 1066–1093
  • Haakon Magnusson
    Haakon Magnusson of Norway
    Haakon Magnusson was king of Norway from 1093 until 1094. Haakon was only partially recognized within Norway and his reign was thus of limited significance. He has been generally not been counted in the numbered series of Norwegian kings...

     (Håkon Magnusson) : 1093–1094
  • Magnus III of Norway
    Magnus III of Norway
    Magnus Barefoot or Magnus III Olafsson was King of Norway from 1093 until 1103 and King of Mann and the Isles from 1099 until 1103.-Background:...

     Magnus Bareleg (Magnus Berrføtt) : 1093–1103
  • Olaf Magnusson
    Olaf Magnusson of Norway
    Olaf Magnusson was king of Norway 1103–1115. He was the son of King Magnus Barefoot and Sigrid, daughter of Sakse of Vik....

     : 1103–1115
  • Eystein I of Norway
    Eystein I of Norway
    Eystein I Magnusson was king of Norway from 1103 to 1123.-Biography:Eystein became king, together with his brothers Sigurd and Olaf, when his father Magnus Barefoot died in 1103...

     (Øystein Magnusson) : 1103–1123
  • Sigurd I of Norway
    Sigurd I of Norway
    Sigurd I Magnusson , also known as Sigurd the Crusader , was King of Norway from 1103 to 1130. His rule, together with his brother Eystein I of Norway , has been regarded by historians as a golden age for the medieval Kingdom of Norway...

     Sigurd the Crusader (Sigurd Jorsalfare) : 1103–1130
  • Magnus IV of Norway
    Magnus IV of Norway
    Magnus IV Sigurdsson , also known as Magnus the Blind, was King of Norway 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 lasted until 1240....

     Magnus the Blind (Magnus Blinde): 1130–1135
    • Sigurd Slembe
      Sigurd Slembe
      Sigurd Magnusson Slembe 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 1863...

       Sigurd the Noisy : 1135–1139, rival king
  • Magnus Erlingsson
    Magnus V of Norway
    Magnus V Erlingsson was a King of Norway during the Civil war era in Norway.-Biography:Magnus Erlingsson was probably born in Etne in Hordaland. He was the son of Erling Skakke. His father was a Norwegian nobleman who earned his reputation crusading with Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, the Earl of Orkney...

     : 1161–1184
    • Olav Ugjæva
      Olav Ugjæva
      Olav Ugjæva was a pretender to the Norwegian throne during the civil war era in Norway. Olaf was named king in 1166, but was subsequently defeated by King Magnus V of Norway and forced to flee the country.-Background:Olav Gudbrandsson was the son of Gudbrand Skavhoggsson and Maria...

       : 1166–1169, rival king
    • Sigurd Magnusson
      Sigurd Magnusson
      Sigurd Magnusson was a Norwegian nobleman who campaigned against King Sverre of Norway during the Civil war era in Norway. -Background:...

       : 1193–1194, rival king
    • Inge Magnusson
      Inge Magnusson
      Inge Magnusson or Inge Baglar-king was from 1196 to 1202 the Bagler candidate for pretender to the Norwegian throne during the Civil war era in Norway.In 1197, a serious challenge to the reign of King Sverre of Norway arose...

       : 1196–1202, rival king
    • Erling Steinvegg
      Erling Steinvegg
      Erling Magnusson Steinvegg or Erlingr Magnússon Steinveggr was the candidate of the Bagler to the Norwegian throne from 1204 to 1207. His candidacy resulted in the second Bagler War which lasted until 1208, when the question of the Norwegian succession was temporarily settled.-Biography:Erling...

       Erling Stonewall : 1204–1207, rival king


Gille branch:
  • Harald Gille
    Harald IV of Norway
    Harald Gille was king of Norway from 1130 until his death in 1136. His byname Gille is probably from Gilla Críst, i.e. servant of Christ.-Background:...

     : 1130–1136
  • Sigurd II of Norway
    Sigurd II of Norway
    Sigurd II Haraldsson was king of Norway from 1136 to 1155. He was son of Harald Gille, king of Norway and his mistress Tora Guttormsdotter . He served as co-ruler with his half-brothers, Inge Haraldsson and Eystein Haraldsson. His epithet Munn means "the Mouth" in Old Norse...

     Sigurd Munn : 1136–1155
  • Eystein II of Norway
    Eystein II of Norway
    Eystein Haraldsson , born c. 1125 apparently in Scotland, died 1157 in Bohuslän, Norway, was king of Norway from 1142 to 1157. He ruled as co-ruler with his brothers, Inge Haraldsson and Sigurd Munn...

     (Øystein Haraldsson) : 1142–1157
  • Inge I of Norway
    Inge I of Norway
    Inge Haraldsson was king of Norway from 1136 to 1161. Inge’s reign fell within the start of the period known in Norwegian history as the civil war era. He was never the sole ruler of the country. He is often known as Inge the Hunchback , because of his physical disability...

     Inge the Hunchback (Inge Krokrygg) : 1136–1161
  • Haakon II of Norway
    Haakon II of Norway
    Haakon II Sigurdsson , also known as Haakon Herdebrei, was King of Norway from 1157 until 1162 during the Civil war era in Norway.-Biography:His nickname, Herdebrei, means broad-shouldered...

     Haakon Broadshoulder (Håkon Herdebreid) : 1157–1162
    • Sigurd Markusfostre
      Sigurd Markusfostre
      Sigurd Sigurdsson Markusfostre was a pretender and rival king during the Civil war era in Norway.-Background:Sigurd Sigurdsson was reportedly a bastard son of King Sigurd II of Norway. He must have been born some time before 1155, when his father was killed in a battle with his half-brother King...

       : 1162–1163, rival king
    • Eystein Meyla
      Eystein Meyla
      Eystein Meyla was elected a rival King of Norway during the Norwegian Civil War period.-Biography:Eystein was son of Eysteinn Haraldsson, King Eystein II of Norway. His nickname Møyla means maiden, girl, cute woman. His father was king of Norway from 1142 to 1157, ruling as co-ruler with his...

       Eystein the Maiden (Øystein Møyla) : 1174–1177, rival king
    • Jon Kuvlung
      Jon Kuvlung
      Jon Ingesson Kuvlung 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:...

       : 1185–1188, rival king
  • Inge II of Norway
    Inge II of Norway
    align=right|Inge Baardson was king of Norway from 1204 to 1217. His reign was within the later stages of the period known in Norwegian history as the age of civil wars. Inge was the king of the birkebeiner faction...

     (Inge Bårdsson) : 1204–1217


Philip Simonsson
Philip Simonsson
Philip Simonsson was a Norwegian aristocrat and from 1207 to 1217 was the Bagler party pretender to the throne of Norway during the civil war era in Norway. -Background:...

 and Skule Baardsson cannot be easily placed into the Fairhair dynasty scheme. Their relation to an earlier Fairhair king was that of a half-brother.

Sverre dynasty:
  • Sverre of Norway
    Sverre of Norway
    Sverre Sigurdsson was king of Norway from 1177 to 1202. He married Margareta Eriksdotter, the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Saint, by whom he had the daughter Kristina Sverresdotter....

     Sverre Sigurdsson : 1177–1202
  • Haakon III of Norway
    Haakon III of Norway
    Håkon III was king of Norway from 1202 to 1204.-Biography:...

     Håkon Sverreson : 1202–1204
  • Guttorm Sigurdsson : 1204


bastard lineage of Sverre dynasty:
  • Haakon IV of Norway
    Haakon IV of Norway
    Haakon Haakonarson , also called Haakon the Old, was king of Norway from 1217 to 1263. Under his rule, medieval Norway reached its peak....

     Håkon IV Håkonsson : 1217–1263
    • co-king Haakon Haakonsson the Young
      Haakon Haakonsson the Young
      Haakon Haakonsson the Young was the son of king Haakon Haakonsson of Norway, and held the title of king, subordinate to his father, from 1 April 1240 to his death...

  • Magnus VI of Norway
    Magnus VI of Norway
    Magnus VI Lagabøte or Magnus Håkonsson , was king of Norway from 1263 until 1280.-Early life:...

     Magnus Lawmender (Magnus Lagabøte) : 1263–1280
  • Eric Magnusson : 1280–1299
  • Håkon V Magnusson
    Haakon V of Norway
    Haakon V Magnusson was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319.-Biography:Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, King of Norway, and his wife Ingeborg of Denmark. Haakon was descended from king Saint Olav and is considered to have been the last Norwegian king in the Fairhair...

     : 1299–1319

Descendants of sub-dynasties

The doubtful reliability of the medieval accounts of the Fairhair dynasty often leads to the question whether these kings left any other known descent than through impostor sons. The following are some attested lineages from kings of various sub-dynasties:
  • There is a clear line through Ragnhild, a daughter of king Magnus Barefoot, which has descendants through the Swedish royal House of Eric
    House of Eric
    The House of Eric was one of the two clans, which were rivals for the kingship of Sweden between 1150 and 1220. The first king from the clan of the Erics who had won the power struggle against the Sverkers was Eric IX of Sweden whom the later world has dubbed Saint Eric...

    . Magnus IV of Sweden
    Magnus IV of Sweden
    Magnus Eriksson as Magnus IV was king of Sweden , including Finland, as Magnus VII King of Norway , including Iceland and Greenland, and also ruled Scania . He has also vindictively been called Magnus Smek...

    , a descendant of Ragnhild Magnusdottir according to the medieval sources, ascended the Norwegian throne in 1319, after which all of Norway's kings, except Charles VIII, Charles XIV and Oscar I of Sweden, have similarly been her descendants.

  • In case Sverre is not Sigurd's son, Harald Gille has recorded descendants through Birgitta Haraldsdottir (who was married to earl Birger Brosa) among Scandinavian nobility and through that lineage, among current European royalty. Charles I of Norway seems to have descended from Birgit, as did also Gustav I of Sweden
    Gustav I of Sweden
    Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....

     and thus all his descendants.

  • The Sverre dynasty continues to the present time through Haakon IV, whose father is not fully certain. Haakon IV married Margret Skulisdottir, who descended from earlier Norwegian petty kings and magnate families, and their children continue also that ancestry. From Haakon IV onwards, all Norway's kings are descended from him except Charles I, Charles III and Oscar I.

    • From St. Olav himself, according to the medieval material there are two main lines of descent: the line of the earls of Orkney through his illegitimate granddaughter, and the line of the Dukes of Saxony through his only legitimate daughter, Ulvhild. Eric II was the first king of Norway to descend from him, and afterwards all Norway's monarchs have except Charles I, Charles III and Oscar I.

Sources

  • Claus Krag
    Claus Krag
    Claus Krag is a Norwegian educator, historian, and writer. He is a noted specialist in Old Norse philology and medieval Norwegian history. Krag earned his Cand.philol. in 1969...

    . Norges historie fram til 1319. Oslo: Universitetsforlage, 2000. ISBN 978-8200129387

External links


See also

  • Hereditary Kingdom of Norway
    Hereditary Kingdom of Norway
    The Kingdom of Norway as a unified realm was initiated by King Harald Fairhair in 9th century. His efforts in unifying the petty kingdoms of Norway, resulted in the first known Norwegian central government...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK