| Sigurd the Crusader | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Illustration of Sigurd | |||||||||
| King of Norway | |||||||||
| Reign | 1103 – 26 March 1130 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Magnus Barefoot | ||||||||
| Successor | Magnus Sigurdsson andHarald Gille | ||||||||
| Born | 1089 (1089) | ||||||||
| Died | 26 March 1130(1130-03-26) (aged 40–41) Oslo,Kingdom of Norway | ||||||||
| Burial | |||||||||
| Spouses |
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| Issue | |||||||||
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| House | Hardrada | ||||||||
| Father | Magnus Barefoot | ||||||||
| Mother | Tora (concubine) | ||||||||
Sigurd the Crusader (Old Norse:Sigurðr Jórsalafari;Norwegian:Sigurd Jorsalfare; 1089[1] – 26 March 1130), also known asSigurd Magnusson andSigurd I, wasKing of Norway from 1103 to 1130. His rule, together with his half-brothers KingØystein (until Øystein died in 1123) and King Olaf, has been regarded by historians as a golden age for the medieval Kingdom of Norway. He is known as the Crusader King, being the one of three co-regents that took part in theNorwegian Crusade (1107–1110), earning him the eponym "the Crusader"[2]. He is regarded to be the first King to take part in acrusade.[3]
Sigurd was one of the three sons of KingMagnus III, the other two beingØystein andOlaf. They were allillegitimate sons of the king with different mothers. The three half-brothers co-ruled the kingdom from 1103 to avoid feuds or war. After Olaf died in 1115 and Øystein in 1123 he ruled as sole regent[4].
Before being proclaimed King of Norway, Sigurd was styled asKing of the Isles andEarl of Orkney. Neither Øystein norOlav received such prestigious titles. Sigurd passed the Earldom of Orkney on toHaakon Paulsson.[5]
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 to participate in theCrusades and gain international recognition and prestige.[citation needed]
In 1098, Sigurd accompanied his father, King Magnus III, on his expedition to theOrkney Islands,Hebrides and theIrish 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 madeKing of the Isles 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 kingdom's next ruler, most likely due to his conquest of the islands. This was the first time the kingdom had been under the direct control of a Norwegian king. It is uncertain 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 andMuircheartach Ua Briain. He proclaimed himselfHigh King of Ireland, as he was one of the most powerful rulers in Ireland, as well as the ruler ofDublin. Sigurd was to marry Muirchertach's daughterBjaðmunjo, a young Irish princess and, for a short period, queen. The marriage might not even have beenconsummated.
When King Magnus was ambushed and killed inUlaid 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 a workforce. However the Hebrides andMan quickly re-asserted their independence after Magnus' death.[6]
In 1107, Sigurd led theNorwegian Crusade to support the newly establishedKingdom of Jerusalem, which had been founded after theFirst Crusade. He was the firstEuropean king to personally lead a crusade, and his feats earned him the nicknameJorsalafari. 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 debated who should lead the contingent and 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, toIreland and islands in the seas aroundScotland.
Sigurd fought inLisbon, variousMediterranean islands andPalestine. He often fought the enemies amongst his loyal soldiers and relatives; 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 inConstantinople. On his way toJerusalem (Jorsala) he visited the Norman KingRoger II of Sicily in hiscastle atPalermo.[7]
Upon arriving in theHoly Land, he was greeted by KingBaldwin I of Jerusalem. He received a warm welcome and spent a lot of time with the king. The two kings rode to theJordan River, where Sigurd might have beenbaptized. King Baldwin asked Sigurd to join him andOrdelafo Faliero, Doge of Venice, in the capture of the coastal city ofSidon, which had been re-fortified by theFatimids in 1098. TheSiege of Sidon was a great success for the crusaders, and the city was conquered on 5 December 1110.Eustace Grenier was granted theLordship of Sidon after the city was captured. By order of Baldwin and thepatriarch of Jerusalem,Ghibbelin of Arles, a splinter was taken from theTrue 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 theHoly Land. They sailed north to the island ofCyprus, where Sigurd stayed for a time. Sigurd then sailed toConstantinople (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 EmperorAlexios I Komnenos.
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 relatives. Sigurd planned to return to Norway over land, but many of his men stayed behind in Constantinople to serve the emperor as part of hisVarangian 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 theEmperor Lothar II of theHoly Roman Empire. He later arrived in Denmark, where he was greeted by KingNiels of Denmark, who eventually gave him a ship to sail to Norway.
Upon returning to Norway in 1111, Sigurd returned to a flourishing and prosperous kingdom. King Øystein had created a solid and stable country, and the church gained wealth, power, and prestige. During Sigurd's reign, thetithe (a 10% tax to support the church) was introduced in Norway, which significantly strengthened the church in the country. Sigurd founded thediocese of Stavanger. He had been denied a divorce by the bishop inBergen, so he installed another bishop further south and had him perform the divorce.[8]
Sigurd made his capital in Konghelle (in the vicinity ofKungälv in present-day Sweden) and built a strong castle there. He also kept therelic given to him by King Baldwin, a splinter reputed to be from theTrue Cross. In 1123, Sigurd once again set out to fight in the name of the church, this time in theSwedish Crusade toSmåland in Sweden. The inhabitants had reportedly renounced Christianity and were again worshipingOld Norse deities.[9]
According to the kings' sagasMorkinskinna andHeimskringla, Sigurd experienced manifestations of mental illness in the years before his death.[10] He died in 1130 and was buried inHallvard's church (Hallvardskirken) inOslo.[citation needed] Sigurd was married toMalmfred, a daughter ofGrand PrinceMstislav I of Kiev and granddaughter of KingInge I of Sweden. They had a daughter,Kristin Sigurdsdatter. He left no legitimate sons.Magnus, his illegitimate son withBorghild Olavsdotter, 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.[11] This gave rise to long feuds over who should rule theKingdom of Norway in the 12th century and early 13th century.[12][13][14]
Most of the information gathered about the life of Sigurd and his brothers is taken from theHeimskringla,[15] written bySnorri Sturluson around 1225, and the kings' sagaMorkinskinna. Scholars still debate the historical veracity of these works. Sigurd is also mentioned in various European sources.[specify]
In the 19th century,Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson wrote a historical drama based on the life of the king, withincidental music (titledSigurd Jorsalfar) composed byEdvard Grieg. The Scottish poet William Forsyth wrote 'King Sigurd the Crusader', illustrated byEdward Burne-Jones in 1862.[16]
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)Sigurd Jorsalafar Cadet branch of theFairhair dynasty Born:c. 1090 Died: 26 March 1130 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Earl of Orkney 1098–1103 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | King of the Isles 1102–1103 | Succeeded by |
| King of Norway 1103–1130 withOlaf Magnusson (1103–1115) Eystein I (1103–1123) | Succeeded by | |
Norseearls of Orkney | ||
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Dates are approximate. Joint earldoms were frequent. | ||
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