Several interlocked conflicts of varying scale and…

Several interlocked conflicts of varying scale and intensity characterize the civil war period of Norwegian history.

The background for these conflicts are the unclear Norwegian succession laws, social conditions and the struggle between church and king.

There are at this time two main parties, firstly known by varying names or no names at all, but finally condensed into parties of Bagler and Birkebeiner.

The rallying point regularly is a royal son, who is set up as the head figure of the party in question, to oppose the rule of king from the contesting party.

According to the sagas, Harald, called Harald Gille, was born around 1102 in Ireland or the Hebrides, more likely the former, and became familiar with Norway through an acquaintance with Norwegian merchants including Rögnvald Kali Kolsson, who would later become Earl of Orkney.

Harald had gone to Norway around 1127 and declared he was an illegitimate son of the former King Magnus Barefoot, who had visited Ireland in 1103 just before his death

This is in fact not implausible because other descendants of Magnus are reported in Irish sources and he is known to have been particularly fond of at least one Irish woman.

Harald had consequently claimed to be a half-brother of the reigning king, Sigurd.

Harald appears to have submitted successfully to the ordeal by fire.

The alleged relationship had been acknowledged by Sigurd on condition that Harald would not claim any share in the government of the kingdom during his lifetime or that of his son Magnus.

Living on friendly terms with the king, Harald had kept this agreement until Sigurd’s death in 1130.

Harald, who had been in Tønsberg when he heard of King Sigurd's death, had called together a meeting at the Hauga (Haugathing from the Old Norse word haugr meaning hill or burial mound).

At this Thing, Harald had been chosen king over half the country.

King Magnus had been obliged to divide the kingdom with Harald into two parts.

They had ruled the country for some four years of uneasy peace, until Magnus begins to openly prepare for war on Harald, who he defeats on August 9, 1134, in a decisive Battle at Färlev in Bohuslän, which has been a Norwegian county since around 1050.

Harald flees to Denmark.

Subsequently, Magnus, against the advice of his councilors, disbands his army and travels to Bergen to spend the winter there.