House Sigurd

Lore & Background

Sigurd was fostered in Trøndelag by either Guttorm or Sådegyrd Bårdsson. After his father's death in 1136, he was proclaimed king at the Eyrathing thing alongside brothers Inge and Eystein. Their guardians united to defeat Sigurd Slembe and the rival claimant Magnus the Blind, who was captured at the Battle of Holmengrå in 1139 and killed shortly after. This victory ushered in a period of peace where nobility advised the young kings. In 1142, brother Eystein arrived from Scotland; his lineage was accepted because Harald Gille had acknowledged him overseas, making him a third co-ruler. In 1152, Papal legate Nicholas Breakspear reorganized the church into an archbishopric at Nidaros. As the brothers matured and their advisors died, hostility festered. In 1155, they met in Bergen to keep peace, but Inge accused Sigurd of plotting dethronement. When a guard was killed days later, Inge ordered an assault on Sigurd's house.

In Their Own Story

In February 1155, the fragile truce between the brothers shattered in Bergen. King Inge, advised by his mother Ingrid and senior advisor Gregorius Dagsson, accused Sigurd and Eystein of planning to strip him of his title. Though Sigurd denied the charges, violence erupted when one of Inge's guards was slain by a man of Sigurd's retinue. A few days later, Inge ordered his men to assault the house where Sigurd resided. Outnumbered with few men and offered no mercy, King Sigurd fell on 6 February 1155. He was buried near the old cathedral of Bergen, which stood within what is now Bergenhus Fortress before being replaced by a larger structure shortly after.

Reader's Guide

Sigurd's rule was defined by the unique co-kingship system where he shared power with Inge and Eystein II. His epithet 'Munn' means 'the Mouth' in Old Norse. The sagas, particularly Heimskringla, portray him as ungovernable and restless but physically stout with light brown hair and an ugly mouth, yet polite in conversation and expert in all exercises. He never married, though he left several descendants who claimed his lineage during the ongoing civil wars. His death triggered the second phase of the Norwegian civil war era, which lasted until 1208. Modern historians dispute the saga's claim that he plotted against Inge, viewing it as a justification for Inge's aggression.

Did You Know?

• Sigurd's epithet 'Munn' translates to 'the Mouth' in Old Norse.
• He was killed on 10 June 1155 during an assault ordered by his brother Inge, despite a meeting intended to keep the peace.
• Sigurd never married, yet several men later claimed to be his sons to secure their own claims to the throne.
• The most successful of his alleged descendants was Sverre Sigurdsson, who became King of Norway in 1177 (defeating Magnus Erlingsson in 1184).