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Magnus III of Norway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Magnus Barefoot (1073, Norway - August 1103, Ulster) son of Olaf Kyrre, was King of Norway from 1093 until 1103 and King of Mann and the Isles from 1099 until 1102. His nickname barfot or berrføtt means barefoot or bareleg and is commonly understood to come from his habit of wearing Gaelic-style clothing, leaving lower legs bare - this Scottish style is a precursor of later kilts. According to another theory, he got the nickname because he was forced to flee from an attack in his barefeet.
The period of peace during the reign of Magnus' father Olaf III Kyrre came to an abrupt end when Magnus succeeded him in 1093. Magnus made war with Sweden and Denmark and sought to build a Norwegian empire around the Irish Sea. In 1098, he conquered the Orkney Islands, the Hebrides and the Isle of Man. Magnus returned to Norway in 1099 but in 1102 set out again, this time to conquer Ireland. He captured Dublin and the surrounding area. In the following year, 1103, he attempted to capture the whole of Ireland, but he was caught in an ambush and died in battle. There is no concrete evidence as to the exact location of his death but belief, folklore and conclusion point to a location just outside Downpatrick, County Down, in what is now Northern Ireland.[1]
Magnus was married to Margareta (the daughter of his former enemy Inge Stenkilsson, King of Sweden), in 1101 at Kungahälla. They did not have surviving children. His extant sons at his death were Olaf Magnusson, Øystein Magnusson and Sigurd Magnusson (later known as Sigurd Jorsalfar or Crusader) who all together succeeded him. After his death, Harald Gille and Sigurd Slembedjakn later came forward and both claimed to be his illegitimate sons (and thus heirs to the throne). Harald Gille became king Harald IV of Norway in 1130.
Magnus's death set the stage for a period of civil war that would last until 1240, with Magnus' illegitimate sons and their descendants fighting for the throne.
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Magnus Barefoot
Cadet branch of the Fairhair dynasty
Born: 1073 Died: August 1103 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Olaf Kyrre |
King of Norway 1093-1103 with Haakon Magnusson (1093-1094) |
Succeeded by Sigurd Jorsalfar, Olaf Magnusson & Eystein Magnusson |
| Preceded by Godred Crovan |
King of Mann and the Isles 1095-1102 |
Succeeded by Sigurd Jorsalfar King of Norway |
- ^ Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway, from The online Medieval and Classical Library - The Chronicles of the Kings of Norway
- Magnus Barefoot's Saga, from Heimskringla (English translation)
- Who was Magnus? from the Magnus Vikings re-enactment group website