House of Sverre

House of Sverre
Parent houseGille dynasty (claimed)
CountryKingdom of Norway and Kingdom of Scotland
Founded1184
FounderSverre Sigurdsson
Final rulerHaakon V (Norway)
Margaret (Scotland, disputed)
TitlesChieftain of the Birkebeins
King of Norway
Queen of Scots (disputed)
Cadet branchesHouse of Rosensverd
A sculpture believed to be of King Haakon V Magnusson as Duke of Oslo, Oppland, Ryfylke, the Faroe Islands, and Shetland.
Burial site of Haakon V Magnusson in Oslo.

The House of Sverre (Norwegian: Sverreætten)[1] was a royal house or dynasty which ruled, at various times in history, the Kingdom of Norway, hereunder the kingdom's realms, and the Kingdom of Scotland. The house was founded with King Sverre Sigurdsson. It provided the rulers of Norway from 1184 to 1319.

History

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Norway at its greatest extent, around 1263.

The house was founded with King Sverre Sigurdsson, who claimed to be an illegitimate son of King Sigurd Munn, when he was made King of Norway. After Sverre's death, his descendants would expand the influence, wealth, and power of the dynasty. Under his grandson Haakon IV's rule, the Kingdom of Norway reached its peak, the civil war era ended, and it was the start of a golden age in Norway.

Margaret, Maid of Norway, a queen-designate of the Kingdom of Scotland, was also a member of this family.

Their descendants consist of the House of Rosensverd (Norway)[2]

The house replaced the Gille dynasty, and was again replaced by the House of Bjälbo, which inherited Norway's throne. They were the last reigning family that claimed patrilineal descent from Harald Fairhair.

Coat of arms

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See also: Coat of arms of Norway

The main arms of the kings belonging to the House of Sverre, was a golden crowned lion on a red field. The lion was later supplied with a silver axe symbolising Olaf the Holy. This became the coat of arms of Norway.

  • Seal of King Haakon V Magnusson, the last king belonging to the House of Sverre.
    Seal of King Haakon V Magnusson, the last king belonging to the House of Sverre.
  • Seal of King Haakon V Magnusson's daughter, Duchess Ingeborg.
    Seal of King Haakon V Magnusson's daughter, Duchess Ingeborg.
  • Arms of King Haakon V Magnusson's daughter's son, King Haakon VI Magnusson, who was of the House of Bjälbo. His coat of arms includes the Sverre arms and the Bjälbo arms.
    Arms of King Haakon V Magnusson's daughter's son, King Haakon VI Magnusson, who was of the House of Bjälbo. His coat of arms includes the Sverre arms and the Bjälbo arms.

List of kings

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The rulers within the royal house or dynasty would often have a "junior king" along with a "senior king" (three dates show the reign as junior king to the start of reign as senior to the end of their reign). Here is a list of the rulers when the house held the power in Norway:

Name Reign
Sverre Sigurdsson 1184–1202
Haakon III Sverresson 1202–1204
Guttorm Sigurdsson 1204
Rule of Inge Baardson of the Gille branch 1204–1217
Haakon IV the Old 1217–1263
Haakon Haakonsson the Young 1240–1257
Magnus VI Lagabøte 1257–1263–1280
Eric II Magnusson 1273–1280–1299
Haakon V Magnusson 1299–1319

Family tree

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Members of the family are marked with red, and the monarchs of the family as bolded.


Sverre
King of Norway		Margaret of Sweden
Sigurd Lavard
Haakon III
King of Norway		Inga of VarteigChristina of NorwayPhilip Simonsson
Bagler pretender

Guttorm
King of Norway		Kanga the Young
Haakon IV
King of Norway		Margaret Skulesdatter
Sigurd HaakonssonGregorius Andresson
Lendmann		Cecilia Haakonsdotter
Harald Olafsson
King of Mann and the Isles
Olaf Haakonsson
Haakon the Young
Junior King of Norway		Rikissa BirgersdotterChristina of Norway
Philip
Infante of Castile
Magnus VI
King of Norway		Ingeborg of Denmark
Sverre Magnus Haakonsson
Junker		Margaret of Scotland
Eric II
King of Norway		Isabel BruceIsabelle de Joigny
Haakon V
King of Norway		Euphemia of Rügen

Margaret
Queen of Scotland
Valdemar Magnusson
Prince, Duke of Finland		Ingeborg of Norway
Havtore Jonsson
Baron		Agnes Haakonsdotter
Eric Magnusson
Prince, Duke of Svealand		Ingeborg of Norway
Sudreim claimHouse of Bjälbo

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Lunden, Kåre; Mykland, Knut (1976). Norge under Sverreætten 1177-1319. Norges historie. Vol. 3. Cappelen. ISBN 9788202034535.
  2. ^ Billing., Hansen, Bent (1990). Rosensverdslektens forfedre. B.B. Hansen. OCLC 866271168.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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