Everything about Magnus I Of Norway totally explained
Magnus I (
1024 -
October 25,
1047) was the King of
Norway from
1035 to
1047 and the King of
Denmark from
1042 to
1047. He was the illegitimate son of King
Olaf Haraldsson, also known as Saint Olaf, by his concubine Alvhild. He is known by the cognomen,
the Good or
the Noble.
In the period from
1028 to
1035, he was forced to leave Norway, yet, after the death of
Knut the Great, he was called back by the noblemen, tired of living under Danish rule, to be
King of Norway. After the death of
Harthacanute, he was also made
King of Denmark, despite rival claims had by Knut the Great's nephew
Svend Estridsen. There was great turmoil south of the Danish border, where in
1043 Magnus won an important victory at
Lyrskov Hede over the Wends who had invaded Denmark. It was a great victory and legends about the battle say that 15,000 Wends fell in a single day. The Norwegians swore they could hear the St Olaf's cathedral bell at Trondheim before the battle which they took to mean that Olaf himself was watching over his son and his army.
Svend Estridsen didn't lightly give up his claim to the Danish crown, and numerous conflicts with Magnus followed. A settlement was eventually agreed to, which made Svend Earl of Denmark. Magnus had trouble in Norway also. There, his uncle,
Harald Hardråde, was a strong threat to the throne of his nephew. In
1046, Magnus was obliged to share the reign of his kingdom with him. In
1047, Svend Estridsen was driven out of Denmark by the Norwegians, with the assistance of the
Swedish king
Anund Jacob. Svend couldn't muster enough support, but had to flee to the province of
Scania. Magnus died the same year, in
Zealand. On his deathbed, he's said to have made Svend his heir in Denmark, and Harald Hardråde his heir in Norway. This was disputed by Harald, who didn't approve of Svein being the king of Denmark, Svein was therefore not allowed to rule Denmark in peace until 1062, when Harald started to set his mind on other lands to conquer. Magnus was buried with his father in
Nidaros.
St. Olav's direct line ceased its reign with the death of Magnus. It returned to the throne again in 1280, when
Eric II, who through his mother descended from Magnus' legitimate sister, succeeded as king. Magnus' own daughter was in a marriage with a Norwegian nobleman, and the one descendant wed to the
Earl of Orkney. Through which lineage, Magnus' descendant
James VI of Scotland became King of England.
Sources
- Translated from the article in the Danish Wikipedia
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