Harald IV Magnusson
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Harald Gille Magnusson (abt. 1102 - 1136)

Harald Gille (Harald IV) "Gille-Krist, Gilchrist" Magnusson
Born about in Irelandmap [uncertain]
Ancestors ancestors
Son of [uncertain] and [mother unknown]
Husband of — married [date unknown] [location unknown]
Husband of — married 1130 [location unknown]
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 34 in Bergen, Hordaland, Norwaymap
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Profile last modified | Created 28 Sep 2013
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Contents

Biografi

Harald Gille var troligvis son av Magnus Berrføtt och en kvinna från Irland eller Suðreyjar/Sudrøyaneen, numera Hebriderna. Född ca 1103 och dog 1136.

Kung i Norge 1130-1136, efterträdde Sigurd Jorsalfare.

Men när kung Sigurd dog 1130 och Magnus Sigurdsson blev vald till kung var Harald inte nöjd utan krävde halva riket. Harald fick stor uppslutning bland stormännen, så Magnus (då bara 15 år) måste acceptera Harald som medkung.

Han var gift med svenska Ingerid Ragnvaldsdotter, sondotter till den svenske kungen Inge den äldre.

Harald dräptes av Sigurd Magnusson Slembe i 1136.


Biography

European Aristocracy
Harald IV Magnusson was a member of the aristocracy in Europe.

King in Norway 1130-1136.

Most likely born in Ireland or the Hebrides.

Harald went to Norway and claimed to be a half-brother of the reigning king, Sigurd Jorsalfare/the Crusader. This kinship is said to been succesfully tested by the ordeal by fire. Sigurd then recognized him as a brother but made him swear not to claim part of the kingdom while Sigurd and his son Magnus lived.

"He established his assertion by carrying red-hot iron without being burned. An impressive proof, but hardly as convincing as the analysis of blood tests that one uses today" [1]

Harald nevertheless took claim as king shortly after Sigurd's death in 1130. They supposedly co-rulers until spring of 1134 when they battled at Fyrileiv. Harald was beaten and forced to flee to Denmark. Later, in 1135, he returned and attacked Magnus and is said to have captured, mutilated, and blinded him, hence the nickname/byname Magnus Blind/Blinde.

Harald himself was killed in 1136 by his half-brother Sigurd Slembe, who also wanted the throne.

Name(s)

Parents and family

His father was probably Magnus Berrføtt/Bareleg and his mother is supposed to been Irish or from Suðreyjar/Sudrøyane, what in modern day would be the Hebrides. He is supposed to be born in Ireland or the Hebrides.

On Magnus Bareleg/Berrføtt being the same as "Magnus of the swift ship[2]


Spouse(s) and children

According to Gaelic tradition, in the 1st half of 1120 he was married to Irish Biadoc or Bethoc, daughter of Gilledomnan mac Solam/Solamar. According to Nordic tradition they were not actually married.

Abt. 1134 he married Swedish Ingrid Ragnvaldsdotter.

He also is said to have illegitimate children with Tora Guttormsdatter, daughter of Guttorm Gråbarde and most likely other women as well.

Children:

  • Öystein/Eystein (abt. 1125–1157), whose mother was Biadoc. King in Norway 1142–1157
  • Sigurd Munn (1133–1155), whose mother was Tora. King in Norway 1136–1155
  • Inge Krokrygg/"Hook Back", (abt 1135–1161), whose mother was Ingrid. King in Norway 1136–1161
  • Birgitta/Brigida (died after 1202) whose mother is unknown. Become queen in Sweden.


Death and burial

It is said Harald was killed in 1136 by his half-brother Sigurd Slembe, who wanted to be the new king.


Sources

  1. Løberg, Lars: "Norwegian Kings and vikings - Do they belong in your family tree?" 27 Feb 1991
  2. Alexander Bugge (ed. & tr.), of Duald Mac Firbis, On the Fomorians and the Norsemen. Christiania: J. Chr. Gundersens Bogtrykkeri. 1905. See Bugge's introduction.

See also;

  • Fagrskinna, ed. of finnur jónsson, Copenhagen 1902-03
  • Morkinskinna, ed. of finnur jónsson, Copenhagen 1932
  • Orkneyinga saga overs. by G. Indrebø, Norse bokverk 25, 1979
  • WDH Sellar: "The Origins and Ancestry of Somerled," the Scottish Historical Review 45, 1966
  • S. Bagge: Society and Politics in Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla, Berkeley (California) 1991
  • K. Gjestgjevarstad: " 'He was SVAG af Charakteer front and without slightest Ruler Gifts, which also described af his whole history'. A survey by Harald Gilles legacy ", in HT, Vol. 78, 1999, pp. 435-460
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Gille

Notes

Approximately from his accession to the throne, the civil wars period of Norwegian history started, that lasted from 1130 to 1217. During this period there were several interlocked conflicts of varying scale and intensity. The background for these conflicts were the unclear Norwegian succession laws, social conditions and the struggle between Church and King. There were 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 was a royal son, who was set up as the head figure of the party in question, to oppose the rule of the king from the contesting party.






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Comments: 4

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The text gives the impression that it is agreed that Harald was the son of King Magnus.

However: "He established his assertion by carrying redhot iron without being burned. An impressive proof, but hardly as convincing as the analysis of blood tests that one uses today" (Løberg, Lars: "Norwegian Kings and vikings - Do they belong in your family tree?" 27 Feb 1991 http://www.genealogi.no/publikasjoner/kings-vikings/#1/z page 2)

posted by Aksel Horvei
Three things:

1) Harald "Gille" reigned as some kinda king for 5+ years. We should give him the title King of Norway (in our quote marks style), and flag as Euro Aristo and project protect the profile. Right?

2) I think we could be clearer that he chopped off the leg of his own co-King and uncle, Magnus IV... and castrated him... AND blinded him. "Mutilated" by itself is probably not a strong enough word, given the details. This would be like skipping over the pouring of molten metal into peoples' ears in central europe... or not mentioning Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria dropped dead of a heart attack, seeing 99.5% of his army (10,000 men!) blinded after Kleidon.

The vivid details are what make the history horrifying and memorable.

Here's a vivid pic of "Gille" blinding his uncle Magnus, from a 19th century saga book:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Magnus_Blindes_og_Harald_Gilles_saga-Magnus_lemlestes-E._Peterssen.jpg/1024px-Magnus_Blindes_og_Harald_Gilles_saga-Magnus_lemlestes-E._Peterssen.jpg

3) Our bio gives the wrong impression that Magnus IV “the Blind” was out of the picture after being mutilated by Harald. We don't get this explicitly wrong, but it's close (and probably wrong both implicitly and by omission) because we say his sons took all the titles... when actually Magnus IV kept fighting for some time, re-invaded his country from Denmark etc, and eventually died in battle much later with his guys carrying him around:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Haraldsonnenes_saga-Reidar_Grjotgardsson_lofter_Magnus_Blinde-W._Wetlesen.jpg

Interesting parallel to Ivar/Imar I guess.

Also an interesting parallel to John ?the Blind? of Bohemia in the 1300s, who fought to the death while roped to his 12 best knights at Crecy, against The Black Prince et al.

posted by Isaac Taylor
This bio blurb currently reads as if it were written by a non-native English speaker, or translated by one. I mean, I'm glad we have it... but it's a bit clunky. Could we do a light edit to split apart the unrelated paragraphs at least?

Example, awkward:

"Harald's sons, the legitimate Inge "hook back" and illegitimate sons Sigurd Munn and Øystein , took all the title of co-king name after he died."

Also, the ENTIRE first paragraph is one massive run-on sentence. Why?

posted by Isaac Taylor
We need to be super clear in this bio who his father was.

Some sources say Magnus IV “the Blind(ed)? and Harald “Gille” were brothers, both sons of Sigurd. Others say this Harald was the bastard of Magnus III in Ireland. I'm assuming we have the parentage correct now, but it's a bit suspicious we specify a birthplace in Norway. I thought his mom was Irish? Did the king take her back to Norway?

Is ANY source saying he was the son of Magnus II? First line of our bio currently says his father is Magnus II... but then immediately contradicts itself with a typo or conflation of Magnus III “Barefoot” Olavsson (1073-1103), r. 1093-1103; and their ancestor Magnus II Haraldsson (1048-1069), r. 1066-1069.

Is that a pure typo?

Next... regardless, consider: for all appearances of the name "Magnus" in the bio, the profile manager could de-confuse both the writing and the reading, by adding their numerals. That would avoid having to say write "Magnus his uncle" and "Magnus his father" et cetera; it would be clearer to read "his uncle Magnus IV" and "his father Magnus III" etc.

Thanks!

posted by Isaac Taylor