Eric II of Norway
| Eric II Magnusson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Contemporary bust from the Stavanger Cathedral, dated to the 1280s.[1] | |
| King of Norway | |
| Reign | 9 May 1280 – 15 July 1299 |
| Coronation | 2 July 1280 |
| Predecessor | Magnus VI |
| Successor | Haakon V |
| Born | 1268 |
| Died | July 15, 1299 (aged 30–31) Bergen, Norway |
| Burial | |
| Spouses | |
| Issue | |
| House | Sverre |
| Father | Magnus VI of Norway |
| Mother | Ingeborg of Denmark |
Eric Magnusson (1268 – 15 July 1299) (Old Norse: Eiríkr Magnússon; Modern Norwegian: Eirik Magnusson) was king of Norway from 1280 until 1299.[2]
Background
[edit]Eric was the eldest surviving son of King Magnus VI the Lawmender and Queen Ingeborg of Denmark. In 1273, he was designated king alongside his father, while his younger brother Haakon was given the title of duke.
King Magnus planned to hold a coronation for Eric as subordinate co-ruler in the summer of 1280. However, Magnus died before this could be arranged, and Eric became sole king and was crowned at Bergen in the summer of 1280.[3] During his minority, the kingdom was ruled by a royal council consisting of prominent barons and probably also his mother, Queen Ingeborg.[2] After Eric came of age in 1282, this council is still thought to have exerted major influence over his reign.[3]
Haakon, as duke, ruled a large area around Oslo in eastern Norway and Stavanger in the southwest, subordinate to King Eric. Eric's main residence was in Bergen in western Norway.[3]
Marriages and issue
[edit]In 1281, Eric married Margaret of Scotland, daughter of King Alexander III of Scotland. Margaret died two years later in childbirth, giving birth to Margaret, Maid of Norway, who was recognised as heir to the Scottish throne. The young queen died in 1290 while travelling to Scotland, and her death sparked the disputed succession that led to the Wars of Scottish Independence.[4] King Eric briefly and unsuccessfully laid claim to the Scottish crown as his daughter's heir.[3]
Eric's second marriage, in 1293, was to Isabel Bruce, sister of Robert the Bruce. They had a daughter, Ingeborg, who later married Valdemar Magnusson, Duke of Finland.[5]
Reign
[edit]
A major feature of Eric's reign was the War of the Outlaws (De fredløses krig, 1287–1295) against Denmark, partly motivated by his claim to his mother's Danish inheritance. In 1287, he granted sanctuary in Norway to a group of Danish nobles, including Jacob Nielsen, Count of Halland and Stig Andersen Hvide, outlawed for the alleged murder of King Eric V. In 1289, Eric personally led a Norwegian fleet with the exiles, raiding Denmark, burning Elsinore and threatening Copenhagen. Further raids occurred in 1290 and 1293, but these campaigns had limited lasting effect. Peace was concluded in 1295.[6]
Within Norway, the baronial council that governed during his minority continued to wield much of the power, limiting Eric's authority.[2] He also maintained close links with Scotland through dynastic marriages and military ventures.[7]
Death and succession
[edit]Eric died in Bergen in 1299 and was buried in the old Christ Church, Bergen.[2] He left no surviving sons, and was succeeded by his brother Haakon. The site of the cathedral is now marked by a memorial stone at Bergenhus Fortress.[8]
References
[edit]
- ^ Lillehammer, Grete (1995). Museoteket ved Arkeologisk museum i Stavanger: Rogalandsfunn fra istid til middelalder (in Norwegian). Arkeologisk museum i Stavanger. p. 108. ISBN 978-82-7760-008-6.
- ^ a b c d Helle, Knut (1995). Under kirke og kongemakt 1130–1350. Aschehougs Norgeshistorie (in Norwegian). Vol. 3. Oslo: Aschehoug. pp. 280–285. OCLC 1424404657.
- ^ a b c d Bjørgo, Narve (2000). "Eirik Magnusson". Norsk biografisk leksikon (in Norwegian). Vol. II. Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. pp. 436–437.
- ^ Barrow, G. W. S. (1988). Robert Bruce and the Community of the Realm of Scotland. Edinburgh University Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-85224-604-7. OCLC 1349303491.
- ^ Duncan, A. A. M. (2002). The Kingship of the Scots 842–1292: Succession and Independence. Edinburgh University Press. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-4744-1546-0. OCLC 1002500436.
- ^ Fagerland, Tor Einar (2002). Krig og diplomati i nordisk middelalder (in Norwegian). Oslo. pp. 82–96.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Brown, Michael (2004). The Wars of Scotland, 1214–1371. The New Edinburgh History of Scotland. Vol. 4. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0-7486-1238-3.
- ^ "Eirik Magnusson". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 31 December 2022.
