Norgesveldet 2.0 – A history of the Norwegian kings

[Nikolai]

Haraldr I Fairhair (867-911)

Haraldr, the first of the Norwegian kings, is well known for any Norwegian citizen. When he set out to unite the Norwegian petty kingdoms, he famously swore to not cut his hair before he had succeeded in doing so. In 867 AD, he set out on a path that would change the Viking world forever.

The Petty Kingdom of Viken, which Haraldr controlled in 867 AD.

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Family

Haraldr married only one woman, Rögnhildr. He was a lustful man, however and throughout his life he had at least six concubines. Most were conquest of his, but an intriguing tale tells a story of how one of them, Anna of Västgötaland, seduced the king and made him – for a time – consider exchanging his wife Rögnhildr with this younger woman. It was not to be, however, and Anna became merely a concubine – and one with more than one man too, if tales are to be believed. Nothing was ever proved at the time, though.


With his wife and concubines, Haraldr bore eleven children that we know of:

Halfdan

Þordis

Saga

Maer

Gandalfr

Anna

Haraldr

Hakon

Freyr

Guðrun

Helgi


The first of these children, Halfdan, would ultimately succeed him as king of Noregr – or Norgesveldet as the empire of medieval Norway is known as to modern day Norwegians.


His reign

The reign of king Haraldr was dominated by war. Almost no years of his 44-year long reign was entirely peaceful, as he almost always was on campaign. His early years was dominated by raiding, but most of his reign was spent expanding his realm, at the end encompassing most of modern day Norway, and more.


Between 867 AD and 891 AD, the realms of the Norwegian petty kings fell, one by one. First was neighboring Telemark, followed by parts of the western coast. Then fell much of the northern coast. When the southern jarldom of Agder fell in 877 AD, his focus was temporarily forced to the British Isles, as he inherited a holy war the southern English kingdom of Wessex waged for Agder’s territories in Devon.


Soon, he was back home, however, after beating the Wessex king decisively. In 883 AD, he finished the conquest of the western coast up to and including Hålogaland. Then, the interior of Norway fell. Not content with this, Haraldr invaded his southern Danish neighbors for control over the parts of Viken he did not reign over. That war raged for two years.


Then, on October 29th, 891 AD the world changed. From that day on, king Haraldr I «Fairhair» was no longer a petty king of Viken. From that day he was a mighty king in his own right. The Kingdom of Norway was created, and the world was never the same. With this, his until then tenuous hold on the land was confirmed by the Ting to be legitimate, and his hold of the area known as Norvegr secure. Laws were forged forever binding the kingdom to his dynasty, the title elected, but only men of his blood was considered legitimate.


But the conquests of Haraldr I «Fairhair» was far from over. Using his many children, alliances with small and big powers in the North were forged, most notable of these being the king of Sweden and the king of Gardariki. Encroaching on Swedish lands, Haraldr and his Swedish ally divided parts of modern day Sweden between them, at the same time co-operating and competing. In 897 AD the jarldom of Västergötaland fell to the Norwegians, at the same time as they saved the king of Sweden from a big rebellion threatening his reign.


It was during this time the first defeats met Haraldr. Heeding the call of his ally the jarl of the Isles in modern day Scotland, when this ally was attacked by the kingdom of Alba, Haraldr met on several defeats which decimated his army and severely wounded him, forcing him to retreat home to Norway and watch as his ally was attacked from all sides. In addition to Alba, the Irish, English and Frankish all joined in, reducing the Norse jarldom of the Isles to a shadow of their former selves.


Between 903 and 906 AD, the wounded king would engage in for him unusual endeavors, improving the infrastructure of his kingdom and resting. In 906 AD however, he could no longer sit still, and started another conquest spree. This spree would in the end kill him. First fell the jarldom of Småland, which was divided between Haraldr and his Swedish ally. Then fell the jarldom of Skåne. Then, the rich lands of the jarldom of Sjælland.


This last war would set Haraldr on a course towards death. Sjælland had been attacked by Wessex during the Norwegian invasion, and with Sjælland’s fall to Norway the war for Devon became a war between Norway and Wessex. The two realms were equal of strength, but when their armies met in Devon, Haraldr was again severely wounded, and – even worse – captured and forced to sign a humiliating treaty of surrender. Devon was lost, and soon Norway would lose her king too. As the army headed home with their wounded king in the mighty Viking longships, Haraldr I «Fairhair», king of Norway, went home to Valhall. On July 7th, 911 AD, the king was no more His son and heir Halfdan I was proclaimed king at the Ting a few weeks later, at age 42.

Norgesveldet at the time of Haraldr I «Fairhair»’s death in 911 AD.


Aftermath

Contemporary sources show just how revered this first king of Norway was. Praises were sung for him in all corners of the Viking world, and even his enemies had a certain amount of respect for the man who united the Norwegians.


The rule of his son Halfdan I, a tragic character in many ways, was met at the time with a mixture of dread and mistrust. The sources speak of worry for the future and unruly vassals.


To modern day Norwegians, Haraldr is seen as one of the most important Norwegians ever, uniting their county for the first time and laying the groundwork for the modern nation state.

 

[Nikolai]

Halfdan I (911-938)

Halfdan I, was a defining force in the history of Norway. A tragic man in many ways, his rule would see the future of Scandinavia altered forever.



Family

Halfdan was a man haunted by sorrows. Already before his ascension, he had lost two wives and one son. And they would not be the last of his troubles. He was through his life married to three women, the last of them, Sigrid, the only one to become his Queen. He also held three concubines in his time, of which we know little.


With his wives and concubines, Halfdan bore fourteen children that we know of:

Ulfr

Haraldr

Rögnhildr

Asa

Sif

Skuli

Kolbjörn

Arnbjörn

Gunnhildr

Bengt

Botulfr

Holmger

Ofeig

Anders

None of these children would succeed him as king.

His reign

The reign of Halfdan I was dominated by wars, personal grief and religious strife. It begun badly with him already having lost two wives and a son in short succession not long before his father died. Additionally, the rumors of him being the love child of Queen Rögnhildr and jarl Eskild never truly faded, giving doubts about his legitimacy to rule.

Within a year after he became king, his new Queen bore the first of many illegitimate children. She was a serial adulterer, but the King loved her dearly and forgave it all – time and time again. It did cause him mental harm, though, as he became a flagellant and wounded himself in the process, something that would haunt him to his grave. To add insult to injury, his daughter eloped with a commoner, bearing his child. This greatly grieved the King.

In 919 AD, in an effort to distract himself and enlarge the kingdom at the same time, he declared war on Iceland to subjugate the jarldom under the Norwegian crown. This started badly, with his favorite son dying in battle against the Icelanders and, a couple years later, most of the army dying in the Icelandic fjord.

Sensing weakness, the king of Sweden declared war on Halfdan, wishing to take one of his jarldoms for himself. Between the war with Iceland and Sweden, Halfdan’s forces were spread thin. And disaster struck, time and time again. While the armies mostly won, the victories were hard won and time and time again his heirs died in battle with the enemy. A total of seven heirs perished between 919 AD and 926 AD, when the last of the two wars were ended. Both ended in a hard fought white peace.

In 930 AD, disaster struck again. The Catholic Pope sensed weakness and announced a Crusade for the kingdom of Pommerania, of which Norway controlled half. It is theorized this Crusade was part of an elaborate plan by the Pope to win Norway for Christ, as it was widely known that Halfdan was positive to the southern religion.

Assembling the Storting, Halfdan proposed a radical proposition: For the whole realm, him and his family to convert to Christianity. There is no doubt Christianity was seen in a positive light before this, and sources claim the first missionaries came to Norway already in the late 600s. But it stunned the world when Halfdan sent word to the Pope that he, his house and eleven out of his fourteen vassals with families were ready to be baptized. Norway was won for the Christian God.

In an even bigger surprise to everyone, Halfdan then a year later announced his support for the planned Crusade to liberate Pommerania from the heathen – a category he had himself been part of merely a year before. The Crusade was launched in 932 AD, and Halfdan’s forces contributed heavily to the eventual victory in 935 AD, although his army had to retreat after a harsh defeat a year before. The kingdom of Pommerania was awarded to the rising power of Bavaria.

In 935 AD, as soon as the Crusade was over, Halfdan declared holy war for the jarldom of Skåne against pagan Sweden. The war was not easy, but his forces were on the offensive when Halfdan I died peacefully in his sleep June 28th, 938 AD.

He would be succeeded by his half-brother Helgi.

Norgesveldet and Europe at the death of Halfdan I in 938 AD.


Aftermath

Halfdan I’s reign is a watershed moment in European and Norwegian history. By adopting Christianity, the King began the total transformation of the religious setup of Scandinavia, which by this point had been a stronghold of Asatru, although there were smaller Christian communities in the area before this.

With the conversion came a time of Crusades and holy wars that would, in time, transform the area and her population.

To modern day Norwegians, especially the Christian population, his importance cannot be overstated.

 

[Nikolai]

Interlude – 935 AD​

The world of 945 AD was a changed one. In Scandinavia, the kingdoms of the area had, as we have seen, consolidated greatly. On the British Isles, Sweden had conquered half of Ireland, while the kingdom of Alba had grown greatly in size and removed the Norse kingdom of the Isles. In England, Merica had vanquished the Norse realm of Jorvik, while Wessex had done the same with the Norwegian presence in Cornwall. The islands were a Waldensian stronghold, together with Iceland. But in Ireland, Insular Christianity still held sway, bar for the southern tip

In France, the kingdom of West Francia had fractured and the kingdom of Aquitaine had risen to prominence. All the while the Norse Gardariki, a realm positioned far east on the Russian steppes, had taken control of Brittany and northern Iberia and converted the population to Asatru.

In central Europe, the kingdom of Bavaria had grown into a big and powerful kingdom encompassing most of Germany and more. Italy was also a powerful kingdom further south. Bar some heresies in the mountainous regions dividing Italy from rest of Europe, this part of the world was almost fully Catholic. But recently, Asatru had spread in the far north and south, with an «outbreak» of Muslim influences between West Francia and Bavaria. Time would tell how this would develop.

In eastern Europe, the consolidation was less pronounced, bar the rise of Khazaria. Religiously, it was dominated by the Slovianskan faith in the Slavic realms, while Khazaria was fully Jewish.

Down in Iberia, the Umayyads were slowly being pushed back. In Western Africa Ghana, Mzab and Kanem was powerful countries, while the Tulunid was controlling Egypt and Libya. Africa was dominated by Islam in the north and pagan faith in the south-west, and Coptic Christianity in the south-east. The kingdom of Jerusalem was sitting in a precarious situation between them and the Abbasids, while the Byzantine Empire was pretty stable but not expanding much. The Crusader kingdom had already had much success spreading Catholicism in the Levant, while the Byzantines was clearly Orthodox.

The Persian region was dominated by Makran, a Muslim power, while Pratihara was the dominant power in Northern India. The south of India was in a fractured state. All of India was a fractured religious picture at this point in time.

Further east, Tengri reigned supreme in the north, while Manichean Christianity and traditional religions dominated on the Tibetan plateau.

Finally, here is a presentation of the cultural setup of the known world:

 

[Nikolai]

Helgi I (938-981)

The reign of Helgi I saw the Norwegian realm rise to a size and prestige never seen before. His wars were many, not all of his own choosing. Above all, he is seen a great Crusader King, having participated in two Crusades for Jerusalem and greatly contributed to both Crusades’ success – although the kingdom of Jerusalem would not stop falling during his time on Earth.

Family

Helgi would lose three of his wives to childbirth. Only his fourth wife, Dub-Lemna, would survive him. He would sire seven children, of which one – his first – was a bastard:

Samuel

Folki

Sunniva

Guttorm

Helgi

Martha

Gudleik

None of his children would succeed him as king.


His reign

The first six years of the reign of king Helgi I was a struggle uphill. Shortly after his rise to power, the Waldensian jarldom of Iceland declared holy war for control over the jarldom of Trændalog. This war would have to be fought at the same time as the faithful of Asatru rebelled, and the Christian powers in Wessex and West Francia joined together to take lands from Norway in southern England.

The latter war Helgi simply surrendered on day one, as he had no way to resisting, and his lands in Britannia was of lesser importance in his mind. The other two wars would divide his forces, but in the end the Asatru were defeated and the jarl of Iceland would agree to a white peace.

At this point, Helgi showed his pious side. He declared holy war on the independent jarldom of Skåne and won, only to turn against Sweden to claim the jarldom of Småland in holy war. Both wars would be won easily.

In the 950s, the Norse culture, which had been a pretty coherent culture for a long time, began to fracture. Where there earlier was one, coherent cultural entity throughout all of the Viking world, with Norway’s adoption of Christianity the culture begun to split up. Basically, if you were a Christian Norseman, or within Christianity’s influence as Norway had been for a couple decades now, you would now regard yourself as Norwegian If you were Asatru Norse, and outside Christianity’s reach, you would identify as Swedish. As such, the areas of modern-day Norway and Denmark would identify largely as Norwegian by this point, while the area controlled by Sweden at this time would identify as Swedish.

Forward to the 960s, a new Crusade was launched, with Helgi pledging both money and men for the endeavor. Greatly contributing to the eventual success of the Crusade, Helgi would lead by example and lead his armies down to the Holy Land.

In 965 AD the Crusade was won, and Helgi with his newfound prestige and money began a big infrastructure program in his domain, before beating up on the Swedish kingdom once more, going on a holy war for the jarldom of Opplond. He won decisively, and with almost no opposition.

In 971 AD, Helgi then turned his gaze westward, declaring it was time for Iceland to submit to the Norwegian crown. Much weaker than the King, the Waldensian jarl of Iceland would have little choice but to submit, although not before he had been beaten and sieged down by the larger Norwegian host.

By this point, Norway was a powerhouse in Catholic Europe. In a show of how prestigious the ruling Yngling dynasty had become, Helgi’s daughter Sunniva was in 972 AD bethrothed to the underage Basileus of the Byzantine Empire, Niketas.

In 974 AD, Jerusalem had again fallen, and the Pope launched another Crusade. Helgi again pledged his support in money and men and went down to the Holy Land to save the home of Christ. Again, the Crusade was a success and merely two years later it was won.

With the Pope in eternal gratitude, Helgi then got the Holy Father’s support for a holy war for the entirety of the kingdom of Sweden, which was launched in 977 AD. Three years later, Helgi was victorious. The Swedish king lost all his lands, but fled eastwards vowing to continue the fight. Helgi merely let the man fume and began reorganizing Sweden with Christian chieftains and jarls.

He also crowned himself king of Denmark. He was now a dual king. It would be his last act, however as on February 11th 981 AD, he died in his sleep, an old man, revered by all of Christian Europe. His nephew Ivar was crowned Ivar I at an age of 42 years.

Norgesveldet at the death of Helgi I of Norway.


Aftermath

Helgi I’s reign was successful, and he became the rare man to have participated in, and largely won, two Crusades in his lifetime. His life was long and accomplished. But he would ultimately be overshadowed by his successor Ivar I, despite Ivar reigning for a much shorter time.

For modern Norwegians, Helgi I is known as the Crusader King, a mighty warrior and pious ruler in every regard.

 

[Nikolai]

High King Ivar I (981-997)

The reign of Ivar I would see Norgesveldet be recognized as an Empire, as the prestige, wealth and piety of the Yngling dynasty would soar to ever larger heights. It would also mark the last big enlargement of the realm for a long time.

Family

Ivar I was married twice, to Rikissa and Aléarde, the latter whom would grant him all but his first child, as the former would die in childbirth early on.

He would sire four children that we know of, all male:

Øystein

Kåre

Gaucher

Ottar

None of his sons would succeed him as High King.

His reign

Soon after taking power, Ivar would go to war against the Queen of Sapmi, seeking to subjugate her. The Sapmi lands were vast, but poor and weak, and within four years the war was over, with the Norgesveldet encompassing all of the Scandinavian peninsula.

In 984 AD, months after the war in the north was over, the Pope came calling again. Yet again, Jerusalem had fallen, and yet again a crusade was called. Ivar I would heed the call, adding his vast number of troops and money for the endeavor. It would start badly, with all the Norwegian armies obliterated by large Muslim host while the “allied” forces keeping away. It smelled of envy from the fellow Christian Crusader Kings. Still, the crusade at this point was almost won, and while the Norwegian participation was over, the war was won not long after.

During this time, Ivar had created three new kingdoms in the north, now also controlling the kingdoms of Sweden, Lappland and Finland. He now controlled a total of five kingdoms.

In 989 AD, as the crusade was over, the Muslims declared a Jihad to reclaim the Levant. Ivar I declared his intent to defend Christendom, and in a show of appreciation for his many contributions spreading the love of Christ in both the North and the South of the world, the Pope crowned Ivar the High King – that is Emperor – of Scandinavia before he set out on the journey south. The Yngling dynasty now was more powerful than ever, and the integrity of the realm with the High King at the top was secured – whatever happened to the election of the five kingdoms beneath. And it would be needed, for resentment over how powerful Ivar was in his Empire was growing among the nobles.

The Jihad was repelled and ended by 993 AD, and the next few years Ivar spent creating titles and trying to convert vassals and land in his large Empire, of which much was still pagan. In 994 AD, disaster struck as Ivar fell from his horse during training, getting serious injuries he would struggle with for the rest of his life.

In 995 AD, he decided to invade the kingdom of East Francia. The war went well, for a while, but on July 11th, 997 AD, he died of his wounds deep in East Francian lands. His cousin Helgi I of Scandinavia inherited, at the age of 35 years. However, the nobles conspired to weaken him, and he lost the election for king of Lappland and Finland. Finland was now under a Slovianskan faith, Russian king, who was not even of the Yngling dynasty – something that was supposed to be illegal. Same happened with the kingdom of Lapland, where a Suomenusko faith, Norwegian culture king was elected, also of another dynasty. Both hated the new High King’s guts. However, Helgi was unable to resist the votes without risking an all-out civil war and had to concede his loss.

Aftermath

Ivar I’s reign was the high point of the early history of Norgesveldet. Getting recognized as High King, adding three kingdom titles to his name and winning both a crusade and successfully repelling a jihad, Ivar’s was a successful reign on all account.

Save the end, where his death resulted in the loss of two kingdom titles, and his heir now having two kings as vassals that hated his guts. The reign of Ivar I would also see the last large expansion of Norgesveldet for a long time and mark a definite change in the Empire’s ability to project power.

For modern Norwegians, Ivar I is remembered as the first Emperor, and as such an important figure, but also as representing the beginning stagnation of the Norwegian realm.

 

[Nikolai]

High King Helgi I (997-1020)

The reign of Helgi I was a time of relative decline of the monarchy, religiously as well as morally.

Family

High King Helgi I was married once, to a Gergana. The marriage was a happy one, by all accounts.

Together, they had six children, of which the eldest would in time become High King himself:

Helgi

Gjertrud

Gudrun

Rolf

Gyda

Jorunn


His reign

Helgi I’s reign started badly. Despite being first in line for all sub kingdoms in the Empire before his predecessor’s death, Helgi lost the election for king of Finland and Lapland. Both the newly crowned vassal kings were heathens, and both hated the new High King’s guts. Helgi would use much of his reign dealing with them, and trying to convert them to the one true faith – according to his beliefs.

The war in East Francia, which had gone well at the time of the unfortunate death of Ivar I, soon turned as two of the Scandinavian armies were beaten and sent packing – half of the available force. Afraid of the consequences if he became too weak, with a fragile position at home, Helgi offered a white peace, and got it from a relieved king of East Francia.

The next few years would be a quiet time, as Helgi focused on converting his vassals and country, and when the Pope in 1006 AD called for a crusade for Galicia, he did not offer his troops, merely his monetary support. He was quickly becoming rich, though, and his treasury was bigger than any of his predecessors had ever controlled.

In 1007 AD, Helgi decalred war on the high chieftain of Estronia for control over the jarldom of Courland. The high chieftain was powerless to avoid the takeover and gave up less than two years later.

During this war, Helgi discovered to his horror that his son and heir Helgi and his daughter Gjertrud were lovers. He tried to cover the up, but it was soon a badly kept secret.

In 1009 AD, Helgi went for a pilgrimage and being so rich he decided to travel all the way to Jerusalem – the first ever Norwegian king to go to the city without a crusade backing them. For this, he became known as Helgi «Jorsalfare», from the contemporary Norwegian name for Jerusalem – Jorsal.

The year 1011 AD would prove to be a busy year, starting with the conversion of king Roman of Finland to Catholisism. Later that year, it was discovered that said king Roman had been conspiring to kill Helgi’s beloved son and heir Helgi. It was a straight road from baptism to the dungeons for king Roman.

The year 1011 AD would also show the ruthless side of High King Helgi I. His nephew was becoming popular among the nobility and was a favorite to inherit both Norway and Denmark at the death of Helgi, in front of his beloved son. Thus, as rumor has it - nothing was ever proven – Helgi started planning the assassination of his nephew. In 1012 AD the poor man was dead and Helgi’s son was again the top candidate, but while people talked, nothing could be proven.

The same year, Helgi started a holy war to claim the parts of the kingdom of Finland controlled by the heathen kingdom of Bjarmaland. Two years later, in an attempt to avoid the inevitable conquest, the Queen of Bjarmaland converted to Catholicism. His reason for war now gone, Helgi was asked by the Church to end the war, but he refused, damaging his standing with the Pope. In 1017 AD, the war was finally won.

The year after, king Roman – having languished in the dungeons for years, was told he was no longer a king. Helgi had revoked the title and claimed it for his own.

The year 1018 AD would again show the merciless nature of High King Helgi I when it came to inheritance. His chosen heir Helgi was now threatened by his younger sibling Rolf, who suddenly gathered the support of the nobles for all of the kingdoms in the Empire except Sweden. This would make him a quadruple king and in essence the true High King on Helgi I’s death, even though the coming Helgi II would retain Sweden and the High King title.

Helgi I then swiftly imprisoned his own son and forced him to take the vows and become a monk, forever disinheriting him. It is said Rolf, who loved his father, with tears running said he would do as his father told him, even though he didn’t understand what wrong he had done to deserve it. He had, he claimed, not asked for the votes. Rolf and Helgi I would never meet again.

With this settled, Helgi was again heir for all kingdoms and when the Pope called for a crusade against the Empire of Britannia for control over the kingdom of England, he gladly answered and pledged his support. The crusade would have to be tended to by Helgi II, however, as on December 20th, 1020 AD, Helgi I died – reportedly from malnurishment. Helgi II, aged 36, was now High King.

Aftermath

Helgi I’s reputation is one of cold-heartedness and pretend piety. He is remembered by modern Norwegians as a villain, and by historians as a stop-gap between the great Ivar I and the mediocre Helgi II, the latter who would still make one important mark on the history of Norgesveldet.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Helgi II (1020-1049)

The reign of Emperor Helgi II was a time of both large setbacks, but also of great social change.

Family

Helgi II was married to only one woman in his life, Thora, who bore him three children, all girls. The marriage seems to have been happy from contemporary accounts.

The children were:

Gudrun

Kraka

Åse



His reign

Merely a year into his reign, the crusade for England started. The British Isles were at this point largely united by the English and it was a huge undertaking to invade. It would on all accounts not have been an impossible feat, however. Scandinavia alone fielded almost as many men as the British and their allies did combined, and Scandinavia was not alone.

However, victory was not to be. Be it from jealousy or pride, the other crusading armies kept spreading out thinly and move away from the Scandinavian army, while the British and their allies always kept close by each other. Thus, it was that one by one the crusading armies were picked off.

In October 1022 AD, a British force the size of Scandinavia’s met in the east of England, where Scandinavia did great progress. Soon, the allies of Britannia poured in, while the crusading allies fled the area to «safer» grounds. Helgi II could only course his luck and dive into the battle. The battle was decisively lost and over half the strength of Scandinavia laid waste.

This situation kept repeating itself. Time and time again the crusaders fled the scene and let the Scandinavians take the brunt force. Helgi hired mercenaries, he sent reinforcements. They kept being whittled down and beaten. By 1025 AD it was clear the crusade would fail. His forces and once huge treasury depleted, Helgi withdrew to Scandinavia, where he suffered a series of mental breaks. In 1033 AD the crusade finally ended. Back home, Helgi was deeper and deeper in his cups.

The same year, he announced that a new social order was to be implemented in his realm. Over the next few years, feudalism was instituted in the lands, a decision that would on one hand strengthen the theoretical grasp the rulers in the realm would hold. But on the short term it meant a weakening of the Empire, as money became tighter and the available number of troops got fewer and more expensive to hold. The changes promised gains in the future, but pains in the now.

In 1035 AD, the kingdom of Catholic Pomerania inherited lands in Sweden and Norway, freeing the land from Helgi’s control. Shortly after, the Sultan of Jerusalem – the king there had converted – also inherited a county. Over the next years, wars to reclaim these lands were waged, and won.

In 1045 AD, an attempt on the Emperor’s life was made. Unsuccessful, it still saw Helgi withdraw from public life, now ever deeper in his cups. On February 2nd, 1049 AD, he collapsed, drunk. He would never rise again. He was succeeded by his relative Torgeir I, who was 37 years at the time.

Aftermath

Emperor Helgi II is a tragic figure. He did an important step in instituting feudalism in his realm, but his reign was marred by a failed crusade and the resulting decline of the man into his cups. Helgi II wasted all the then large amounts of wealth Scandinavia had on the crusade, and the country did not recover during the rest of his reign.

Among modern-day Norwegians, Helgi II is barely remembered, his legacy lost in time. His failures were to haunt his successor, another tragic figure.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Torgeir I (1049-1056)

​

The reign of Emperor Torgeir I was short and tragic.

Family

Torgeir I was married to Jorunn, of which little is known. He sired five children, of which both his eldest son as well as the youngest would inherit the throne in due time.

Sunniva

Kristina

Gaucher

Frej

Torgeir

His reign

Cast into the spotlight by a fatal accident of too much drinking by his predecessor, it was soon clear that Torgeir I should never have become Emperor. The country was still in monetary troubles from the previous crusade when he started his reign, and two rebellions; one lead by peasants and one by the Suomonesko faithful, soon sent the economy further down the drain.

Trying to preserve whatever he could, Torgeir fought the rebels to a stalemate, then showed leniency and agreed to white peaces with both parties. However, the Pope soon thereafter called for another crusade for Jerusalem, a war Torgeir had neither the money nor the troops to spare. He tried to put off the requests for assistance, but in the end the Emperor decided to pay lip service to the crusade, committing, but not sending any real force southwards.

As such, he had in a very short time showed himself a weakling in the eyes of the nobility at home as well as impotent in the eyes of Europe, and when the economy refused to improve, he took drastic steps. A generious man, he had a hard time extorting anything from anyone, but he now used his hooks on parts of the nobility to get paid large sums for letting them off. This did help to an extent, but the economy was still in the red. Despairing, on the breaking point and tired of it all, he then declared on April 26th, 1056 AD that he abdicated his throne to his son Gaucher, who was only 18 years old and now was placed center stage as ruler of one of the largest realms in the world.

Aftermath

Torgeir I’s reign was short and in any regard a failure. His sons would have an easy time exceeding his feats.

To modern Norwegians, Torgeir I is all but forgotten.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Gaucher I (1056-1094)

The reign of Emperor Gaucher I would consist of many smaller wars, slowly enlarging the Scandinavian realm.

Family

Gaucher was married to one Hrothwina, an Anglo-Saxon woman who would bear him seven children – and much pain.

The children were as such:

Martha

Jorunn

Halfdan

Gunnhild

Torgeir

Tormod

Thordis

None of them would succeed their father.

His reign

The first five years of Emperor Gaucher’s reign would be peaceful ones, something that would not be true of most of his reign, which would see many smaller wars fought.

In 1061 AD he led a holy war to reclaim the county of Ubemejeiednou, that was lost in an inheritance some years earlier. The war would be uneventful, and successful and conclude four years later.

During this time, the ongoing crusade for Jerusalem would fail, but only five years later the Pope would try again, launching the new crusade for Jerusalem in 1067 AD. Gaucher would finance it, but not fight in it himself.

Between 1068 and 1076 AD, two de jure wars would be fought to reclaim lands lost in inheritance, both against Catholic Pommerania, who had claimed for themselves lands belonging to the kingdom of Sweden. Both wars would end quickly, and in victory.

After five new years of peace, Gaucher would go to war against the kingdom of Bavaria, who had inherited the duchy of Slesvig in the kingdom of Denmark. The war was another success, ending in 1084 AD with Slesvig again under Scandinavian rule.

1084 AD would sadly also mark a personal tragedy for the Emperor, as proof of his beloved wife’s unfaithfulness was unveiled. She had, it turned out, had extra marital relations with one of Gaucher’s powerful vassals. Hurt, and with uncertainty now being held about the real father for his children, the Emperor raged for weeks, telling everyone what he thought about her and her lover.

The next five years would be peaceful for the realm, the Emperor having lost the appetite for anything but food, drink and prayers, but in 1089 AD he launched a holy war for the control of the county of Narva in the east. Within a year the war was over. He then immediately went to war for the county of Tartu. It was won within months.

Satisfied with the success, Gaucher then launched a war against the kingdom of White Rus for his de jure claim for the county of Vidzeme. The war ended after four years in a resounding success.

The Emperor would not live much longer, though. On June 24th, 1094 AD he did not answer when his servants knocked to wake him from his sleep. He was found in a pool of blood, apparently from a sudden and fatal nosebleed. He would be succeeded by his brother Torgeir II, aged 46.

Aftermath

Emperor Gaucher I was by all accounts a successful Emperor. Not having done any great deeds, he faithfully grew the reach of Scandinavia, slowly building on the foundation of his predecessors.

To modern Norwegians, Emperor Gaucher I is perhaps most known for the plays written about him and his wife Hrothwina by the world famous Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Torgeir II (1094-1103)

The reign of Emperor Torgeir II was relatively short and uneventful.

Family

Emperor Torgeir II was married once, to a Norwegian noble woman named Ragnhild. Together they had four children, none of which would inherit the throne:

Håkon

Karin

Ragnhild

Torgeir

His reign

The short reign of Torgeir II started with him having to deal with the issue of inheritance. Already ageing, he had not much time to sort this, and the inheritance of the Empire and the kingdoms the Emperor controlled was in risk of getting divided. Three heirs competed for the various spots. Torgeir II solved this issue by using his clout as dynasty head to disinherit the two contenders that was not of his preference, removing their chances of ever becoming kings or Emperors.

With the inheritance question solved, the Emperor used the rest of his reign to improve the income of the state. Working tirelessly to use hooks on vassals to increase their taxes and improving the royal domain, he managed to do relatively much in a short amount of time. The question of dividing the royal domain on his death, however, he could not solve, as he lacked the authority and administrative efficiency to implement this.

In 1102 AD, he barely escaped with his life when his nephew, king Sämund of Burgundy tried to assassinate him. The assassin was caught however, and the nephew humiliated and revealed as a kinslayer. Merely months later mother nature would do what Sämund could not, however, as on January 28th, 1103 AD Emperor Torgeir II died of what probably was complications due to his obesity. He was succeeded by his relative Halfdan I, aged 42.

Aftermath

Emperor Torgeir II did not reign long. He waged no wars and did no big feats. But he improved the imperial economy a lot and while modern Norwegians might not remember him particularly well, he is regarded by historians as an important man for his consolidation of the at the time shaky foundations of the realm. His chosen heir would prove to be even less illustrious, but would be important rather for the heir he would in turn leave the Empire to.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Halfdan I (1103-1108)

The short reign of Halfdan I would prove to be a stopgap before a reign spanning a good portion of the 12th century.

Family

Emperor Halfdan was married once, to a Norwegian noblewoman named Eldrid. Together they would have five children, of which one would succeed him on the throne:

Arne

Gudrid

Eilif

Rannveig

Gyrid

His reign

The reign of Emperor Halfdan I would be short. Upon succession, he was waging a war against the Moors in Northern Africa, where he already was severely wounded when the news of his new role as Emperor reached him.

The first four years of his less than six years or reign would be spent in the African desert, before he in 1107 AD could claim victory in his war. A year later, on July 24th, 1108 AD, he died from his wounds. His underage son Eilif, aged 10, inherited the crown.

Aftermath

The reign of Emperor Halfdan I was short, but important. With him, a direct linage of Emperors that would span over 150 years would take hold of Scandinavia. Under this line, many successes and setbacks would occur, but the general trend would be one of progress.

The average Norwegian would probably think of his son Eilif and his successful successors when reminded of Halfdan, which is a legacy in itself.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Eilif I (1108-1173)

​

Between the many wars during his reign, the most lasting effect of Emperor Eilif I’s reign was his religious legacy.

Family

Emperor Eilif I was his whole life married to one woman, the Byzantine Princess Pellagia. Together they sired four children, of which none would inherit, although the direct line would continue through their grandson.

Jorunn

Alv

Eilif

Ingjerd

His reign

The reign of Emperor Eilif I would start with an independence war, as some of his vassals sensed weakness. A weakness that was not present, although the Emperor would be lenient and grant the rebels a white peace rather than imprisonment in total victory, which would have cost a lot in money and time.

In 1111 AD, the Sultan of Galicia would declare war, claiming the duchy of Viscaya for himself. Seeing how the independence war was raging, the lack of money and the need to consolidate the core lands of the Empire, Eilif I surrendered the duchy in 1113 AD.

The next decade would be peaceful, with Eilif I building the lands of his realm. At this time the Waldensian faith was getting more and more powerful, not only totally dominating the British Isles and much of Western and Central Europe, but also having got a dominance in much of Scandinavia, including most of Norway. As such, on August 31st, 1124 AD, Emperor Eilif I officially adopted the Waldensian faith, becoming the second Emperor beside the powerful Emperor of Britannia to adhere to this faith.

The religious situation by the time of Emperor Eilif I’s conversion.

Four years later, the Emperor created the cadet branch of Yngling-Namdal, thus taking control over his part of the Yngling dynasty. The same year he also instituted high crown authority in the realm, thus making himself the most powerful Emperor to have reigned Scandinavia thus far.

In 1130 AD the Pope declared his intent to wage a crusade for the kingdom of East Francia, an area at this time dominated by Scandinavia and Britannia. The crusade was launched the year after, but despite both Empires fighting well, the crusade was slowly lost. In 1135 AD, the crusade was successful for the Catholic faithful.

To better defend against future crusades, Emperor Eilif I in 1139 AD founded the Holy Order of Knights of the Chalice. A few years later, in 1147 AD, these knights would be sorely needed, as the Pope declared another crusade, this time for England. Scandinavia joined in to defend their brethren, but unfortunately the whole Scandinavian army was obliterated in the battle of Dover, ending the Scandinavian participation in the war. Thankfully, the British was capable of defending on their own, and the Catholics lost the crusade in 1153 AD.

The next decade was spent expanding in the east, with the kingdom of Poland usurped and added to the Scandinavian realm, and the kingdom of White Rus created in 1160 AD. The same year, the crusade for Lotharigia, where Scandinavia owned a few counties and the British owned much more, was launched. The crusade would last for well over a decade, beyond Eilif I’s reign, but the brunt of the fighting would be done by the British.

In 1162 AD, rumors surfaced that the heir to the Scandinavian Empire, Alv, was in fact not Eilif I’s son, but the bastard son of the Empress and a minor noble. The rumor would haunt the Emperor and his son until both were dead, but nothing was ever proved.

Eilif I continued expanding, adding the kingdom of Estonia to his crowns in 1163 AD, but in 1168 AD the long lasting alliance between the Byzantine Empire and Scandinavia broke down, as the former declared war to press a minor count’s claim for the kingdom of Lithuania. At this time, Eilif I was in a holy war for the kingdom of Novgorod. While the war for Novgorod was going well, the might of the Byzantines would prove to be impossible to resist.

In 1171 AD, Eilif I’s beloved heir Alv died in battle, making Eilif I’s grandson Eilif, son of Alv, the new heir apparent. Two years later, the Emperor gave up the ghost, dying of old age. Eilif II was now Emperor, age 25. He would have to face from the start both the Byzantines, which were slowly winning their war for the kingdom of Lithuania, and disgruntled nobles.

Aftermath

The long reign of Emperor Eilif I was a mixed bag, result wise. He expanded the Empire, but left a weakened realm to his successor, in a war with the premier great power of the time. He would prove to have a lasting legacy in his decision to convert the realm to the Waldensian faith, and by the time of his death, only pockets of the realm were still Catholic. The northern part of the Empire was still as Suomonesko as ever, though.

Modern Norwegians look back at the reign of Eilif I as a time of resurgence, with the Emperor being used as a character in many popular plays and movies.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Eilif II (1173-1199)

​

The reign of Eilif II was one disaster after another.

Family

Eilif II was married to an anglo-saxon princess, Æthelburh, and together they got four children. His firstborn, Ingjerd, was a bastard sired before his marriage.

Ingjerd

Alv

Gudmund

Eldrid

Wulfhild

His eldest son, Alv, would ultimately succeed him.

His reign

Eilif II’s reign started with a loss, as the crusade for Lotharingia, which had lasted for well over a decade, was finally won by the Catholic faithful. Thus, fell the east most provinces of Britannia from the Waldensian grasp.

The year after, the first and one of few successes of his reign happened, when the holy war for the kingdom of Novgorod his father had started, was successful. However, the war against the Byzantines were impossible to win, and in 1174 AD, the year of the success of the war for Novgorod, Eilif II had to give in and grant the Byzantine Emperor the kingdom of Lithuania.

Worse, the nobles in the realm sensed weakness. Long growling under the high crown authority instituted by his forbears and seeing how weak the Emperor was after the decisive loss, they sent an ultimatum, demanding lowered crown authority. Despite his weakness, the Emperor refused to bow down. To war it was, and it was a war he was ill equipped to handle. Within two years, he had to give in. Crown authority was lowered, and worse, each and every opposing vassal got a hook on their liege, which most used to lower their tax obligations over the next few years.

In 1179 AD, some light was finally showing, as the old Emperor of the Byzantine Empire died, and with him the Roman hold over Lithuania crumbled. Reduced to smaller, independent counties, the new realms were weak and several of them submitted to Scandinavia for protection.

Other than this, however, the rest of the reign of Emperor Eilif II was quiet, as the economy was in shambles and it would take year to get rid of the massive debt – not helped by the much reduced tax income due to the previous civil war. The military was also in shambles, and the entire men-at-arms system had to be rebuilt from scratch, something that was both expensive and time consuming.

On August 15th, 1199 AD, Emperor Eilif II died of complications due to his obesity. He had got accustomed to food and drink in masses after his many defeats. His son and heir Alv I rose to the throne at the age of 18.

Aftermath

The reign of Emperor Eilif II was a time of loss and setbacks for the Scandinavian Empire. His many defeats early on would haunt the Empire long into the reign of his son, Alv I, but some of his early losses would be slowly reversed by the setbacks in the north the Byzantines would suffer later in his reign.

To modern Norwegians, Emperor Eilif II is one of the more obscure rulers of the past, well surpassed by the setbacks and successes of his son, and the turmoil of the century that followed.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Alv I (1199-1255)

The reign of Emperor Alv I was a rollercoaster with the lowest lows, ending in the highest highs.

Family
Emperor Alv I was married to three women during his life. The first, Ulrike, was a German Princess, while the second, Cynegyth, was of British nobility. The third was an oddball, as Alv I late in his life married Ñouddl, a Coptic Christian from Nubia. Together, the three women would give Alv eight children, of which the eldest son would inherit the throne.

Eldrid
Haldor
Ragnfrid
Freja
Thora
Plaisance
Erling
Alv

His reign
The first four years of Alv I’s reign was quiet. Then the disasters came, one by one. First, in 1203 AD, the kingdom of Lotharingia declared holy war on him, claiming control over the duchy of Gelre. The year after, the duchy of Angria and their liege lord the kingdom of West Francia declared their own holy war, claiming the duchy of Viken; the ancestral home of the Yngling dynasty. The same year, the Queen of Walves declared war on Scandinavia for control over the county of Ferlix. While all these wars were slowly lost, a crusade was declared for the kingdom of Burgundy, which Scandinavia held parts of. Then, the duke of Lower Lorraine and their alies declared a holy war for the control of the duchy of Flanders.

All these wars were lost. In the end, the Empire was not strong enough to withstand the many simultaneous assaults. While the Empire of Scandinavia was a huge entity, she was weak compared to her southern neighbors. Less income, less troops – an Empire on clay feets, in need of luck and good allies. Worst of all these losses, the one that stung most, were the loss of the duchy of Viken. These were the ancestral lands of Norway, and thus the Empire.

The next fifteen years were spent rebuilding. Then, Alv I struck. In 1224 AD, he declared war on the county of Galinda for the control over the duchy of Prussia. The war was easily won. During this war Lotharingia again declared holy war, this time for the duchy of Flanders. This time, the Emperor’s forces won.

A few years later, Alv I again found himself in a holy war, but this was one of his choosing. The duchy of Lesser Poland was added to the Scandinavian crown. In 1237 AD, Alv I would find his crowning achievement, with the invasion of Hungary. A holy war for an entire kingdom was a seldom done deed, but Alv I had amassed much piety and found support among the clergy and nobles alike for the endavour. It would end in victory in 1240 AD.

1240 AD would also be the year high crown authority again was instituted in the Empire, and with it, a change in inheritance law to high partition, giving the eldest son most of the titles of the previous ruler, was proclaimed.

Six years later, after some rest and rebuilding, Alv I was again at war, this time for the control of the duchy of Temes. It was won in less than a year. Then, two years later in 1249 AD, the penultimate war of Alv I’s reign was waged. Claiming the duchy of Upper Silesia, the war was won in mere months.

The last war of Alv I was against the county of Zvolen. It was started in 1252 AD and won a few months later. After that, the country had a couple years of rest and rebuilding. Then, on June 16th, 1255 AD, Emperor Alv I went to bed, never to awake again. He was succeeded by his son Haldor I, age 47.

Aftermath
The reign of Emperor Alv I was divided in two, the first part a string of defeats that saw the Empire of Scandinavia humbled, while the second was one of success after success. The reign of his son would see the start of a time of troubles and the end of the direct line of Emperor Halfdan I.

To modern Norwegians, Emperor Alv I is seen with fascination. A man that saw the high and lows in his life, but still managed to live through them and end up on top.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Haldor I (1255-1266)

The reign of Emperor Haldor I would see the Yngling dynasty sink into civil war over the Emperorship.

Family

Emperor Haldor I was married to a Byzantine Princess, Elaiodora. Together, they sired five children, none of which would inherit the throne.

Guttorm

Sigrid

Erling

Arne

Erlend

His reign

The first four years of Haldor I’s reign was peaceful. Then the troubles started. In 1259 AD, a liberty faction among his vassals demanded reduced crown authority. Sure to be backed by his ally the Byzantine Emperor, Haldor refused the demands, sending the Empire into civil war. However, no help would come. The Byzantine Emperor heeded the call, but sent no armies up north. Totally outnumbered after a disastrous battle and fleeing for his life, the Emperor had to accept the demands of his vassals in December 1261 AD.

Sensing weakness, the Bavarian king declared holy war for the duchy of Upper Silesia in 1260 AD, and despite heavy fighting, with the war at times going in Haldor’s favor, the war was ultimately lost in 1263 AD.

During this war, a mere count in the kingdom of Africa would declare holy war for the county of Bejaia. Unable to fight in the Mediterranean while fighting in Europe, this war was lost without much of a fight in 1263 AD.

In 1262 AD, even darker clouds gathered. The duke of Pinsk, Wit, declared Haldor’s losses showed that God no longer favored the Ynglings and declared he had a rightful claim to the throne. His words were merely that, however, as most vassals still wanted an Yngling on the throne.

But there were other Yngling claimants. In 1264 AD, the independent king of Africa declared war on Haldor I for control over the Empire. His forces were massive, almost 50% bigger than what Haldor I could muster, but Haldor had his allies in the Byzantine Empire to count on. Together they had almost 50% more forces than the king of Africa.

However, the Byzantines proved to be poor allies. Their armies spread out too thinly and refused to cooperate with their Scandinavian allies, making it all too easy for the king of Africa to defeat the opposing armies, one by one. Africa, it would turn out, did not spread out their forces thin.

Haldor I would not live to see the end of the war, as he died of what was deemed natural causes on August 6th, 1266 AD. He was succeeded by his cousin Eirik I, aged 42.

Aftermath

Having reigned for 11 years, Haldor I had little to show for. He lost much of the authority of his throne early on in his reign and lost all the subsequent wars he was forced into. On his death, his very throne was in play, with the war against the Africans possibly going both ways. His cousin had a hard road ahead of him.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Eirik I (1266-1271)

(First reign)

​

The first reign of Emperor Eirik I was short and violent.

Family

Emperor Eirik I was married to a Norwegian noblewoman named Freja. Together they got two children, none of which would inherit the throne.

Eirik

Svanhild

His reign

Emperor Eirik I’s short reigned started badly. Having inherited a war for the very Emperorship that was at the time at a stalemate, going slowly in his favor, he would soon see a complete reversal. By 1268 AD, the war was slowly getting lost.

In 1268 AD two new wars were added to the poor Emperor’s list, as the duke of Berry declared de dure war for the counties in the duchu of Northern Isles that Scandinavia controlled, and then right after the duke of Augsburg declared a holy war for the duchy of Nitra. They would both be lost within two years.

And then, on January 19th, 1271 AD, the war for Scandinavia was over. The original claimant lay dead on the battlefield, but his son Helge of Africa pressed on and finally forced Eirik I to the negotiation table. It would a total surrender of the title of Emperor, but the new Emperor failed to claim the various kingdoms of his foe, thus making Eirik his most formidable vassal by far. This would bite him in the behind soon.

Aftermath

The first reign of Emperor Eirik I would meet an abrupt end. He was not finished fighting though, plotting his return.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Helge III (1271-1272)

​

The reign of Emperor Helge III would prove to be a mere footnote in the history of Norgesveldet.

Family

Emperor Helge III was married to a woman named Ana, of which little is known. Together they sired four children up to when his reign ended:

Aurengarde

Hélie

Benoît

Aldebert

His reign

Emperor Helge III’s reign was short, less than a complete year. His ascension came as a result of his father’s ambition, and it is much that points to his continuation of the war for the throne to be out of loyalty to his father’s memory rather than his own ambition.

To his many problems as a ruler, came three points. One, his predecessor owned four kingdoms in his own right and outright controlled well over half the Empire directly or indirectly. Two, Helge III was of French culture. Three, Helge III was a Muwalladi Muslim.

As such, when the previous Emperor Eirik I sent emissionaries claiming his right for the throne, or renewed civil war, and it was clear almost every powerful vassal in the Empire supported him, Helge III backed down. He would continue to reign as king of Africa.

Aftermath

Emperor Helge III was a mere footnote in the history of Norgesveldet. His lasting legacy is being a peculiar character; a French Muslim in an otherwise Norse-Norwegian Christian heritage. In modern-day Norway, where diversity has seen Muslim immigration over the last decades, he is a cherished symbol among the multiculturalists and minorities.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Eirik I (1272-1285)

(Second reign)

The second reign of Emperor Eirik I was a continued decline for Norgesveldet.



Family

Eirik I had the same wife and children during his second reign as the first.



His reign

After the civil war, Eirik I decided the country needed rest. The next few years were spent building up a war chest for the eventuality of an attack. And an attack came. Several in fact. In 1276 AD, East Francia declared a de jure war for the duchy of Provence. Outnumbered, Eirik I used his war chest to buy mercenaries, making the numbers more even. However, in 1279 AD, after the war going somewhat well for a while, the army of Norgesveldet was defeated and later that year the duchy of Provence had to be ceded.

Meanwhile in the east, another war had been raging for two years in 1279 AD, as the duke of Augsburg, part of the kingdom of Bavaria, declared holy war for the county of Zemplin. This war too ended in defeat in 1279 AD.

By 1282 AD, Eirik I felt like he was stronger and went for a de jure war for the duchy of Masuria against the small county of Galindia. This war was a success and ended within months.

However, soon after this war started, the duchess of Slavonia sensed weakness and declared a holy war for the duchy of Bacs. This war was slowly being lost when in 1284 AD the duke of Augsburg declared their own holy war, for the duchy of Lesser Poland.

Both these wars were still raging when on August 12th, 1285 AD, Eirik I did not rise from his bed. He died peacefully in his sleep, an old man. He was succeeded by his relative, Emperor Skofte I, aged 29.

Aftermath

Emperor Eirik I is notable for having reigned twice, having lost and gained a throne within short time of his early life. His accomplishments were small other than that, perhaps most notable for fighting tooth and nail for his Empire, even though it cost him and his realm much.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Skofte I (1285-1313)

​

Emperor Skofte I’s reign was a time of continued decline for Norgesveldet.

Family

Emperor Skofte I was married to two women during his life. The first was a Norwegian noblewoman, Thordis, while the second, Nikolina, was a Byzantine noblewoman. Together, they sired four children, none of which would inherit the throne:

Maria

Gudrid

Åshild

Eilif

His reign

The reign of Emperor Skofte I started well, with a victory in the war for the control over the duchy of Bacs in 1286 AD. However, already the year after the despotissa of Armenia, a vassal of the Byzantine Emperor, declared holy war for the duchy of Transylvania. This war was impossible to win, especially as the king of Africa – the previous Emperor for a short year – and the king of Vladimir as well as the count of Cerdaña all demanded independence from the throne. Skofte I refused, but between the war for Transylvania and the independence war, he was unable to cope and soon lost both wars. As such the two powerful kingdoms of Africa and Vladimir was no longer part of Norgesveldet.

The year after, in 1290 AD, the war with Augsburg was also lost, and after a three years respite, which was not nearly enough, the duke of Jülich declared holy war for the duchy of Slesvig. Here the war went somewhat well for a while, but in 1294 AD Skofte I was captured in battle and forced to end the war on his enemy captor’s terms.

In 1296 AD, the duchess of Lancaster declared holy war for the county of Bordeaux. Unable and unwilling to defend such faraway lands, Skofte I gave in immediately. The same was done when the duke of Duklja declared holy war for Genoa two years later.

In 1298 AD the duchess of Upper Lorraine also declared holy war, this time for the county of Dokkum. This war was closer to home, and Skofte I did not give in in this case. In 1300 AD he managed to secure a white peace.

He was not as lucky with the holy war declared in 1299 AD by the duchess of East Franconia for the county of Schmalkalden. Two year later he had to give up the county. The same happened with the war declared at the same time by the duke of Moldavia, claiming the county of Neamt, which ended in defeat the same year.

In 1302 AD the Muslim wali – that is count – of Ashir declared holy war for the duchy of Tlemcen. Skofte I called in his allies, which fought well, but not well enough, and two years later this war was lost too.

Right after this however, a turnover happened, as Skofte I got declared war on for the duchy of Holstein. By the help of his allies, he managed to actually win this war and got much needed gold that he used to build up his men-at-arms, which had been depleted for a long time. 1305 AD would stand as an important year for Norgesveldet, as this marked the time the tide slowly turned for the Empire. With the war for Holstein won, Skofte I began to see wars won again.

First out was the war declared in 1306 AD by the duke of Angria for the duchy of Pomerania, which with the help of his allies Skofte I won by 1309 AD. This was done at the same time as a war with the duchess of East Franconia was fought. It ended in white peace in 1312 AD.

In 1309 AD the duke of Hesse declared holy war for the duchy of Thüringia and the year after the duke of Mordvinia declared a hoyl war for the county of Bacs. Both wars went pretty well by the time of Skofte I’s death. But he had seen much troubles and had begun early to turn to the drink. On May 7th, 1313 AD, his liver could take it no more. Emperor Skofte I died of his alcohol abuse and was succeeded by his relative Emperor Eirik II, aged 45.

Aftermath

The legacy of Emperor Skofte I is mixed. He oversaw some of the worst defeats in the history of Norgesveldet, but he also oversaw what would later prove to be the turning point of the Empire’s decline.

Ultimately, Skofte I is not the most well known Emperor of Scandinavia, but among historians his importance is noted, especially in his tireless work for building a big alliance network which would prove to be of great importance for the Empire’s resurgence.

 

[Nikolai]

Emperor Eirik II (1313-1327)

Emperor Eirik II would in his short reign see a continued improvement of the military results of Norgesveldet.

Family

Emperor Eirik II was married to a German Princess, Hildegard. Together they sired six children, of which one would inherit the throne in due course:

Gudrun

Eirik

Arnfinn

Ulv

Halkjell

Torgil

His reign

The year of Eirik II’s ascension marked the end of the two wars he had inherited from his predecessor. The war for the duchy of Thüringia was decisively won, but the war for the county of Becs was unfortunately lost.

Eirik II would only get a short respite however, as in 1316 AD the duke of Duklja declared holy war for the duchy of Languedoc. This war was unfortunately for him lost, but this would also be the last war lost during his reign, and actually for almost two decades.

In 1319 AD the kingdom of West Francia declared war for the county of Wolgast. With the help of his mighty allies, Eirik II won this war decisively within two years. The same success would be seen in the war of 1323-1325 AD, where Norgesveldet finally went on the offensive and declared a war on someone else. Kingdom of Hungary would soon have to part with the duchy of Lesser Poland.

In 1326 AD the malik, that is king, of the Hairwig Malikate that controlled most of Iberia, declared war on Norgesveldet for the emirate, that is duchy, of Beja. With his allies, Eirik II soon saw the war go in his direction.

However, he would not experience the end of the war. The same year this war started, Eirik II developed cancer, and his court physician mangled the treatment. An operation was done, with Eirik II feeling every cut, but unable to scream. His rage was immense afterwards, especially when he discovered that he was not only severely wounded from the operation, but also had become a eunuch. The court physician’s future was uncertain, but it would not be up to Eirik II to exact any revenge. He bled out days later from the botched operation. He was succeeded on January 18th, 1327 AD by his son Emperor Eirik III, aged 25.

Aftermath

Emperor Eirik II’s reign is notable for finally not only partly stopping the downward spiral of the fate of Norgesveldet, but also waging the first successful offensive war for decades for the at that time ailing Empire. His reign would ultimately though, be the mere stepping stones for his son and grandson.