Magnús
description
Magnús blindi ‘the Blind’ Sigurðarson, son of Sigurðr jórsalafari, Norw. king (r. 1130-5) -- Hskv Hardr 1/1, Ív Sig 34/8, 39/8, Kolli Ingdr 2/6, 4/3, Balti Sigdr 2/1, Anon Nkt 53/5, 54/9
Sagas: Msona, MbHg, Hsona (Ágr, Fsk, H-Hr, Hkr, Mork).
Magnús inn blindi ‘the Blind’ was the only son of Sigurðr jórsalafari (see Genealogy II.3 in ÍF 28). Upon Sigurðr’s death in 1130, he was elected king of Norway but was forced to share the royal title with his uncle, Haraldr gilli. On 7 January 1135, Magnús was captured by Haraldr in Bergen, blinded, castrated and had one foot cut off. He spent one year in the monastery on Munkholmen, Trondheim, until his uncle, the royal pretender Sigurðr slembidjákn, fetched him to join his cause. In 1137 Magnús was forced into exile in Denmark, but he returned to Norway the following year. He died on 12 December 1139 at the battle of Holmengrå in Hvaler, outside Strömstad in present-day Sweden, against the sons of Haraldr gilli, Ingi and Sigurðr. See Anon Nkt 53-4, Ágr (ÍF 29, 50-1; Ágr 1995, 74-7), Mork (Mork 1928-32, 396-8, 400-2, 415-39; Andersson and Gade 2000, 355-64, 372-88), Fsk (ÍF 29, 321-6, 330-4; Finlay 2004, 258-62, 265-9), Hkr (ÍF 28, 266-8, 276-88, 296, 304-20; Hollander 1991, 708-9, 714-24, 730-1, 736-49), H-Hr (Fms 7, 164-5, 169-71, 175-86, 196, 207-28). See also Knýtl (ÍF 35, 264-7; Hermann Pálsson and Edwards 1986, 142-3), Orkn (ÍF 34, 140-2; Hermann Pálsson and Edwards 1987, 116-18).
Events documented in poetry: The battle of Färlev, present-day Sweden, against Haraldr gilli on 9 August 1134 (Hskv Hardr 1; Ingimarr Lv); the siege of Bergen December 1134-January 1135 (Hskv Hardr 4; ESk Hardr II, 2); the battle of Minne, Norway, against Ingi Haraldsson in 1137 (Kolli Ingdr 1-2); Magnús’s return to Norway 1138 in the company of Sigurðr slembidjákn and their rampages along the coasts of Norway (Slembir Lv; Ív Sig 24-33; Anon (Hsona) 2); the battle of Holmengrå and Magnús’s death (Ív Sig 34-45; Kolli Ingdr 4-5; Balti Sigdr 2-3).
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