Guttorm of Norway
| Guttorm Sigurdsson | |
|---|---|
| King of Norway | |
| Reign | 2 January – 11 August 1204 |
| Predecessor | Haakon III |
| Successor | Inge II |
| Regent | Haakon the Crazy |
| Born | 1199 |
| Died | 8 November 1204 (aged 4–5) |
| Burial | Nidaros Cathedral |
| House | House of Sverre |
| Father | Sigurd Lavard |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Guttorm Sigurdsson (Old Norse: Guthormr Sigurðarson; 1199 – 11 August 1204) was the King of Norway from January to August 1204, during the Norwegian civil war era. As a grandson of King Sverre, he was proclaimed king by the Birkebeiner party when he was just four years old. Although obviously not in control of the events surrounding him, Guttorm's accession to the throne under the effective regency of Haakon the Crazy led to renewed conflict between the Birkebeiner and the Bagler parties, the latter supported militarily by Valdemar II of Denmark.
Guttorm's reign ended abruptly when the child king suddenly became ill and died. Rumours among the Birkebeiner held that Guttorm's illness and death had been caused by Haakon the Crazy's future wife Christina Nilsdatter, a claim considered dubious by modern historians. Low-intensity civil war followed Guttorm's death, until a settlement was reached in 1207, temporarily dividing the kingdom. Despite his status as king, Guttorm is not included in the official Norwegian regnal list.
Guttorm was an illegitimate son of Sigurd Lavard and thus a grandson of King Sverre. The identity of his mother is unknown. Sigurd predeceased his father, Sverre, who died in 1202 and was succeeded by his younger son Haakon Sverresson. Haakon reigned until his own death on 1 January 1204. Haakon had pursued a policy of peace and reunification between the Birkebeiner and Bagler during his short reign, but following his death relations between the parties collapsed and a new phase of the Norwegian civil wars began. Parts of the Birkebeiner were disgruntled by Haakon's policy of reconciliation with the Bagler, which may have led to his death, following which the balance of power within the Birkebeiner switched immediately to the faction around Haakon the Crazy.
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