Eystein Meyla
Øystein Møyla, Øystein Øysteinsson Møyla (* 1157, † 1177 in today's municipality Re, Vestfold ) was a Birkebeinerhäuptling and Birkebeinerkönig. His nickname " Møyla " (girl) he received due to his small stature and childlike appearance.
His father was King Øystein II (ca. 1125-1157 ); his mother is unknown. He was the nephew of kings Sigurd Munn and Inge Krogrygg.
Øystein Møyla was the leader of the first insurgent Birkebeinerheeres, which arose in 1174 against King Magnus Erlingsson and Erling Skakke. He was proclaimed two years later on the Øyrating king.
In the sources that are close to Øystein, so Fagrskinna, Heimskringla and Sverres saga, it is specified as son Øystein II as a father. Then he must have been born before 1157. According to the Heimskringla he was looking at the Swedish Jarl Birger Brosa in Östergötland Helping to create an army against King Magnus V. Birger was married to Brigida Harald Datter that should have been Øysteins aunt. This compound and the close connection to the Swedish king Knut Eriksson would explain the support provided by Birger Brosa. The rival royal family of Sverker was supported by the Danish King Waldemar, which in turn was allied with King Magnus V of Norway. A rebellion against King Magnus could therefore strengthen the position Birger both in the Norwegian and the Swedish upper class.
From Birger received Øystein money and men, and a friendship agreement. In marker much people came to him, and he was proclaimed king there. His team held during the following two years, mainly in the border area to Sweden, but also took some advances towards Viken. But soon he ran out of money, and the clothes were worn, so they wrapped birch bark around the calf. Of this they were named " Birkebeiner ". In the summer of 1176, the Birkebeiner finally got a ship, and they drove past mountains without King Magnus and Erling Jarl this noticed to Nidaros. Should defend Nikolas Skjaldvorsson, the Nidaros, could not withstand the attack of the Birkebeiner. They took the city, and Øystein was proclaimed on the Øyrating king. Now, many men came from the environment to them, so that the army eventually grew to 2,000 men. They moved overland to Viken, because they were afraid that Magnus would come by mountains. But Magnus had moved to Tønsberg. It came out in January 1177 at Re for battle. The Birkebeiner were indeed outnumbered, but large amounts of snow it disabled. Øystein Møyla fell. He was the last anti-king, who fell in Vestlandet in the fight against the kings of Vik and the nobles. According to him, namely, the Birkebeiner gathered around Sverre.
Øysteins role and significance was judged differently in the sources. Heimskringla underestimated its importance and its support by Birger high. Fagrskinna mentioned the alliance with Birger only in passing and provides the feed for Øystein from an earlier insurgent groups in the foreground. Then there were young men who had lost their friends during their fights against Magnus, who joined Øystein. After Sverre's Saga Sverre, the successor Øysteins, opposite Øystein was skeptical because of his youth. But he managed it but unlike previous adolescent claimants to the throne as Haakon Herdebrei or Sigurd Markusfostre, the elite of those who had already fought before against Magnus, or their descendants, to bind to the Birkebeiner.