Sigurd Lavard

Sigurd Sverresson Lavard (* probably the Faroe Islands, † 1200) was a chief of the Birkebeiner in the civil war between Birkebeinern and Baglern. He was usually called " lávarðr " after the Anglo-Saxon word " hlâford " which can be translated with the word " Crown Prince " best.

His father was King Sverre Sigurdsson and his mother is not known. He was the eldest son. Bjørgo assumes that he and his father came from the Faroe Islands to Norway 1176. Already in the 1190s years, he served as a military leader in the Birkebeinern.

After Sverre's saga he was weak and timid in battle, so that the father criticized him unusually sharp and disparaging.

1193 Sigurd commander was dr Birkebeiner in Sarpsborg. In fighting in Ranrike 1196 was ( in the historical province Viken ) involved, where he fled, for which he was very scolded by his father. Even sharper was the criticism during a struggle with the peasants in 1200 in Oslo. His assessment ultimately was a disgrace to his family. This image then dominated the historiography.

Excavations in the Bryggen in Bergen, a runic letter was found in the ruins of the great fire of 1198, which was written by Sigurd. He wrote in the king's name, suggesting important roles in the king's military supply being. In the letter, he gave the order to forge weapons from the pig iron, which he mitsende. Maybe he also ordered a nave for the king, but this is controversial. In return, he promised the receiver "Our true friendship now and forever ." The letter had an elegant style with courtly phraseology and safer orthography, which suggests a high level of education.

He died in 1200 and left the few month old son Guttorm Sigurdsson, he had a mistress.

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