Knut Haakonsson

Who was Knut Haakonsson?

Knut Haakonsson was a Norwegian nobleman and claimant to the throne during the Civil war era in Norway.

Haakonsson was born the son of jarl Haakon the Crazy and Swedish noble-woman Kristina Nikolasdotter. His father had been leader of the Norwegian army and steward of the kingdom during the short reign of King Guttorm of Norway. His maternal grandfather was Eric the Saint who reigned as King Eric IX of Sweden. After the death of his father in 1214, Knut and his mother returned to Västergötland, Sweden where she married Swedish nobleman, Eskil Magnusson.

In 1226, upon the death of Sigurd Ribbung, Knut was chosen as the new pretender of the Ribbung party. The Ribbunger forces were soon beaten militarily. Knut resigned his pretender crown and made peace with King Haakon IV of Norway in 1227. He subsequently married Ingrid, a daughter of jarl Skule Baardsson, who had a form of power sharing with King Haakon.

Tensions between Skule Baardsson and King Haakon existed and in an effort to facilitate a compromise, Skule was given the title Duke in 1237. However, Skule rose to open revolt in 1239 and tried to win Knut over to his side. Knut rejected Skule's advances and remained loyal to King Haakon, who subsequently elevated him to jarl. Skule's rebellion met an unsuccessful end in 1240 and the duke was killed. After Skule's death, no one was able to challenge King Haakon's position in Norway.