The History Of Sigurd I Of Norway – The Norse Crusader King
Sigurd I Magnusson (subsequently known under his eponym ‘the Crusader’) or Sigurd Jorsalfare as he is known in Norwegian was King of Norway from 1103 to 1130 and was one of the most notable Norwegian kings of all time. He ruled the Kingdom of Norway together with his half-brothers Øystein and Olaf during the early part of the 12th century. His reign is considered by Norwegian historians as the golden age of the early medieval Kingdom of Norway, a period of time during which it thrived and flourished. He is renowned for leading the Norwegian Crusade during the early 12th century—the first Scandinavian monarch to do so—which attributed him the eponym ‘the Crusader’. The Norwegian Crusade lasted from 1107 to 1110, with not a single battle lost on behalf of the crusaders led by King Sigurd I. Furthermore, the Norwegian Crusade is additionally notable in historical regards in that it was for the first time in history that a European king travelled personally to the Holy Land.
King Sigurd and his men ride into Miklagaard (i.e. Byzantium/Constantinople) by Norwegian illustrator Gerhard Munthe (from the book Heimskringla whose authorship is attributed to Snorri Sturluson, J.M. Stenersen & Co, 1899). Source: Wikimedia Commons
King Sigurd I set sail in his quest for the Holy Land in 1107 with a military convoy of 60 ships amounting as many as 5,000 soldiers. He reached England during the autumn of the same year and it wasn’t until the spring of 1108 that the sailed southward to the Iberian peninsula. Prior to his arrival on Iberian soil, King Sigurd encountered a fleet of pirate galleys which he defeated, incorporating eight more ships into his the fleet of his own. Once he set shore in Iberia, King Sigurd clashed in a series of battles in the western part of the peninsula, namely in Galicia and modern day Portugal. He successfully managed to conquer the Castle of the Moors, a present day UNESCO World Heritage site located in the municipality of Sintra, Portugal.
King Sigurd I of Norway and his fleet sailing out from their homeland by Norwegian illustrator Gerhard Munthe (from the book Heimskringla whose authorship is attributed to Snorri Sturluson, J.M. Stenersen & Co, 1899). Source: Wikimedia Commons
From Iberia, King Sigurd’s fleet headed to the Balearics, arriving there around 1109 to defeat a modest Saracen (credited as ‘Serkir’ in the Old Norse texts) military force. He reached the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1110 and was warmly welcomed by King Baldwin of Boulogne. He participated in the siege of Sidon during the same year, winning the battle together with King Baldwin’s army.
King Sigurd I of Norway riding alongside King Baldwin I from Jerusalem to the river Jordan by Norwegian illustrator Gerhard Munthe (from the book Heimskringla whose authorship is attributed to Snorri Sturluson, J.M. Stenersen & Co, 1899). Source: Wikimedia Commons
He left the Kingdom of Jerusalem after the Siege of Sidon, heading to Constantinople before going on his way back home to Norway. Supposedly, King Sigurd I went through a journey by land from Constantinople/Miklagård back home, through Bulgaria, Hungary, Pannonia, Swabia, and Bavaria, arriving back in Norway in 1111.
King Sigurd I of Norway and his men entering Constantinople. Source: Wikimedia Commons
Documentation sources and external links:
- A digital copy of Heimskringla, the book on the history of Norwegian kings whose authorship is attributed to Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson (via the InternetArchive) on www.omacl.org (in English)
- Sigurd Jorsalfare on www.snl.no (Store Norske Leksikon – the Big Norwegian Encyclopædia; in Norwegian)
- Norwegian Crusade on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
- Encyclopædia Britannica online