Birkebeiner

Birkebeiner

The Birkebein Party or Birkebeinar (Old Norse: Birkibeinar; Norwegian: Birkebeinarane (nynorsk) or Birkebeinerne (bokmål)) was the name for a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 around the pretender to the Norwegian throne, Eystein Meyla. The name has its origins in propaganda from the established party that the rebels were so poor that they made their shoes of birch bark. Although originally a pejorative, the opposition adopted the Birkebeiner name for themselves, and continued using it after they came to power in 1184.

Today, the Birkebeiners are popularly celebrated for having escorted the two-year-old Haakon Haakonsson, a heir to the Norwegian throne, to safety from Østerdalen to Trondheim, a long and perilous journey through treacherous mountains and forests. This is commemorated through Birkebeinerrennet and Birkebeinerrittet, as well as the American Birkebeiner.