Sigurd II of Norway - Aftermath

Aftermath

King Eystein was late in arriving for the meeting, and only approached the city after Sigurd was already dead. An uneasy settlement was reached between Inge and Eystein, but peace between them did not last long. As it turned out, the killing of king Sigurd started the second phase of the Norwegian civil war era, with fighting continuing with only short let-ups until 1208. The reasons for the fighting in Bergen remain disputed. According to the sagas, Eystein and Sigurd had plotted to strip Inge of his royal title and divide his share of the kingdom between them. Some modern historians doubt this version, seeing it as Inge’s excuse for his own aggressive actions.

During the following civil wars, several royal pretenders claimed to be the son of King Sigurd. For some, this was probably mostly a political statement, as royal lineage was necessary to be a candidate for the throne. Sverre Sigurdsson was the most successful by far of these claimants, and eventually succeeded in becoming king of Norway. Sigurd never married.

The sagas draw a rather negative picture of both Sigurd and his brother Eystein, generally choosing to portray Inge as the just ruler of the three brothers. Heimskringla writes of Sigurd:

When King Sigurd grew up he was a very ungovernable, restless man in every way; and so was King Eystein, but Eystein was the more reasonable of the two. King Sigurd was a stout and strong man, of a brisk appearance; he had light brown hair, an ugly mouth; but otherwise a well-shaped countenance. He was polite in his conversation beyond any man, and was expert in all exercises.