Editing Haakon IV (section)

===Succession struggle===
After King Inge's death in 1217, a succession dispute erupted. Haakon was supported by the majority of Birkebeiners, including the veterans who had served under his father and grandfather. Other candidates included Inge's illegitimate son Guttorm (who dropped out very soon); Inge's half-brother Earl [[Skule Bårdsson]], who had been appointed leader of the king's ''[[hird]]'' at Inge's deathbed and was supported by the [[Archdiocese of Nidaros|Archbishop of Nidaros]] as well as part of the Birkebeiners; and Haakon the Crazy's son, [[Knut Haakonsson]].<ref name="helle75">Helle, 1995, p. 75.</ref><ref name="keyser184">Keyser, 1870, p. 184.</ref><ref>Bagge, 1996, pp. 96–97.</ref> With his widespread popular support in [[Trøndelag]] and western Norway, Haakon was proclaimed king at [[Øyrating]] in June 1217. He was later the same year hailed as king at [[Gulating]] in Bergen, and at [[Haugating]], [[Borgarting]] and local [[Thing (assembly)|things]] east of [[Göta Älv|Elven]] (Göta Älv).<ref name="helle75"/> While Skule's supporters initially had attempted to cast doubt about Haakon's royal ancestry, they eventually suspended open resistance to his candidacy. As the dispute could have divided the Birkebeiners, Skule settled on becoming [[regent]] for Haakon during his minority.<ref name="helle75"/>
{{multiple image | width = 125 | align = right | footer=Two coins ([[bracteate]]s) from Haakon's reign. While a few of his coins included the inscription "REX HACV" (when with Earl Skule "REX ET COMES"), most only contained images of animals, a crowned head, a crown, a castle, or single letters.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dokpro.uio.no/umk_eng/myntherr/hh_hist.html |publisher=University of Oslo|title=Issuing Authorities: Håkon Håkonsson's coinage |access-date=22 April 2012 |year=1995 |work=University of Oslo's Coin Cabinet exhibition}}</ref> | image1 = Håkon IV 01.png | image2= Håkon IV 02.png }}

In connection with the dispute over the royal election, Haakon's mother Inga had to prove his parentage through a [[trial by ordeal]] in Bergen in 1218.<ref name="NBL"/> The result of the trial strengthened the legal basis for his kingship, and improved his relationship with the Church.<ref name="helle76">Helle, 1995, p. 76.</ref> The saga's claim that Haakon already had been generally accepted as king in 1217/18 has however been contested by modern historians such as [[Sverre Bagge]].<ref>Bagge, 1996, pp. 98–102.</ref> Skule and Haakon increasingly drifted apart in their administration, and Skule focused mainly on governing Eastern Norway after 1220, which he had gained the right to rule in 1218 as his third of the Norwegian kingdom.<ref name="NBL"/> From 1221 to 1223, Haakon and Skule separately issued letters as rulers of Norway, and maintained official contacts abroad.<ref>Bagge, 1996, p. 99.</ref> In 1223 a great meeting of bishops, clergy, secular nobles, and other high-ranking figures from all across the country was held in Bergen to decide finally on Haakon's right to the throne. Other candidates to the throne were present either personally or through attorneys, but Haakon was in the end unanimously confirmed as King of Norway by the court.<ref name="helle76"/>

The last Bagler king Philip Simonsson died in 1217. Speedy political and military manoeuvering by Skule led to a reconciliation between the Birkebeiners and Baglers, and thus the reunification of the kingdom.<ref>Helle, 1995, pp. 75–76.</ref> However, some discontented Baglers found a new royal pretender, [[Sigurd Ribbung]], and launched a new rising from 1219. The rising only gained support in parts of Eastern Norway, and was did not gain control of [[Viken, Norway|Viken]] and [[Oppland]]ene as the Baglers formerly had done.<ref name="helle77"/> In the summer of 1223, Skule forced the Ribbungar to surrender. However, The great meeting in Bergen soon after renewed the division of the Norwegian kingdom, with Skule gaining control of the northern third of the country instead of the east, in what marked a setback despite his military victory. In 1224, Sigurd escaped from Skule's custody, and Haakon was left to fight him alone as the new ruler of Eastern Norway. Skule remained passive throughout the rest of the war, and his support for Haakon was lukewarm at best.<ref name="bagge108109">Bagge, 1996, pp. 108–109.</ref> Assuming the military lead in the fight, Haakon nevertheless defeated Ribbung through comprehensive and organisationally demanding warfare over the next few years.<ref name="helle77"/> As part of the campaign, Haakon additionally led a large army into the [[Värmland]] district of Sweden in 1225, to punish the inhabitants for their support of Sigurd. Sigurd died in 1226, and the revolt was finally quashed in 1227 with the surrender of its last leader, Haakon the Crazy's son Knut Haakonsson.<ref>Bagge, 1996, pp. 129–130.</ref> This left Haakon more or less uncontested monarch.<ref name="helle77">Helle, 1995, p. 77.</ref>
[[File:HakonTheOldAndSkule-Flateyjarbok.jpg|thumb|220px|left|Haakon and Skule Bårdsson, from the 14th century Icelandic ''[[Flateyjarbók]]''.]]

Haakon's councillors had sought to reconcile Haakon and Skule by proposing marriage between Haakon and Skule's daughter [[Margaret Skulesdatter|Margaret]] in 1219. Haakon accepted the proposal (although he did not think it would change much politically), but the marriage between Haakon and Margrete did not take place before 1225, partly due to the conflict with Sigurd.<ref name="bagge108109"/> The relationship between Haakon and Skule nevertheless deteriorated further during the 1230s, and attempted settlements at meetings in 1233 and 1236 only distanced them more from each other.<ref name="helle180"/> Periodically, the two nonetheless reconciled and spent a great amount of time together, only to have their friendship destroyed - according to the saga, by intrigues derived from rumours and slander by men who played the two against each other.<ref>Bagge, 1996, pp. 110–111.</ref> Skule was the first person in Norway to be titled duke (''hertug'') in 1237, but instead of control over a region, gained the rights to the incomes from a third of the ''[[Counties of Norway|syssels]]'' scattered across the whole of Norway. This was part of an attempt by Haakon to limit Skule's power. In 1239 the conflict between the two erupted into open warfare when Skule had himself proclaimed king. Although he had some support in Trøndelag, Opplandene, and eastern Viken, he could not stand up to Haakon's forces.<ref name="helle180">Helle, 1995, p. 180.</ref> The rebellion ended when Skule was killed in 1240, leaving Haakon the undisputed king of Norway.<ref name="NBL"/> This revolt is generally taken to mark the final end of Norway's civil war era.<ref name="helle77"/>