The Birkebeiners rescue a king's son (IMAGE)
Caption
Knud Bergslien’s painting “Birkebeinerne” (1869) shows the Birkebeiners Torstein Skevla and Skjervald Skrukka fleeing from the Baglers with the little Håkon Håkonsson, the king’s son, to the Birkebeiner’s “capital” Nidaros in 1206. The Birkebeiners were a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 around the pretender to the Norwegian throne Eystein Meyla. The name, which means birch legs in Norwegian, comes from the idea that they used birch bark to make their shoes. Håkon Håkonsson son was Magnus VI, who introduced the Code of the Realm, which continues to have influence in Norway today.
Credit
The Ski Museum. Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway.
Usage Restrictions
No restrictions.
License
Public Domain