Sverre I of Norway
Sverre I (Sverrir Sigurdsson) (1149? - 1202) was a king of Norway from 1184-1202. He claimed the throne after King Håkon II, but was passed over by Erling Skakke and his son Magnus after the Battle of Veøy. He then assembled a troop of woodsmen and other wayfarers — the Birchlegs (Birkebeinerne) — who chose him as their king at Øreting in 1177. He won a clear victory in the Battle of Kalvskinnet in 1179, where Erling Skakke was killed. His vital and final victory was in the Battle of Fimreite in 1184. He died in Bergen March 8 1202.
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