A son of Erling Skakke, the regent who made his son Magnus king, and so the blood link between the old party of the lendmenn and the Bagler.
One of the founders in 1196 and close to Bishop Nicholas, he is a raider who works apart from the main force: in one night raid he slipped past Sverre's fleet, sealed Tunsberg and killed the Birkebeiner in it, among them Sverre's half-brother Hide (snl.no; the year is not given). After Strindsjøen (June 1199) he sailed with the fleet to Denmark but was back in Norway about half a year later. In January 1200 he backs the Viken farmers against Sverre and attacks the Birkebeiner in Viken and Ranrike (snl.no).
Who he is
- Name
- Sigurd Erlingsson, called Jarlsson
- Title
- Bagler chief (sveithøvding)
- Since
- 1196
- Born
- about 1168 (snl.no)
- Family
- Son of Earl Erling Skakke (d. 1179) by his concubine Åsa the Fair; half-brother of King Magnus Erlingsson; uncle, if the claims are true, of the pretenders Sigurd Magnusson, Inge Magnusson and Erling Steinvegg (snl.no).
- Confidence
- high
snl.no Sigurd Jarlsson
Overlord
King Inge.
What it holds
- No lands named in the sources (snl.no). He operated in Stavanger (1194), Vinje in Telemark (a runic inscription of 1194), Tunsberg, Viken, Ranrike and the Uplands.
How it was acquired
Birth and the Bagler cause.
Allies and rivals
Bishop Nicholas, King Inge, Reidar; the Viken farmers. Enemy: Sverre, whose men killed his father (1179) and his brother King Magnus (1184).
How things stand that morning
Back from Denmark about the turn of the year, raising the farmers of Viken; whether he is already in Norway on the morning of 1 January is not pinned.
Military
A war band; surprise raids by sea.
Threats
- Sverre's host and fleet.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
In 1200
- January 1200Backs the farmers and attacks the Birkebeiner in Viken and Ranrike (snl.no).Depends on: The farmers' anger; Sverre staying in Oslo. Stopped by: Sverre's men in the districts.
Later, on the likely course
- 1201Plans new attacks with Inge and the other troop leaders at a meeting; last mentioned then; dies about 1203 (snl.no).
Places of note
- Tunsberg: His night raid that killed Sverre's brother Hide (undated in snl.no).
- Ranrike: His attacks on the Birkebeiner in January 1200.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: snl.no biography from Sverris saga.
On the map: No ground of his own: not drawn.
Primary sources for Bagler
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- The saga of King Sverre of Norway, Karl Jónsson and a continuator (begun about 1185 under Sverre's own supervision, completed about 1210 to 1220). The king's own authorised saga. Read online
- The sagas of the Baglers (about 1210 to 1220, in a shorter and a longer version). Begins with Sverre's death in March 1202 and the reigns of Hákon Sverrisson, Guttorm and Inge Bårdsson against the Bagler kings Erling Steinvegg and Philippus, so it has nothing for 1200 itself. Read online
- The Norwegian diplomatarium and the Norwegian regesta (documents of 1050 to 1590; Regesta vol. 1 covers 991 to 1263 and was published 1898). The Norwegian documents of the year are few and mostly papal: Innocent III's letters on Sverre's excommunication and the interdict, the correspondence of the exiled Archbishop Eirik and the bishops, and a handful of church grants. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.