his party, and in that sense were his 'sons'. Sverre I would be viewed as starting the Sverre dynasty. Haakon IV was born to a Norwegian peasant girl after the death of King Haakon III. She and the late king's inner circle affirmed that she had been the king's lover and that the boy had been sired by him. Of all the last-mentioned four problematic points of descent, this appears, on the face of it, as the most trustworthy. Were this disputed, Haakon IV, would be regarded as having started yet another new dynasty, though he is generally regarded as having continued the 'Sverre dynasty'. Kings and pretenders in sub-dynasties Original Fairhair lineage: Harald I of Norway Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) : c. 890 – c. 930 Eric I of Norway Eric Bloodaxe (Eirik Blodøks) : c. 930–934 Haakon I of Norway Haakon the Good (Håkon den Gode) : 934–961 Harald II of Norway Harald Greyfur (Harald Gråfell): 961–976 Viken, perhaps unrelated 'Tryggvason' dynasty: Olaf I of Norway Olaf Tryggvason : 995–1000 Vestfold, the start of the St. Olav dynasty: Olaf II of Norway Olaf Haraldsson, Olav the Stout, St. Olav (Olav Digre / Sankt Olav / Olav den Hellige) : 1015–1028 Magnus I of Norway Magnus the Good (Magnus den Gode) : 1035–1047 Hardrada dynasty: Harald III of Norway Harald Hardrada (Harald Hardråde) : 1046–1066 Magnus II of Norway Magnus Haraldsson : 1066–1069 Olaf III of Norway Olaf the Peaceful (Olav Kyrre) : 1066–1093 Haakon Magnusson (Håkon Magnusson) : 1093–1094 Magnus III of Norway Magnus Bareleg (Magnus Berrføtt) : 1093–1103 Olaf Magnusson : 1103–1115 Eystein I of Norway (Øystein Magnusson) : 1103–1123 Sigurd I of Norway Sigurd the Crusader (Sigurd Jorsalfare) : 1103–1130 Magnus IV of Norway Magnus the Blind (Magnus Blinde): 1130–1135 Sigurd Slembe Sigurd the Noisy : 1135–1139, rival king Magnus V of Norway Magnus Erlingsson : 1161–1184 Olav Ugjæva : 1166–1169, rival king Sigurd Magnusson : 1193–1194, rival king Inge Magnusson : 1196–1202, rival king Erling Steinvegg Erling Stonewall : 1204–1207, rival king Gille dynasty: Harald IV of Norway Harald Gille : 1130–1136 Sigurd II of Norway Sigurd Munn : 1136–1155 Eystein II of Norway (Øystein Haraldsson) : 1142–1157 Inge I of Norway Inge the Hunchback (Inge Krokrygg) : 1136–1161 Haakon II of Norway Haakon Broadshoulder (Håkon Herdebreid) : 1157–1162 Sigurd Markusfostre : 1162–1163, rival king Eystein Meyla Eystein the Maiden (Øystein Møyla) : 1174–1177, rival