of King Inge I of Norway and after him, King Magnus V of Norway (killed 1184) and the latter's father and regent, earl Erling Skakke (killed 1179). The Birkebein faction had been formed in 1174 to depose Magnus and Erling. The Birkebeiner continued earl Erling's centralization which underscores the geographical motivations behind the conflicting parties. The Birkebein policy during Sverre did not seek a social revolution, only to move the centre of power back to Trøndelag. Around the year 1200, these rival groups shared the identical but opposite goal of controlling the entire country. King Sverre managed to acquire control of much of Norway, but in Hedmark and Østerdal, the Baglers remained powerful. Upon Sverre's death in 1202, the Bagler power increased. Sverre's successor, King Haakon III of Norway, died after a two-year reign in 1204, leaving his posthumous son Haakon Haakonsson in Hamar, which was under Bagler control. In 1206, a group of the Birkebeiners set off on a dangerous voyage through treacherous mountains and forests, taking the now two-year-old Haakon Haakonsson to safety in Trondheim. Norwegian history credits the Birkebeiners' bravery with preserving the life of the boy who later became King Haakon IV of Norway. The Birkebeins managed to hold some power, despite short reigns of their monarchs after Sverre. In 1209, a pact was made between Bagler and Birkebeiner, which recognized Bagler pretender Philip Simonsson as ruler of Oppland and Viken in Eastern Norway, without the title of king, and recognized Birkebeiner's Inge Bårdsson as King Inge II of Norway. They both died in 1217 and Birkebeiner-born Haakon IV ascended the throne, relatively unopposed, under the regency of Duke Skule Baardsson. Later in 1240, Haakon IV ended the civil wars and weakened the role of the aristocracy in Norway. List of Bagler pretenders Inge Magnusson 1196–1202 Erling Steinvegg 1204–1207 Philip Simonsson 1207–1217 References Other sources Krag, Claus (2000) Norges historie fram til 1319 (Oslo: Universitetsforlaget) Driscoll, Matthew James (ed.) (1995). Agrip Af Noregskonungasogum (Viking Society for Northern Research) Gade, Kari Ellen (ed.) (2000) Morkinskinna: The Earliest Icelandic Chronicle of the Norwegian Kings (1030-1157) (Cornell University Press) Helle, Knut (1974) Norge blir en stat 1130-1319 (Oslo: Universitetsforlaget) Stenersen, Øyvind; Libæk, Ivar (2003) The History of Norway (Oslo: Forlaget Historie og Kultur) . Thuesen, Nils Petter (2011) Norges historie (Oslo: Forlaget Historie og Kultur) . Norwegian civil wars History of Bohuslän de:Geschichte Norwegens#Die Baglerkriege