Erling Skakke

Erling Skakke(1115-18 June 1179), the son of Kyrpinga-Orm, was a Norwegian strongman and earl during the 12th century. He earned his name crusading with the Earl of Orkney in the Mediterranean in 1152-1155. Erling first sailed for the Holy Land, then Constantinople and lastly visited Rome. During a battle with Arab warriors on Sicily a sword-wielding Arab cut Erling in the neck. This caused him to tilt with the head to one side (skakke means slanted). He was marred to Kristina, the daughter of Sigurd Jorsalfar and they had the son Magnus Erlingsson, whom he managed to make elected king of Norway in 1161 and crowned in 1163.

When Sverre Sigurdsson became the leader of the Birkebeiner, Erlings position was compromised, and he fell at the battle of Kalvskinnet outside of Nidaros in 1179. King Sverre honoured his fallen opponent by giving a speech at his funeral in the church.

Erling was a talented man, but he was not known for noble qualities. He was ruthless, especially when it concerned his own position and that of his son. In 1164, he founded an Augustine monastery at Halsnøy on the Hardanger fjord.