Åsulv Eiriksson

Åsulv Eriksson (1190–1260) was a Norwegian nobleman (descended from an earl) who resided at Austrått and who played an important role in the closure of the civil war era in Norway.

Åsulv was the son of Eirik Gryvel (Gryfill) and Torbjørg Åsulvsdatter. Torbjørg was a granddaughter of Guttorm Åsulvsson, who held Rein Abbey, from his marriage to Bergljot, who was a descendant of King Magnus the Good. Åsulv Eriksson was married to Baugeid Jonsdatter, who was the only child of Jon Sigurdsson at Austrått[1][2] and Sigrid Bårdsdatter, Duke Skule Bårdsson's sister and the first abbess of Rein Abbey.

When Duke Skule had founded Rein abbey he intended that Austrått should go to his sister, who had inherited and added to the monastic estate. However, consistent with the practice of the time, the land was property of the crown, so after a lengthy legal process in 1238 Austrått was awarded instead to Åsulv, in return for which he compensated the abbey with other lands. This led to a bitter enmity between the two men, which, when combined with Duke Skule's rivalry for kingship of Norway, played an important role the last phase of the civil war.

In 1239 Skule led a revolt against his son-in-law, King Haakon Haakonsson, and, after losing the Battle of Oslo in 1240, sought refuge in Elgeseter Priory in Nidaros. Åsulv and his Birkebeiners set fire to the monastery, and then killed Skule and his entourage when they tried to save themselves. With Skule’s death, the civil war era came to an end.[3] Since killing men who had sought refuge in a priory was considered a sacrilege, Åsulv was required to do penance by going on pilgrimages.

At about the year 1200, Åsulv’s family erected the chapel which was subsequently incorporated into the fortified manor at Austrått.

Steinar Herka Åsulvsson (1235–1263) was the son of Åsulv Eiriksson and Baugeid Jonsdatter. Steinar accompanied King Håkon Håkonsson over the north sea to resolve the disputes with Scotland over the Hebrides in 1263. Records strongly suggest Steinar was married with Ragna Iversdatter Bjarkøy from Bjarkøy in Troms. They had three known children: Ægeleiv Steinarsdatter, Åsulv Steinarsson and Ivar Steinarsson. Åsulv Eiriksson lived to the unusually old age for that period of 70 years.

References
  1. The Norwegian naming convention of the period was to include a patronymic and a place name, so Jon Sigurdsson Austrått meant Jon, the son of Sigurd, who resided at Austrått.
  2. Sørensen, Terje. "Antatte Austrått-eiere 1062 - ca.1150". Yrjar Heimbygdslag (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2009-02-21.
  3. Håkon Håkonsson 1217-1263 (University of Oslo)
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