Haakon V Magnusson
Haakon V was born in 1270 to King Magnus VI the Lawmender and his wife Ingeborg of Denmark. As a descendant of Eric IV, King of Denmark, he was given the title Duke of Norway in 1273 - the same time his brother was named junior king under King Magnus. In 1280 after his father's death he ruled parts of Oslo and Stavanger however he succeeded his older brother King Erik II Magnusson in 1299 when Erik passed away.
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Haakon V made Oslo the capital of Norway while working to establish a state administrative systems and his collegiate church while working to strengthen his power as king in relation to the Bishops. He revised several laws at this time including the laws of succession to enable his grandson Magnus VII to succeed him.
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Haakon is known for his anti-English foreign policy that marked the end of the Medieval "golden age" in Norwegian history. He instead made way for trade agreements with the Hanseatic League while he simultaneously strengthened Norway's dependance on its own resources and abilities. His shift from the North Sea Ports towards the East signaled the rise of English Merchant resentments and the decline in contact with the western colonies. That, in conjunction with the Treaty of Perth (between Scotland and Norway), built the foundation for Haakon V to side with Scotland against the English in the Scottish War for Independence in 1307.
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He married his second wife Euphemia, daughter of Vitslav II, Prince of Rugen, in 1299. At this time they started to become known as Patrons of the arts and contributed to the literary sources we still have access to today including the commissioning and translating of many chivalric romances.
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Haakon V died on May 8,1319 and was buried next to his second wife Euphemia at the St Mary's Church in Oslo.
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If you would like to learn more about Haakon V and his contributions to Norway and Denmark please check out the links below.
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https://www.britannica.com/biography/Haakon-V-Magnusson
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haakon_V_of_Norway
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https://avaldsnes.info/en/informasjon/hakon-v-magnusson/
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https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hanseatic-League
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