Inge I Haraldsson Krokrygg of Norway ^{1 2 3}

   Another name for Inge was Ingi the Hunchback.

  General Notes:

King of Norway (1136-61), who maintained his claim to the throne against the illegitimate sons of his father, the Norwegian king Harald IV Gille (reigned 1130-36), and represented the interests of the higher nobles and clergy in the second part of the Norwegian civil wars.

The only legitimate son of Harald IV, Inge succeeded to the throne as an infant jointly with his half brother, Sigurd II, at their father's death. The brothers and their supporters then defeated the forces of Sigurd Slembi and the former ruler Magnus IV the Blind, who were both pretenders to the throne. In 1142 Inge and Sigurd II were joined by Eystein, who also claimed to be a son of Harald IV and was given a third of his kingdom. Inge soon became the most powerful of the three rulers because of his strong ties with the higher nobles and clergy.

In 1150 Inge called a meeting at Bergen of all secular and religious leaders, anticipating the founding of an archbishopric at Nidaros (Trondheim) in 1152 by the English cardinal Nicholas Breakspear (later Pope Adrian IV). The archbishopric included five dioceses in Norway and six in Norwegian colonies, all previously under the jurisdiction of the archbishopric of Lund, Denmark.

In 1155 Inge's half brothers Sigurd II and Eystein plotted to overthrow him, but both were killed within the next two years by Inge's supporters. Between 1157 and 1161 Inge fought off the challenge of the pretender Haakon, an illegitimate son of Sigurd II (later king as Haakon II the Broadshouldered), in what is now called the second phase of the Norwegian civil wars. Their struggle, essentially a class conflict in which Inge represented the higher nobility and Haakon the freeholders, differed from the earlier phase of the civil war period, in which various pretenders competed for the throne. Inge was finally defeated and killed by Haakon's forces.

From Snorre Sturlasson: Saga of Sigurd, Inge, and Eystein, the Sons of Harald:

"1. HISTORY OF KINGS SIGURD AND INGE.
Queen Ingerid, and with her the lendermen and the court which had been with King Harald, resolved to send a fast-sailing vessel to Throndhjem to make known King Harald's death, and also to desire the Throndhjem people to take King Harald's son Sigurd for king. He was then in the north, and was fostered by Sadagyrd Bardson. Queen Ingerid herself proceeded eastward immediately to Viken. Inge was the name of her son by King Harald, and he was then fostered by Amunde Gyrdson, a grandson of Logberse. When they came to Viken a Borgar-thing was immediately called together (near Borg, Sarpsborg),, at which Inge, who was in the second year of his age, was chosen king. This resolution was supported by Amunde and Thjostolf Alason, together with many other great chiefs. Now when the tidings came north to Throndhjem that King Harald was murdered, the Throndhjem people took Sigurd, King Harald's son, to be the king; and this resolution was supported by Ottar Birting, Peter Saudaulfson, the brothers Guthorm of Reine, and Ottar Balle, sons of Asolf and many other great chiefs. Afterwards the whole nation almost submitted to the brothers, and principally because their father was considered holy; and the country took the oath to them, that the kingly power should not go to any other man as
long as any of King Harald's sons were alive."

  Noted events in his life were:

• Acceded: King of Norway, 1136.