26TH GENERATION

66729018. Bjarne* MÅRDSSON⁽⁹⁷²⁾⁽⁹⁷⁵⁾⁽⁷⁶⁷⁾ was born about 1150 in Norway. He died in Bjarkøy, Tromsø, Norway. Bjarne Mårdsson is best known for preparing a new, so-called, Soktal (probably some sort of legal code) which was adopted for use by the entire country. This "Soktal" consisted of a sort of table, or tariff, which established the fines to be paid to the assorted kinsmen of a murdered man in order to remedy the crime. Bjarne was originally a supporter of King Sverre who gave him the Bjarkøy estate and its heiress, Ragna Erlingsdatter, in marriage. They were probably married between 1183 and 1190. Ragna's family had opposed King Sverre and her brother was murdered by his henchmen in 1183. Apparently she was successful in convincing Bjarne to switch sides as he was later among the supporters of the Bagler (bishop's party) faction who were fighting the king. Quite a few of Hålogaland's best men attached themselves to the baglers (the clerical party of the 13th century Norwegian civil wars) and marched under their standard in 1198. Among these men were Tore Eindridesson Knap, Guttorm Mjolar and his brother Brynjulf, Halldor Hjørleifsvik and his sons, Ivar Nev, Gregorious Kik, Erling Tjøth, Gunzelin Prest and Bjarne Mårdsson. King Sverre, however, was victorious, whereupon the bagler movement lost support from Hålogaland and the men went back home. In 1199, King Sverre sent men north to punish the bagler supporters for their opposition the previous year and it is believed that he captured Bjarne Mårdsson, Brynjulf Mjolar and many other distinguished men. It appears that although he spared their lives, their estates were plundered and they had to pay heavy taxes or fines on their farms. After King Sverre had won Norway, he rewarded his men well. Some followers were helped by arranging good marriages for them. In addition, King Sverre rewarded his men who had killed an opponent by allowing them to inherit the murdered man's rank, position and privileges. It follows that in 1239 there is a lendermann called Guttorm i Bjarkøy. It was Bård Guttormsson and Ivar Silke who were the ringleaders of the band that killed Vidkun Erlingsson (Bjarne Mårdsson's brother-in-law). Bård received the rank of lendermann for killing Vidkun, who was the heir to the Bjarkøy title. But he later took part in Skule Bårdsson's revolt against King Håkon and was killed at Sandnes, near Sandnessjøen. There is no evidence that Guttorm was in any way related to the Bjarkøy family. It must be assumed that as long as the lendermann title of Bjarkøy was in other hands, the rightful heirs of the Bjarkøy family were forced into the background and their names are unknown to history. It is, therefore, not so strange that little information is known about the Bjarkøy family after Bjarne Mårdsson's days. In 1223, a riksmøte (national council) convened for the first time in Bergen to determine whether Håkon Håkonsson or Skule Jarl should be the king of Norway. Bjarne Mårdsson was summoned to this council along with others from Hålogaland. No one knows whether Bjarne and Ragna had children, or if they did, how many. The next known descendent is Erling Ivarsson, who was probably a grandson of Bjarne and Ragna. He was married to Ragna* ERLINGSDATTER Bjarkøy between 1183 and 1190.

66729019. Ragna* ERLINGSDATTER Bjarkøy ⁽⁹⁷²⁾⁽⁹⁷⁵⁾⁽⁷⁶⁷⁾ was born about 1150 in Bjarkøy, Tromsø, Norway. She died in Bjarkøy, Tromsø, Norway. It was King Sverre who decided to whom Ragna would be married and the prize fell to Bjarne Mårdsson. It must be presumed that he was one of Sverre's supporters since he held the rank of "Lendermann". Bjarne was renowned for his knowledge of the law and was a prominent Lagmann (Law Speaker). Although Bjarne Mårdsson was originally supported King Sverre, Ragna probably influenced her husband to turn against him. It is very probable that Ragna Erlingsdatter hated King Sverre as he had caused the disaster which befell her family. Sverre had both her brother and her prospective husband, Magnus Erlingsson, murdered. Children were:

33364509 i. ?, Daughter of Bjarne Mårdsson* BJARNESDATTER.

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