Haakon IV of Hordaland (The Kalmar Union)

Briefly King of Hordaland for 14 months in the 1160s Haakon IV's reign is notable only as a end to the main Fairhair line of kings.

During the vicious dispute between Inge and his jointly ruling brothers Haakon's father Sigurd II had been an early casualty and it is his death that would fuel much of the subsequent violence between Inge and Eystein II. Whilst Eystein lived he held the support of those opposed to Inge's rule however when Eystein was defeated and killed at Moster in 1157 most of his support went to young Haakon.

Too young to directly affect the progress of the war he was at least on the winning side and after Inge was defeated at Åsane in 1161 Haakon was elected and crowned. This act did not end the war however. Viken, Lade and Denmark detested several of the nobles now crowing their victory over Inge's lords and quietly supported another claimant to the throne. Haakon Haraldsson was the son of the great Earl of Orkney Harald Maddadsson and Kristin Sigurdsdatter daughter of Sigurd I the Crusader. Armed with a legitimate claim to Hordaland (not the slightly dubious lineage of Inge and Haakon IV), support from Hordaland's neighbours and a considerable army made up of Scots and Manx, he slipped into Hordaland from Lade in late 1161.

Haakon IV's support quickly crumbled as his lords flocked to the charismatic grandson of the crusader. At Bergen in May 1162 Haakon and his remaining support fought their last battle and the young king was killed in action. Haakon Haraldsson would be crowned (the first Hordalandic king to have a proper coronation) in Bergen by the Archbishop of Nidaros on midsummer.