The Battle of Re !!

I was standing in our printing room at work a few days ago - minding my own business as I usually do - when a couple of cars came driving into our parking lot. Out jumped 5 people all dressed up in clothes from the 11'th century with swords in their hands! Interesting I thought - and wondered what the heck was up. Had I fallen asleep and awoken in another timezone ??
Thankfully my mind did not play a cruel trick on me and I found out that this actually was people who were going to re-inact "The Battle of Re" for a local newspaper and the local tv-station. Now as im not from this place and dont know the local history as well as I should - I decided to read up on it! As our office is located on this historical place - I really should know this!

So as I read and learned about it - I thought why not share with others who might find this a bit interesting ! So if you are interested in a bit of Norwegian history - keep reading. By the way - the picture beneath is of the 5 people who startled me while at work. And in the back ground of this picture - you can see the rooftop of our office !!

The Battle of Re. 1177

The Battle of Re in Vestfold, January 1177 - is a division in Norwegian history. Birkebeinerer were defeated by the Royal army of Magnus Erlingsson. Pretender to the Throne Øystein Møyla - who had challenged the Throne in Norway - was killed. In the prevalin moment a man with a great talent came to light. A man by the name Sverre Sigurdson - and he became the new leader of the Birkebeinerne - and the next challenger to the Throne.

Background

The extensive feuds from 1130 lead to a permanent Splitting of the Aristocracy.
The Aristocracy attached interest to Royal power by supporting selected pretenders to the Throne to enhance their own interests and privileges. When the Brother war ended in 1162 after the Battle of Sekken - the loosing part stared an uprising in the East of the country. There they found the basis for recruiting a new army from the outlaying districts of the Norwegian populated areas.

The first was Hettesveins uprising 1164 -69 - at the same time there was an ongoing Danish-Norwegian war over the right of power over Viken. With the aid of the Danes - there were established bases for the ousted Aristocrats of West Sweden. With the occupation of the borderlands in the east of Norway - security was ensured for years to come.
In 1174 the pretender to the Throne Øystein Møyla - reputed to be the son of Øystein Haraldsson - became leader for a new warrior band. This band of warriors was the remnants of earlier up risings. Poor people and Farmers joined the band. These bands of people were known as the Birkebeiners. They won popularity in the east country because of the harsh ruling of the King with Erling Skakke and the church at the forefront. The people were so hard taxed that many were economically ruined and left homeless.

In the next two years the Birkebeiners gained strength in the east of the land which was never fully under control of the King. The Birkebeiners did not pose a visible threat before the 8th September 1176. An important landsman was attacked and killed in Nidaros - Trønderlag - the result of which this particular part of the country was no longer controlled by the Crown.

Øystein Møyla would now combine Trønderlag and the Eastland. He marched south through Opplandene into Ringerike through Toten and Hadeland towards the important city of Tønsberg. By taking Tønsberg - Viken would come under the control of the Bikebeiners.
On hearing this news - King Magnus Erlingsson and Erling Skakke reacted immediately when they heard that Øystein Møyla was being hailed as a King and had taken many soldier with him from Trøderlag southward. In the autumn of 1176 a fleet with an army lead by the experienced Orm Kongebro sailed to Tønsberg - and there they stayed over Christmas until 1st January 1177. They then got news an army was advancing on Re in Rammnes.The Kings army marched out to face and stop the uprising from Trønderlag and Eastland - lead by Øystein Møyla.


The Battle

When Orm Kongebro and Magnus Erlingsson arrived at Rammnes Farm - they observed the Birkebeiners on a distant farm. The Birkebeiners were spread out - and because of earlier snow-storm they had to gather their strength. This gave Orm Kongebro time to prepare the battle ground in the front of Rammnes Farm for when the weather got better. He gave orders for two strips of deep snow - one on either side of the wide road from the North - to be trampled down and concentrated his best troops in the middle where the road lay.

Birkebeierer had a much larger army - but the snow was so deep and cold - they could only attack on the hard road - which was not wide enough to allow them to use their superiority in numbers. And as the deep snow slowed their progress - the column was attack on both flanks.
Øystein Møyla true to tradition lead his men from the front with his colours - but had come into disfavour with the front line troops which were under attack from both flanks. Being pressed together on the deep snowfilled road - they were an easy target for the more experienced weaponry and skill of the Kings army. The Kings archers - killing the tired front line soldiers in the deep snow on the road - effectively blocked the attack. The king was then able to advance and drive them back. The congestion on the road was a catastrophe for the attackers from the north. Many were pressed off the road into even deeper snow and many more were slaughtered by the Kings army - who showed no mercy. Øystein Møyla choose to run away as his army disintegrated in panic and senseless flight. Within a short time the road was covered in a carpet of bodies as hundreds were slain. As they tried to escape - even more were hunted down and killed. Øystein Møyla ran to a nearby farm and asked the farmer to hide him - but the farmer took an axe and killed the pretender to the Throne.

According to an English source some 400 were killed and the rest fled. Some fled to the border villages near Sweden. In the mean time the body of Øystein Møyla was found and taken to Rammnes Farm. The king asked if anyone could identify the corpse. A wounded Birkebeiner saw the body of his King and attacked him with an axe cleaving the shoulder of Magnus Erlingsson. The wounded Bikebeiner was then slain by the Kings soldiers.