Eystein II of Norway

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{|align=right | Øystein Haraldson (born c 1127 apparently in Scotland, died 1157 in Ranfylke, Norway), bastard son of king Harald IV of Norway. Ruled Norway from 1142 together with his brothers Inge I Hunchback and Sigurd the Mouth. His deeds are recorded in the Heimskringla.

The civil wars period of Norwegian history lasted from 1130 to 1240. During this period there were several interlocked conflicts of varying scale and intensity. The background for these conflicts were the unclear Norwegian succession laws, social conditions and the struggle between Church and King. There were then two main parties, firstly known by varying names or no names at all, but finally condensed into parties of Bagler and Birkebeiner. The rallying point regularly was a royal son, who was set up as the head figure of the party in question, to oppose the rule of king from the contesting party.

King Harald Gille, Eystein's putative father, had been murdered in 1136, leaving his two underage sons as his heirs present in Norwegian soil. Harald had himself come from the British Isles, and had acknowledged that he had left issue there. When the teenage Eystein was brought to Norway in c 1142, guardians of his yet younger brothers, the kings, acknowledged him also as a son and heir of the late king Harald.

Øystein was captured and killed, fighting against his brother Inge.

He was married with Ragna Nikolasdottir, a Norwegian gentlewoman.

His bastard son Eystein Meyla was later proclaimed king by the Birkebeine party.

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