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'Magnus I' (1024 - October 25 1047) was the King of Norway from 1035 to 1047 and the King of Denmark from 1042 to 1047. He was the illegitimate son of Olaf the Stout, also known as Saint Olaf by his concubine Alvhild. He is knowly by the cognomon, 'the Good' or 'the Noble'.
In the period from 1028 to 1035, he was forced to leave Norway, yet, after the death of Knut the Great, he was called back by the noblemen, tired of living under Danish rule, to be King of Norway. After the death of Harthacanute, he was also made King of Denmark, despite rival claims had by Knut the Great's nephew Svend Estridsen. There was great turmoil south of the Danish border, where in 1043 Magnus won an important victory at Lyrskov Hede, said to be the reason he was paid his complimentary name.
Svend Estridsen did not lightly give up his claim to take up his Danish crown, though, with numerous conflicts in the years he spent as king. A settlement was eventually agreed to, which made Svend Earl of Denmark, while Magnus had trouble in Norway also. There, his uncle, Harald Hardråde, was a strong threat to the throne of his nephew. In 1046, Magnus was obliged to share the reigns of his kingdom with him. In 1047, Svend Estridsen was driven out of Denmark by the Norwegians, with the assistance of Swedish king Anund Jacob. Svend did not muster enough support, but fled to his Swedish province of Scania. With a fall off his horse Magnus died in the same year. On his deathbed, he is said to have made Svend as his heir in Denmark, and Harald Hardrade his heir in Norway. This was disputed by Hardrada which did not approve of Svein being the king of Denmark, Svein was therefore not allowed to rule Denmark in peace until 1062, when Harald started to set his mind on other lands to conquer. Magnus was buried with his father in the cathedral of Trondheim.
St. Olav's direct line ceased its reign with the death of Magnus. It returned to the throne again in 1280, when Eric II, who through his mother descended from Magnus' legitimate sister, succeeded as king. Magnus' own daughter was in a marriage with a Norwegian nobleman, and the one descendant wed to the Earl of Orkney. Through which lineage, Magnus' descendant James I of England became King of Scotland.

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★ Translated from the article in the Danish Wikipedia

See also

★ List of Norwegian monarchs

★ List of Danish monarchs