Sigurd Sigurdsson Markusfostre was a pretender and rival king during the Civil War Era in Norway. When king Haakon II of Norway Herdebrei died 1162, his supporters made his half-brother Sigurd Sigurdsson (yet one bastard of Sigurd II of Norway Mun) as their king, although he never succeeded in winning universal recognition. Sigurd was foster-son of Markus of Skog, in Ringsaker, due to which his nickname was Markusfostered. In 1163 Sigurd and his foster-father got captured by supporters of Jarl Erling Skakke and Magnus V of Norway Erlingson, who killed them i Bergen. 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. Predecessor as peasant-party claimant: Haakon II Successor as pretender: Eystein Meyla
