Erling Skjalgsson

Erling Skjalgsson
Death of Erling Skjalgsson Illustration by Peter Nicolai Arbo
Born	975 Sola, Rogaland
Died	21 December 1028(1028-12-21) (aged 52–53) Boknafjord
Resting place	Sola, Rogaland
Nationality	Norwegian
Occupation	Political leader
Known for	This period's foremost defender of the historic Norwegian social system

Erling Skjalgsson, på Sola (Sola, Rogaland, 975 – Boknafjorden, 21 December 1028, bur. Sola, Rogaland), "Rygekongen", Herse/Høvding i Rogaland, was a Norwegian political leader of the late 10th and early 11th centuries. He has been commonly seen as this period's foremost defender of the historic Norwegian social system. Erling fought for the traditional small, autonomous kingdoms and the þing system, against the reformists of the Fairhair family line.^[1]