Magnus Lagabøte’s Method
Translated from Norwegian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- Norway’s new king is the tenth monarch named Haakon, but he is called Haakon VIII.
- The numbering follows a system established by King Magnus Lagabøte in the 13th century, which does not count every historical monarch listed in modern reference works.
Norway’s new king is the tenth monarch named Haakon, yet he is known as Haakon VIII rather than Haakon IX or Haakon X.
The distinction reflects a numbering system established by Magnus Lagabøte in the 13th century. That system underpins the name used by the current king, even though reference works and the royal household’s website list nine earlier kings named Håkon or Haakon.
The issue has historical precedent. When Haakon VII died on September 21, 1957, NRK initially reported that Olav VI had taken the throne. The broadcaster soon corrected the name to Olav V, after confusion over the medieval king Olav Håkonsson.
The current listings in Store norske leksikon and on the royal household’s website generally follow the encyclopedia’s numbering, including its designation of Olav Håkonsson as Olav IV.
About this summary
Originally published by Aftenposten in Norwegian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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