Magnus VI of Norway

King of Norway (1238–1280)

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Lived 1238–1280, aged 42Norway

Norway Historical Figures

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38 languages
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Era
1238–1280
Aged 42

Summary

Updated 2026-06-21

The king who gave Norway a single, modern law code—replacing a patchwork of regional customs with a unified system that would shape Scandinavian legal practice for centuries.

Biography

About

Magnus Haakonsson was born in early May 1238 and took the Norwegian throne in 1263. His reign is defined by legal reform: he overhauled and standardised Norway's fragmented laws, transforming them into a coherent national code that earned him the epithet "Lawmender." He was also the first Norwegian king to use an ordinal number, calling himself Magnus IV—though modern historians count him as Magnus VI. He died on 9 May 1280, leaving behind a legal legacy that outlasted most military conquests.

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