Birkebeiner (English spelling)

Japanese: ビルケベイネル（英語表記）Birkebeiner

A warrior faction in 12th-13th century Norway. A wandering warrior group born out of the civil war. According to legend, they were so poor that they wrapped birch bark (bjørk) around their legs (bein) to keep warm, hence the name. They supported the Norwegian king Sbelle and became his retainers, and after Sbelle's victory they became bureaucratic aristocrats. During the civil war and internal strife that followed Sbelle, they supported his descendants and gained power as one of the military factions. [Kumano Satoshi]

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

12～13世紀ノルウェーの戦士的党派の一つ。内乱から生まれた浮浪的戦士集団。伝承によれば，貧しくて白樺(ビョルクbjørk)の皮を脚(ベインbein)に巻いて防寒としたためこの名が付いたという。ノルウェー王スベッレを支持してその従士団となり，スベッレの勝利後は官僚的貴族となる。スベッレ後の内乱･内紛において，スベッレの子孫を擁し軍事的党派の一つとして力をもった。【熊野聰】

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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