The
Birkebein Party or
Birkebeinar (Old Norse:
Birkibeinar; Norwegian:
Birkebeinane (nynorsk) or
Birkebeinene (bokmål)) was the name for a rebellious party in
Norway, formed in 1174 around the
pretender to the Norwegian throne,
Eystein Meyla. The name has its origins in propaganda from the established party that the rebels were so poor that they made their shoes of
birch bark. Although originally a
pejorative, the opposition adopted the
Birkebeiner name for themselves, and continued using it after they came to power in 1184.