[3] Olaf was dethroned by the Danish king Cnut the Great in 1028, and he went into exile with his family and court, including the young Magnus.

[1] They travelled over the mountains and through Eidskog during the winter, entered Värmland, and were given shelter by a chieftain called Sigtrygg in Närke.

After a few months, they departed Närke, and by March went eastwards towards Sigtuna, where the Swedish king Anund Jacob had left them a ship.

The party thereafter sailed through the Baltic Sea and into the Gulf of Finland, eventually landing in Kievan Rus' (Garðaríki).

[4] From there they travelled southwards to Novgorod (Holmgard), where Olaf sought assistance from Grand Prince Yaroslav the Wise.

[7] Einar Thambarskelfir and Kalf Arnesson, who had both sought to be appointed regents under Cnut after Olaf's death in 1030,[8] had gone together to Kievan Rus' to bring the boy back to rule as the King of Norway.

Sweyn fled east and returned as one of the leaders of an invasion by the Wends in 1043, which Magnus decisively defeated at the Battle of Lyrskov Heath, near Hedeby.

[13][15] In the battle, Magnus wielded Saint Olaf's battle-axe, named Hel after the goddess of death.

[18] Magnus wanted to reunite Cnut the Great's entire North Sea Empire by also becoming king of England.

However, on 25 October 1047, Magnus suddenly died while in Denmark, either in Zealand or in Jutland, either in an accident or of a disease; accounts vary.

He had light blond hair, was well spoken and quick to make up his mind, was of noble character, most generous, a great warrior, and most valorous.