Birger Brosa jarl

Jarl in Sweden

In Sweden, members of medieval royal families, such as the House of Stenkil and House of Bjelbo, held the title of jarl before their accession to the throne. Since the early 12th century, there usually was only one holder of the title at a time, second only to the King of Sweden.For special...

 of Sweden 1174-1202, d. 9 January 1202 on Visingsö

Visingsö

Visingsö is an island in the southern half of the lake Vättern in Sweden.Visingsö lies 30 km north of the city Jönköping and 6 km west of Gränna from which two car ferries connects the island...

, was a son of Bengt Snivil

Bengt Snivil

Bengt Snivil from the House of Bjelbo was a Swedish magnate in mid-12th century.Some more or less romantic later literature has given him the title of jarl, although no proper historical source attests to such...

 and a member of the powerful House of Bjälbo. In the medieval texts he is either called the jarl of the Swedes

Jarl in Sweden

In Sweden, members of medieval royal families, such as the House of Stenkil and House of Bjelbo, held the title of jarl before their accession to the throne. Since the early 12th century, there usually was only one holder of the title at a time, second only to the King of Sweden.For special...

or the jarl of the Swedes and the Geats.

Birger was appointed to the position of jarl during the reign of Knut Eriksson. He maintained the position during Knut's successor Sverker II until his death in 1202.

Before 1170, Birger was married to Brigida Haraldsdotter

Brigida Haraldsdotter

Brigida Haraldsdotter was a medieval Swedish Queen consort, spouse of King Magnus of Sweden.Brigida Haraldsdotter was the illegitimate daughter of King Harald IV of Norway. Her mother is unknown, but she was possibly Tora Gudmundsdotter, long-term lover of her father and the mother of King...

, the daughter of the Norwegian king Harald Gille

Harald IV of Norway

Harald Gille was king of Norway from 1130 until his death in 1136. His byname Gille is probably from Gilla Críst, i.e. servant of Christ.-Background:...

. She had formerly been married to the Danish pretender Magnus Henriksson, who had briefly ruled in Uppsala

Uppsala

- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...

 1160-1161.

Birger appears to have maintained peace in Sweden during the civil wars that ravaged Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 and Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

. Many of the pretenders in these kingdoms sought refuge with Birger. Among them were the Birkebeiner

Birkebeiner

The Birkebein Party or Birkebeinar was the name for a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 around the pretender to the Norwegian throne, Eystein Meyla...

 chieftains Eystein Meyla

Eystein Meyla

Eystein Meyla was elected a rival King of Norway during the Norwegian Civil War period.-Biography:Eystein was son of Eysteinn Haraldsson, King Eystein II of Norway. His nickname Møyla means maiden, girl, cute woman. His father was king of Norway from 1142 to 1157, ruling as co-ruler with his...

 and Sverre Sigurdsson who were kinsmen of Brigida Haraldsdotter. Birger's son Philippus was in the service of King Sverre and died as his Earl in 1200. Birger owned estates in Östergötland

Östergötland

Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...

, Närke

Närke

' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwest, and Värmland to the northwest...

, Värmland

Värmland

' is a historical province or landskap in the west of middle Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Dalsland, Dalarna, Västmanland and Närke. It is also bounded by Norway in the west. Latin name versions are Vermelandia and Wermelandia. Although the province's land originally was Götaland, the...

 and Södermanland

Södermanland

', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...

. He was a great donor to the convent of Riseberga in Närke

Närke

' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwest, and Värmland to the northwest...

, where Birgitta spent her last years after Birger's death. As soon as he was dead, a civil war broke out.

Children

• Philippus Birgersson (d. 1200), Jarl of Norway in the service of King Sverre of Norway
  Sverre of Norway
  Sverre Sigurdsson was king of Norway from 1177 to 1202. He married Margareta Eriksdotter, the daughter of the Swedish king Eric the Saint, by whom he had the daughter Kristina Sverresdotter....
  
   and one of his most staunch supporters.
• Knut Birgersson, Riksjarl of Sweden
  Knut Birgersson, Riksjarl of Sweden
  Knut Birgersson was Riksjarl of Sweden. He was the eldest surviving son of Riksjarl Birger Brosa and a member of the powerful House of Bjälbo....
  
  , jarl
  Jarl in Sweden
  In Sweden, members of medieval royal families, such as the House of Stenkil and House of Bjelbo, held the title of jarl before their accession to the throne. Since the early 12th century, there usually was only one holder of the title at a time, second only to the King of Sweden.For special...
  
   of Sweden. According to one source, Knut was married to king Knut Eriksson's daughter, named Sigrid in that source. He was killed in 1208 at the battle of Lena
  Battle of Lena
  The Battle of Lena occurred on January 31, 1208, and probably took place near Kungslena , which is located in the Tidaholm Municipality in Västergötland, Sweden....
  
   (??Battle of Gestilren
  Battle of Gestilren
  The Battle of Gestilren took place on July 17, 1210. The battle was fought between the exiled King of Sweden Sverker and the ruling King Eric. Sverker had been beaten in the previous Battle of Lena, but had returned with new forces. Sverker was killed in the battle...
  
   1210???).
• Folke Birgersson, aka Folke jarl, jarl
  Jarl in Sweden
  In Sweden, members of medieval royal families, such as the House of Stenkil and House of Bjelbo, held the title of jarl before their accession to the throne. Since the early 12th century, there usually was only one holder of the title at a time, second only to the King of Sweden.For special...
  
   of Sweden, killed 1210 at battle of Gestilren
  Battle of Gestilren
  The Battle of Gestilren took place on July 17, 1210. The battle was fought between the exiled King of Sweden Sverker and the ruling King Eric. Sverker had been beaten in the previous Battle of Lena, but had returned with new forces. Sverker was killed in the battle...
  
  
• Ingegerd Birgersdotter
  Ingegerd Birgersdotter of Bjelbo
  Ingegerd Birgersdotter of Bjelbo , , was a Swedish Queen Consort, second spouse of King Sverker II of Sweden....
  
  , married to king Sverker II and became the mother of king John I of Sweden
  John I of Sweden
  John I of Sweden was a Swedish king elected in 1216. -Background:John was the son of King Sverker II of Sweden of the House of Sverker and Queen Ingegerd of the Bjälbo dynasty. King Sverker had been beaten in the Battle of Lena and later killed in the Battle of Gestilren in 1210...
  
  .
• Kristina Birgersdotter
• Margareta Birgersdotter

Portrayal in popular culture

Birger Brosa was portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård

Stellan Skarsgård

Stellan John Skarsgård is a Swedish actor, known internationally for his film roles in Angels & Demons, Breaking the Waves, The Hunt for Red October, Ronin, Good Will Hunting, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist,...

 in the Swedish 2007 film Arn – The Knight Templar and 2008 sequel Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End

Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End

Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End is a 2008 epic film based on Jan Guillou's trilogy about the fictional Swedish Knights Templar Arn Magnusson...

.