Birger of Sweden
Encyclopedia
Birger was King of Sweden from 1290 to 1318.
and Hedwig of Holstein. He was hailed king of Sweden
when he was four years old. This was done by his father in order to secure the succession. In 1275, King Magnus had led a rebellion against his elder brother, King Valdemar of Sweden and ousted him from the throne. King Magnus ordered his kinsman Torgils Knutsson, the Constable of the Realm
, as the guardian of Birger. In 1293, Birger was crowned at Söderköping
after marrying Princess Martha of Denmark
, the daughter of King Eric V of Denmark
.
. This expedition has traditionally been dubbed as the Third Swedish Crusade
. When Torgils Knutsson returned from leading the crusade in Finland, a feud had developed between the brothers. Torgils Knutsson supported King Birger.
Birger came of age when there was a conflict within the Church of Sweden
over interpretation of the Privileges of 1280, which had been the cost of the support of the Church for his father's usurpation. The king's brothers Erik Magnusson
, Duke of Södermanland and Valdemar Magnusson
, Duke of Finland took advantage of this conflict. Duke Eric tried to establish an independent kingdom around Bohuslän
, which he had received as part of his marriage to the Norwegian princess Ingeborg, and Halland
at the boundary between Sweden, Norway
and Denmark
. A civil war broke out, but by 1306 emotions had cooled to the point where the dukes acknowledged the son of Birger, Magnus Birgersson, as the successor to the throne. Torgils Knutsson, who was Duke Valdemar's father-in-law, was executed in 1306 as a token of reconciliation between King Birger and his brothers. The same year, in an event known as the Håtuna games
(Håtunaleken), Birger was taken captive by his brothers on the Håtuna
royal estate in Uppland
and taken as prisoner to Nyköping Castle
(Nyköpingshus).
In 1308, Eric and Valdemar were forced by the Danish king to release King Birger, but they did so under humiliating conditions. When King Birger was free, he sought aid in Denmark, and the strife began anew. Birger remained king in name, but had to give up the Royal Domain, exchanging it for eastern Uppland
, Närke
, his brother Erik's former Duchy Södermanland
, Östergötland
, Gotland
and the Castle of Viborg
.
In 1312, Duke Eric married Ingeborg of Norway
, daughter of King Haakon V of Norway
in a double wedding in Oslo. At the same time, Eric's brother Duke Valdemar married Ingeborg Eriksdottir of Norway
, the daughter of King Eric II of Norway.
Duke Erik also held Bohuslän
from Norway
as well as northern Halland
and was creating a separate kingdom centered around Göta älv
. In 1317 however, Birger captured his brothers during the Nyköping Banquet
(Nyköpings gästabud), which led to their death. According to Eric's Chronicle (Erikskrönikan), the dukes were starved to death in a cellar of Nyköping Castle
.
Birger was ousted by his brothers' supporters in 1318 and went into exile to his brother-in-law King Eric VI of Denmark
, taking the Royal Archives with him. His son, Prince Magnus Birgersson, was executed at Stockholm. In 1319, the three year old son of Duke Erik, King Magnus VII of Norway
, was hailed King Magnus IV of Sweden under the Regency of his grandmother Queen Helvig and his mother Duchess Ingeborg
.
released The Sceptre of Deception
, a concept album
based on this period of Swedish history. The album covers events during the reign of King Birger of Sweden and lengthy strife with his brothers, and the Danish and Norwegian crowns.
Background
Birger was the son of King Magnus IIIMagnus III of Sweden
Magnus III Ladulås of Sweden, Swedish: Magnus Birgersson or Magnus Ladulås was King of Sweden from 1275 until his death in 1290....
and Hedwig of Holstein. He was hailed king of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
when he was four years old. This was done by his father in order to secure the succession. In 1275, King Magnus had led a rebellion against his elder brother, King Valdemar of Sweden and ousted him from the throne. King Magnus ordered his kinsman Torgils Knutsson, the Constable of the Realm
Lord High Constable of Sweden
The Lord High Constable was a prominent and influential office in Sweden, from the 13th century until 1676, excluding periods when the office was out of use. The office holder was a member of the Swedish Privy Council and, from 1630 and on, the head of the Swedish Council of War...
, as the guardian of Birger. In 1293, Birger was crowned at Söderköping
Söderköping
Söderköping is a locality and the seat of Söderköping Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 6,951 inhabitants in 2005. Söderköping is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city...
after marrying Princess Martha of Denmark
Martha of Denmark
Martha, , officially Margaret Eriksdatter of Denmark, was a Medieval Swedish Queen consort, spouse of king Birger of Sweden...
, the daughter of King Eric V of Denmark
Eric V of Denmark
Eric V "Klipping" was King of Denmark and son of Christopher I. Until 1264 he ruled under the auspices of his mother, the competent Queen Dowager Margaret Sambiria. Between 1261 and 1262, Eric was a prisoner in Holstein following a military defeat...
.
Reign
Birger was only ten years old when his father died, at which time Torgils Knutsson was the most influential statesman in Sweden. In 1293, Torgils Knutsson led the Swedes to a victory which won a part of western KareliaKarelia
Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
. This expedition has traditionally been dubbed as the Third Swedish Crusade
Third Swedish Crusade
The Third Swedish Crusade was a Swedish military expedition to Karelia in 1293, an area controlled by Novgorod. As the result of the attack, Viborg Castle was established and western Karelia remained under Swedish rule for over 400 years....
. When Torgils Knutsson returned from leading the crusade in Finland, a feud had developed between the brothers. Torgils Knutsson supported King Birger.
Birger came of age when there was a conflict within the Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
over interpretation of the Privileges of 1280, which had been the cost of the support of the Church for his father's usurpation. The king's brothers Erik Magnusson
Eric, Duke of Södermanland
Eric Magnusson was a Swedish prince, Duke of Svealand, Södermanland, Dalsland, Västergötland, Värmland and North Halland and heir to the throne of Sweden. He was the father of King Magnus who became king of both Norway and Sweden.-Background:...
, Duke of Södermanland and Valdemar Magnusson
Valdemar, Duke of Finland
Valdemar Magnusson was a Swedish prince, heir to the throne of Sweden and Duke of Finland.-Background:Valdemar was the third son of King Magnus III of Sweden and his queen Helvig of Holstein. At the coronation of his older brother King Birger of Sweden, Valdemar became the duke of Finland...
, Duke of Finland took advantage of this conflict. Duke Eric tried to establish an independent kingdom around Bohuslän
Bohuslän
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea to the west, and the county of Østfold in Norway to the north...
, which he had received as part of his marriage to the Norwegian princess Ingeborg, and Halland
Halland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
at the boundary between Sweden, 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...
and 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...
. A civil war broke out, but by 1306 emotions had cooled to the point where the dukes acknowledged the son of Birger, Magnus Birgersson, as the successor to the throne. Torgils Knutsson, who was Duke Valdemar's father-in-law, was executed in 1306 as a token of reconciliation between King Birger and his brothers. The same year, in an event known as the Håtuna games
Håtuna games
The Håtuna games were a 1306 conflict between king Birger Magnusson and his two brothers, the dukes Eric and Valdemar.-Background:...
(Håtunaleken), Birger was taken captive by his brothers on the Håtuna
Fornsigtuna
Fornsigtuna , Old Sigtun, Sithun, Signildsberg or Signesberg is located in the parish of Håtuna ca 4 km west of the modern town of Sigtuna, by lake Mälaren, in Sweden...
royal estate in Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
and taken as prisoner to Nyköping Castle
Nyköping Castle
Nyköping Castle in Nyköping, Sweden, is a Mediaeval castle from the Birger Jarl era, partly in ruins. The castle is mostly known for the ghastly Nyköping Banquet which took place here in 1317.-Construction:...
(Nyköpingshus).
In 1308, Eric and Valdemar were forced by the Danish king to release King Birger, but they did so under humiliating conditions. When King Birger was free, he sought aid in Denmark, and the strife began anew. Birger remained king in name, but had to give up the Royal Domain, exchanging it for eastern Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
, 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...
, his brother Erik's former Duchy 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...
, 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...
, Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
and the Castle of Viborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
.
In 1312, Duke Eric married Ingeborg of Norway
Ingeborg of Norway
Ingeborg of Norway , was a Norwegian and by marriage Swedish princess and royal duchess with a position in the regency governments in Norway and Sweden...
, daughter of King Haakon V of Norway
Haakon V of Norway
Haakon V Magnusson was king of Norway from 1299 until 1319.-Biography:Haakon was the younger surviving son of Magnus the Lawmender, King of Norway, and his wife Ingeborg of Denmark. Haakon was descended from king Saint Olav and is considered to have been the last Norwegian king in the Fairhair...
in a double wedding in Oslo. At the same time, Eric's brother Duke Valdemar married Ingeborg Eriksdottir of Norway
Ingeborg Eriksdottir of Norway
Ingeborg Eriksdottir of Norway was a medieval Norwegian princess and by marriage a Swedish princess, Duchess of Uppland, Öland and Finland, with a seat in the regency government of her nephew, Magnus IV of Sweden.-Family:Ingeborg was the daughter of King Eric II of Norway and Isabel Bruce...
, the daughter of King Eric II of Norway.
Duke Erik also held Bohuslän
Bohuslän
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea to the west, and the county of Østfold in Norway to the north...
from 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...
as well as northern Halland
Halland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
and was creating a separate kingdom centered around Göta älv
Göta älv
The Göta is a river that drains lake Vänern into the Kattegat at the city of Gothenburg on the western coast of Sweden. It is located in Götaland, with the river itself being a site of early Geatish settlement. The length is 93 km. Often the combination of Göta älv and Klarälven is mentioned...
. In 1317 however, Birger captured his brothers during the Nyköping Banquet
Nyköping Banquet
The Nyköping banquet was king Birger of Sweden's Christmas celebration December 11, 1317 at the Nyköping Castle in Sweden...
(Nyköpings gästabud), which led to their death. According to Eric's Chronicle (Erikskrönikan), the dukes were starved to death in a cellar of Nyköping Castle
Nyköping Castle
Nyköping Castle in Nyköping, Sweden, is a Mediaeval castle from the Birger Jarl era, partly in ruins. The castle is mostly known for the ghastly Nyköping Banquet which took place here in 1317.-Construction:...
.
Birger was ousted by his brothers' supporters in 1318 and went into exile to his brother-in-law King Eric VI of Denmark
Eric VI of Denmark
Eric VI Menved was King of Denmark and a son of Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg.He became king in 1286 at age 12, when his father was murdered 20 November by unknown assailants...
, taking the Royal Archives with him. His son, Prince Magnus Birgersson, was executed at Stockholm. In 1319, the three year old son of Duke Erik, King Magnus VII of Norway
Magnus IV of Sweden
Magnus Eriksson as Magnus IV was king of Sweden , including Finland, as Magnus VII King of Norway , including Iceland and Greenland, and also ruled Scania . He has also vindictively been called Magnus Smek...
, was hailed King Magnus IV of Sweden under the Regency of his grandmother Queen Helvig and his mother Duchess Ingeborg
Ingeborg of Norway
Ingeborg of Norway , was a Norwegian and by marriage Swedish princess and royal duchess with a position in the regency governments in Norway and Sweden...
.
Children
- Prince Magnus Birgersson of Sweden (1300-1320)
- Prince Eric Birgersson of Sweden
- Princess Agnes Birgersdotter of Sweden
- Princess Katarina Birgersdotter
Ancestry
Modern depiction
In 2003, the band FalconerFalconer (band)
Falconer is a Swedish power metal band from Mjölby, formed in 1999. Founded by the former guitarist of Mithotyn, Stefan Weinerhall. Falconer carry on many of the traditions set by Weinerhall's previous band and play a style of power metal that utilises folk instrumentation and melody to create a...
released The Sceptre of Deception
The Sceptre of Deception
The Sceptre of Deception is the third album by swedish power metal band Falconer, the first with vocalist Kristoffer Göbel and the also the first to feature a full band line-up...
, a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
based on this period of Swedish history. The album covers events during the reign of King Birger of Sweden and lengthy strife with his brothers, and the Danish and Norwegian crowns.
Other sources
- Barck, Sven Eric; Persson, ÅkeKungligt skvaller genom tusen år : En annorlunda bok om svensk historia (Sundbyberg: Semic, 2000)
- Lindqvist, Herman Herman Lindqvist (journalist)Herman Lindqvist is a Swedish journalist who has served as foreign correspondent in many countries and authored a number of popular books on Swedish history. In particular his multiple-volume Historien om Sverige has become very popular, but has also drawn criticism for lacking historical...
Historien om Sverige. Från islossning till kungarike (Norstedts: 1997) - Harrison, DickDick HarrisonDick Walther Harrison, is a Swedish historian who was born in Huddinge, Stockholm County, Sweden and spent much of his youth in Staffanstorp in Skåne. On June 12, 2010 he married Katarina Lindbergh in Kalmar Cathedral...
Jarlens sekel: en berättelse om 1200-talets Sverige (Ordfront. 2002) - Bergman, Mats Nyköpingshus. En rundvandring i historia och nutid (Almqvist & Wiksell. 1992)
- Mannervik, Cyrus Sagor och sägner - Från Nordens forntid och medeltid (AV Carlsons. 1958)