Inge I of Sweden
Encyclopedia
Inge the Elder (died c. 1105) was a King of Sweden.
. Inge shared the rule of the kingdom with his probably elder brother Halsten Stenkilsson, but little is known with certainty of Inge's reign. According to the contemporary chronicler Adam of Bremen
and the writer of his scholion, the former king Stenkil had died and two kings named Eric
had ruled and been killed. Then an Anund Gårdske
was summoned from Kievan Rus'
, but rejected due to his refusal to administer the blót
s at the Temple at Uppsala
. A hypothesis suggests that Anund and Inge were the same person, as several sources mention Inge as a fervent Christian.
In a letter to Inge from Pope Gregory VII
, from 1080, he is called "king of the Swedes", but in a later letter probably dated to 1081, to Inge and another king "A" (either his brother Halsten or Håkan the Red), they are called kings of the West Geat
s. Whether this difference reflects a change in territory is not certain since the two letters concern the spreading of Christianity in Sweden
and the paying of tithe to the Pope.
(Svein the Sacrifier) was thus elected king. The Hervarar saga
describes the rise of Sweyn, the abdication and how Inge was exiled in Västergötland
:
However, Inge returned after three winters to kill Blot-Sweyn
and reclaim the throne:
A similar story also appears in the Orkneyinga saga
, but in this account, Sweyn stays indoors and is burnt to death:
In Västergötland, Inge lived at Bjurum near present-day Falköping
. An Icelandic skald
named Markús Skeggjason was one of his court poets, according to Skáldatal
. Markús was later the lawspeaker
of Iceland
.
According to the Westrogothic law, Inge ruled Sweden with virility and he never broke the laws that had been accepted in the districts.
near present-day Linköping
in Östergötland
. The abbey housed Swedens first nunnery and is one of the oldest in Scandinavia. The abbey belonged to the Benedictine order and was founded on the orders of Pope Paschal II
.
About this time Inge and the Norwegian king Magnus Barefoot were at war. However in 1101 the war came to an end with a peace agreement signed at Kungahälla
together with king Eric Evergood of Denmark. At this meeting Inge gave his daughter Margareta as wife to king Magnus. In Snorri's Magnus Barefoot's Saga, a part of the Heimskringla
, there is a description of the appearance of Inge:
The Hervarar saga, tells that Inge died of old age and that he ruled until his death. The exact date of his death is not known, but he probably died around 1105. Inge was originally buried in a small church at Bjurum but the remains were later moved to another location. Today, Inges grave is most likely a set of remains found in Vreta Abbey
in a section of the abbey church that was erected by Inges son Ragnvald. All skeletons that are likely to be that of Inge are very tall, about two meters in length, suggesting that Snorri's description was accurate.
King Inge and Helena were the parents of four children:
Biography
Inge was the son of the former King Stenkil and a Swedish princessSaint Ingamoder Emundsdotter of Sweden
Ingamoder is a name invented in modern times for the wife of King Stenkil of Sweden.Ingemo was a local saint only known from customs at the Ingemo Well near Skövde in Sweden. Modern genealogical speculation made her the daughter of King Emund the Old who was married to King Stenkil, and whose...
. Inge shared the rule of the kingdom with his probably elder brother Halsten Stenkilsson, but little is known with certainty of Inge's reign. According to the contemporary chronicler Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
and the writer of his scholion, the former king Stenkil had died and two kings named Eric
Eric VII of Sweden
Eric was a contender for the Swedish kingship 1066–67. After the death of King Stenkil, he made war on Eric the Pagan for the Swedish throne. Both died in the war. The two rivalling Eriks are only known by their first name and from one source...
had ruled and been killed. Then an Anund Gårdske
Anund Gårdske
Anund Gårdske or Anund of Gårdarike, English exonym: Anwynd, was the king of Sweden c. 1070 according to Adam of Bremen's Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum. According to this source, Anund came from Kievan Rus', presumably from Aldeigjuborg. Gårdske means that he came from Gardariki which...
was summoned from Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus'
Kievan Rus was a medieval polity in Eastern Europe, from the late 9th to the mid 13th century, when it disintegrated under the pressure of the Mongol invasion of 1237–1240....
, but rejected due to his refusal to administer the blót
Blót
The blót was Norse pagan sacrifice to the Norse gods and the spirits of the land. The sacrifice often took the form of a sacramental meal or feast. Related religious practices were performed by other Germanic peoples, such as the pagan Anglo-Saxons...
s at the Temple at Uppsala
Temple at Uppsala
The Temple at Uppsala was a religious center in Norse paganism once located at what is now Gamla Uppsala , Sweden attested in Adam of Bremen's 11th century work Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum and in Heimskringla, written by Snorri Sturluson in the 13th century...
. A hypothesis suggests that Anund and Inge were the same person, as several sources mention Inge as a fervent Christian.
In a letter to Inge from Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
, from 1080, he is called "king of the Swedes", but in a later letter probably dated to 1081, to Inge and another king "A" (either his brother Halsten or Håkan the Red), they are called kings of the West Geat
Geat
Geats , and sometimes Goths) were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting what is now Götaland in modern Sweden...
s. Whether this difference reflects a change in territory is not certain since the two letters concern the spreading of Christianity in Sweden
Christianization of Scandinavia
The Christianization of Scandinavia took place between the 8th and the 12th century. The realms of Scandinavia proper, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, established their own Archdioceses, responsible directly to the Pope, in 1104, 1154 and 1164, respectively...
and the paying of tithe to the Pope.
The rise of Blot-Sweyn and Inges abdication
About the year 1084 Inge was forced to abdicate by the Swedes over his disrespect for old traditions and his refusal to administer the pagan custom of the blót. King Blot-SweynBlot-Sweyn
Sweyn was a Swedish king c. 1080, who replaced his Christian brother-in-law Inge as King of Sweden, when Inge had refused to administer the blóts at the Temple at Uppsala. There is no mention of Sweyn in the regnal list of the Westrogothic law, which suggests that his rule did not reach...
(Svein the Sacrifier) was thus elected king. The Hervarar saga
Hervarar saga
Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks is a legendary saga from the 13th century combining matter from several older sagas. It is a valuable saga for several different reasons beside its literary qualities. It contains traditions of wars between Goths and Huns, from the 4th century, and the last part is used as...
describes the rise of Sweyn, the abdication and how Inge was exiled in Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
:
However, Inge returned after three winters to kill Blot-Sweyn
Blot-Sweyn
Sweyn was a Swedish king c. 1080, who replaced his Christian brother-in-law Inge as King of Sweden, when Inge had refused to administer the blóts at the Temple at Uppsala. There is no mention of Sweyn in the regnal list of the Westrogothic law, which suggests that his rule did not reach...
and reclaim the throne:
A similar story also appears in the Orkneyinga saga
Orkneyinga saga
The Orkneyinga saga is a historical narrative of the history of the Orkney Islands, from their capture by the Norwegian king in the ninth century onwards until about 1200...
, but in this account, Sweyn stays indoors and is burnt to death:
In Västergötland, Inge lived at Bjurum near present-day Falköping
Falköping
Falköping is a locality and the seat of Falköping Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 15,821 inhabitants in 2005.-History:The city of Falköping most likely emerged during the 15th century but earlier the town was an important site of pilgrimage due to its 12th century church...
. An Icelandic skald
Skald
The skald was a member of a group of poets, whose courtly poetry is associated with the courts of Scandinavian and Icelandic leaders during the Viking Age, who composed and performed renditions of aspects of what we now characterise as Old Norse poetry .The most prevalent metre of skaldic poetry is...
named Markús Skeggjason was one of his court poets, according to Skáldatal
Skáldatal
Skáldatal is a short prose work in Old Norse. It is preserved in two manuscripts: DG 11, or Codex Uppsaliensis, which is one of the four main manuscripts of the Prose Edda , and AM 761 a 4to , which also contains Skaldic poems...
. Markús was later the lawspeaker
Lawspeaker
A lawspeaker is a unique Scandinavian legal office. It has its basis in a common Germanic oral tradition, where wise men were asked to recite the law, but it was only in Scandinavia that the function evolved into an office...
of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
According to the Westrogothic law, Inge ruled Sweden with virility and he never broke the laws that had been accepted in the districts.
Inges later years and death
Around the year 1100 Inge and queen Helena founded Vreta AbbeyVreta Abbey
Vreta Abbey, Swedish Vreta Kloster, in operation from the beginning of the 12th century to 1582, was the first nunnery in Sweden, initially Benedictine and later Cistercian, and one of the oldest in Scandinavia. It was located in the municipality of Linköping in Östergötland.- History :The exact...
near present-day Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
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...
. The abbey housed Swedens first nunnery and is one of the oldest in Scandinavia. The abbey belonged to the Benedictine order and was founded on the orders of Pope Paschal II
Pope Paschal II
Pope Paschal II , born Ranierius, was Pope from August 13, 1099, until his death. A monk of the Cluniac order, he was created cardinal priest of the Titulus S...
.
About this time Inge and the Norwegian king Magnus Barefoot were at war. However in 1101 the war came to an end with a peace agreement signed at Kungahälla
Kungahälla
Kungahälla was a medieval Norwegian settlement in southern Bohuslän at a site which is presently located in Kungälv Municipality in Västra Götaland County in Sweden...
together with king Eric Evergood of Denmark. At this meeting Inge gave his daughter Margareta as wife to king Magnus. In Snorri's Magnus Barefoot's Saga, a part of the Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
, there is a description of the appearance of Inge:
The Hervarar saga, tells that Inge died of old age and that he ruled until his death. The exact date of his death is not known, but he probably died around 1105. Inge was originally buried in a small church at Bjurum but the remains were later moved to another location. Today, Inges grave is most likely a set of remains found in Vreta Abbey
Vreta Abbey
Vreta Abbey, Swedish Vreta Kloster, in operation from the beginning of the 12th century to 1582, was the first nunnery in Sweden, initially Benedictine and later Cistercian, and one of the oldest in Scandinavia. It was located in the municipality of Linköping in Östergötland.- History :The exact...
in a section of the abbey church that was erected by Inges son Ragnvald. All skeletons that are likely to be that of Inge are very tall, about two meters in length, suggesting that Snorri's description was accurate.
Family
King Inge was married to Helena. Together with Helena, Inge founded the monastery of Vreta. Inge's son, Ragnvald, died before he could succeed his father on the throne. Inge was succeeded by his two nephews Philip Halstensson and Inge the Younger, who were the sons of his elder brother Halsten Stenkilsson.King Inge and Helena were the parents of four children:
- ChristinaChristina Ingesdotter of SwedenPrincess Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden was a Swedish princess and, by marriage, a princess of Veliky Novgorod, Rostov and Belgorod, spouse of Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev....
, married Grand Duke Mstislav I of KievMstislav I of KievMstislav I Vladimirovich the Great was the Grand Prince of Kiev , the eldest son of Vladimir II Monomakh by Gytha of Wessex... - Ragnvald, father of Ingrid RagnvaldsdotterIngrid RagnvaldsdotterIngrid Ragnvaldsdotter was born a member of the Swedish royal family, became a member of Danish royalty by marriage and later was Queen Consort of Norway as the spouse of Harald IV of Norway...
. It has been suggested by historian Sven Tunberg that this Ragnvald is identical with Ragnvald KnaphövdeRagnvald KnaphövdeRagnvald Knaphövde was a King of Sweden whose reign is estimated to the mid-1120s or c. 1130. His cognomen Knaphövde is explained as referring to a drinking vessel, the size of a man's head or meaning "round head" and referring to his being foolish...
. - Margaret FredkullaMargaret FredkullaMargaret Fredkulla of Sweden was a medieval Scandinavian queen, Princess of Sweden and Queen consort of Denmark and Norway, married to King Magnus III of Norway and King Niels of Denmark, and regent de facto of Denmark. She is known as Margareta Fredkulla in Sweden, Margret Fredskolla in Norway...
, married King Magnus Barefoot of Norway, and later King Niels of DenmarkNiels of DenmarkNiels of Denmark was King of Denmark from 1104 to 1134, following his brother Eric Evergood, and is presumed to have been the youngest son of king Sweyn II Estridson. Niels actively supported the canonization of Canute IV the Holy, and his secular rule was supported by the clergy... - Katarina, married Danish King Björn Ironside HaraldssonBjörn Ironside HaraldssonBjörn Haraldsen Ironside was a Danish prince.Bjorn was one of the 15 sons of prince Harald Kesja. Björn married princess Katarina Ingesdotter of Sweden, the daughter of King Inge I of Sweden. Björn was the father of Christina Bjornsdatter, a Swedish queen.Björn was executed by orders from his...
Sources
- Lagerqvist, Lars O. Sverige och dess regenter under 1.000 år(Stockholm: Albert Bonniers Förlag AB.1982)
- Soloviev, Sergei The History of Russia from the Most Ancient Times, 1959–1966
- William, Abbot of Ebelholt Scriptores Historiae Danicae Minores, 1195