Magnus Minniskiöld
Encyclopedia
Magnus Minnisköld was a medieval Swedish Lawspeaker
from the House of Bjelbo
.
He lived at the family estate Bjälbo
, in the current Mjölby municipality, Östergötland
, Sweden. He was the son of Bengt Snivil
, and nephew of the Riksjarl Birger Brosa
. He married the noblewoman Ingrid Ylva
, and fathered several sons who would influence early Swedish history, most notably Birger Jarl
. He is mentioned in two contemporary diplomas (DS 70, 116), as the brother of Birger Brosa, as well as by King Magnus Birgersson, who in a letter in 1280 called him grandfader.
The remains of his son Birger Jarl has been examined, and they indicate that he was 50-55 years old when he died, and Magnus must therefore still have been alive around 1210.
He is commonly believed to have been killed in battle, most likely in the Battle of Lena
in 1208, or at the Battle of Gestilren in 1210.
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...
from the House of Bjelbo
House of Bjelbo
The House of Bjelbo , also known as the House of Folkung , was an Ostrogothian Swedish family that provided for several medieval Swedish bishops, jarls and kings.- Name and origin :...
.
He lived at the family estate Bjälbo
Bjälbo
Bjälbo is a small village in Mjölby Municipality, Östergötland, Sweden.The medieval House of Bjelbo had a church and a manor house at Bjälbo. Today the church tower is preserved.In 1173, King Kol Sverkerson was killed in a battle at Bjälbo.-See also:...
, in the current Mjölby municipality, 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...
, Sweden. He was the 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 nephew of the Riksjarl Birger Brosa
Birger Brosa
Birger Brosa , jarl of Sweden 1174-1202, d. 9 January 1202 on Visingsö, was a son of Bengt Snivil and a member of the powerful House of Bjälbo...
. He married the noblewoman Ingrid Ylva
Ingrid Ylva
Ingrid Ylva Sunesdotter of Bjelbo , was a Swedish noblewoman, the wife of Magnus Minnesköld of Bjälbo and the mother of regent Birger Jarl...
, and fathered several sons who would influence early Swedish history, most notably Birger Jarl
Birger jarl
, or Birger Magnusson, was a Swedish statesman, Jarl of Sweden and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, which established Swedish rule in Finland. Additionally, he is traditionally attributed to have...
. He is mentioned in two contemporary diplomas (DS 70, 116), as the brother of Birger Brosa, as well as by King Magnus Birgersson, who in a letter in 1280 called him grandfader.
The remains of his son Birger Jarl has been examined, and they indicate that he was 50-55 years old when he died, and Magnus must therefore still have been alive around 1210.
He is commonly believed to have been killed in battle, most likely in 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....
in 1208, or at the Battle of Gestilren in 1210.
Children
- Eskil MagnussonEskil Magnusson-Biography:He was the son of Magnus Minniskiöld, and the elder brother of Birger Jarl, one of the most powerful men of his time in Scandinavia.Due to the location of his jurisdiction and his marriage to Kristina, the widow of the Norwegian earl Hakon the Mad , Eskil had good contacts in Norway and...
, LawspeakerLawspeakerA 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 VästergötlandVästergötland', 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....
in the early 13th century. He was married to Kristina, the granddaughter of Eric the Saint and the widow of the Norwegian earl Hakon the Mad - Karl MagnussonKarl Magnusson (Bjälboätten)Karl Magnusson from the House of Bjelbo was the Bishop of Linköping during 1216-1220. He died at the Battle of Lihula in Estonia.-Biography:...
, Bishop of LinköpingBishop of Linköping-Before the reformation:* Herbert?* Rikard?* 1139-1160s Gisle* 1170-1171 Stenar* 1187-1195/96 Kol* Johannes* 1216-1220 Karl Magnusson* 1220-1236 Bengt Magnusson* 1236-1258 Lars* 1258-1283 Henrik* 1258-1286 Bo...
who died at the Battle of LihulaBattle of LihulaBattle of Lihula was fought between invading Swedes and Estonians for the control of a castle in Lihula, Estonia in 1220. The exact date remains uncertain, though some historians suggest that the battle took place on August 8...
in EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies... - Bengt Magnusson, succeeded Karl Magnusson as Bishop of Linköping and died in 1237
- Birger MagnussonBirger jarl, or Birger Magnusson, was a Swedish statesman, Jarl of Sweden and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, which established Swedish rule in Finland. Additionally, he is traditionally attributed to have...
, Birger Jarl who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden while Jarl in SwedenJarl in SwedenIn 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... - He is said to have had several daughters whose names are not known.
Sources
- Koht, HalfdanHalvdan KohtHalvdan Koht was a Norwegian historian and politician representing the Labour Party.As a politician he served as the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1935 to 1941. He was never elected as a member of the Parliament of Norway, but was a member of Bærum municipal council in 1917–1919 and...
(1929) The Scandinavian Kingdoms until the end of the thirteenth century (Cambridge University Press)