Now the king will ride his eriksgata, and the men of the country will follow him and give him hostages, such that he is safe and secure, and swear this oath that was said before. And the king must promise in every country and law that he will keep all his oaths to those he swore in Uppsala when he was first made king – Magnus Eriksson’s Landslag/law of the land, 1350.
Carl XIV Gustaf, Eriksgatan 1974
Sweden’s current king, Carl XVI Gustaf, has completed what was called Eriksgata, both when he was crowned a few times over the years and now, most recently, in 2023, when he celebrated 50 years on the throne. But for a modern monarch, an Eriksgata is symbolic of showing off to his subjects.
Although there have been those who have protested against the monarchy over the years, they have no say in the matter; it was different in the past.
At that time, an Eriksgata was simply about the king, elected on Mora Meadow, being approved by the parts of the country whose representatives were absent.
We do not know how far back Eriksgatan as a tradition stretches.
The first documented one occurred in 1335 when Magnus Eriksson set out on the journey, but Eriksgatan is mentioned by Saxo Grammaticus as early as 1200. Nor do we know why it is called Eriksgata, but at least two theories have been put forward by historians: one that ”Erik” in some way can be derived from the word ”oath” and that it refers to those who met the king on his journey swore an oath of allegiance to him, as well as the oath the king took to serve his subjects.
The second refers to Erik the Holy, as the journey started from Uppsala, and his remains were already in Magnus Eriksson’s time in Uppsala Cathedral.
In Äldre Västgötalagen from the 13th century, one can read that the Swedes could elect and depose a king. Still, his person would also be identified and confirmed by other landscapes and law sagas, where the latter was not defined as landscape but areas where the same legislation applied.
The medieval Eriksgata passed by Anundshög
Upplandslagen mentions which regions should be visited: Södermanland, Östergötland, Tiohärad (largely Småland, with some deviations), Västergötland, Närke and Västmanland, and the journey would be made clockwise.
Under Eriksgatan, each place the king visited would provide him with hostages to ensure the approaching king and his entourage were not attacked or harmed.
One could think that this was seen as an insult by the affected regions and the law sagas, but in Old Västgötalagen, there is the story of King Ragnvald Knaphövde, who is said to have ridden Eriksgata in the years 1125 – 1126. He refused to take hostages to assure himself of safety, which angered the West Geats to the point that they beat him to death for his audacity in coming to their ting without fear:
Part of the route
• Tiundi war Ragnwaldær • konogær • baldær oc huxstor • reð • a • karllæpitt at vgisllædhu • oc fore þa sæwirðnigh han giorðe allum wæstgøtom • þa fek han skiæmðær døðhæ •
”The tenth* was King Ragnvald. Bold and aggressive rode (he) in Karleby without hostages. And for the deference he did to all the Västgeats, then he got a shameful death.”
In 1544, at the Parliament in Västerås, Gustav Vasa forced Sweden to have a hereditary monarchy instead of an electoral monarchy, and thus, parts of the reason for Eriksgatan disappeared.
The last king to ride Eriksgatan under the old law, without being elected, was Karl IX, who did so in the winter of 1609.
*The segment is from a list of Christian kings in early Medieval Sweden. Ragnvald was the tenth. They often ruled over small areas and were rarely long-lived.
Sources:
Källor:
Äldre Västgötalagen
Magnus Erikssons Landslag
Eriksgatan från medeltid till nutid – Lars G Holmblad
About one-mile southeast of the cathedral in Uppsala is, compared to the cathedral, a significantly less well-known memorial to Swedish history. Like so many other memories from the past in Uppland in particular, it is about stones, but, which otherwise is very common for this region, these stones are not rune stones.
The Mora stones, a unique feature in Swedish history, stand apart from the typical rune stones found in Uppland.
The remaining document stones
The Mora stones, also known as the Mora stones and meadow, have been a part of Swedish history since at least the 13th century. They are located in the Storån Valley, in Lagga parish in Uppland, near the border with Denmark parish. The Mora stones held a unique role in the election of Swedish monarchs. After being elected at the nearby Mora ting, the King would ascend one of these stones to be officially recognised as the chosen monarch.
Until Gustav Vasa and his transformation of the elective monarchy into a hereditary monarchy, it was not apparent that the sitting regent’s eldest son would also become the next King. It should be noted here that it was typical for the crown to be inherited in any case or, at least, stay in the family. The previous King had his men and advocates who, either for pre-existing reasons or for a replacement, would bring the aspirant to the throne whom the now-dead monarch wished to see as his successor.
But it was not a foregone conclusion.
The first king we know for sure was elected at Mora ting and approved at Mora Stones was Magnus Ladulås, in 1275. The location of the stone here, almost right on the border between two parishes and two so-called folklands, Tiundaland and Attundaland, made the place perfect for a court.
The term ”folkland” is Viking and medieval and describes an area with its own men of the law and laws. 1296 Tiundaland and Attundaland merged with Fjärdhundraland and Roden to form Uppland’s landsaga. But back to the rocks on the border between Lagga and Denmark, Tiundaland and Attundaland.
The stones before 1275 can only be speculated about as no written sources exist. Still, it isn’t far-fetched to believe that kings were elected here even before Magnus Ladulås, especially considering that the place was not only a ting but also nearby a waterway and that Old Uppsala, where the Swedes are said to have held their Ting and sacrificial ceremonies, lies within the Viking-era Tiundaland.
Of course, as with all historical places and events, there has been and still is debate about their significance, not least because of what can be found about them in the historical sources. For example, Upplandslagen (Law of Uppland), used from 1295 to 1350, places little importance on Mora stones and meadows. In contrast, the Södermannalagen (Law of Södermanland) from 1325 and Magnus Eriksson’s Landslag (Law of the land) from the 1350s state that it was here that the King’s election took place.
After the election, an Eriksgata, also described in Magnus Eriksson’s Landslag, would take place, even though he did not undertake one until 1335, 17 years after he was elected King, simply because he was only three years old at the time of the election. (Read about Eriksgatan by following the link in the word).
After Eriksgatan, they returned to Uppsala for the final coronation. Despite the traditional belief that the election would occur at Mora Stones and Meadow, it was only sometimes like that. For example, Erik of Pomerania was elected King in Skara but is thought to have gone to Mora Meadow for a ceremony. Karl Knutsson Bonde was elected in Stockholm, accepted as King at Mora äng, and then crowned in Uppsala.
The last King to be elected at the Stones was Kristian I in 1457. Since then, the original stone is said to have disappeared. A theory raised over the years is that this particular Kristian made sure the stone disappeared to prevent the Swedes from ever again being able to choose a king in the way that custom dictated.
The building at Mora Meadow, protecting the stones agaist the weather.
The remaining stones, the document stones, are protected from the forces of the weather by a small stone house, perhaps the oldest museum in Sweden, built at the request of Gustav III in 1770 (the building is not the same today as in the 18th century). If this is the original location, the King’s stone has disappeared. However, a group of stones is located about 500 meters northeast of Morby, and the middle boulder has been suggested as the real Mora stone.
Both sites have burial fields from the Iron Age in common, and springs are nearby. If we assume that Snorre Sturlasson was writing about Mora meadow when he in Heimskringla refers to Mula meadow, then there should also be a spring just near the site of the royal election.
The document stone of Eric of Pommerania
Today, protected by the small pale pink building are the so-called document stones, where, among other things, the symbol ”Three Crowns” is found, according to prevailing opinion, one of the first depictions. Stones here also pay tribute to the election of Erik of Pomerania and Karl Knutsson Bonde.
Unfortunately, the soft stones have been affected by time, weather, wind, and human vandalism when visitors have carved letters, runes, and initials. The oldest example of lust for destruction on the stones is from 1660, when the doctor Gerhard Stalhoff saw fit to carve his, his wife’s, and his son-in-law’s initials.
Archaeological fieldwork is ongoing at the stones and their vicinity, but as it has been farmland for many generations, the cultural layers are often ploughed to shreds.
Kings elected, or celebrated, at Mora stones and meadow:
Magnus Ladulås, vald vid Mora sten 22 juli 1275
Magnus Eriksson, vald 8 juli 1319
Håkan Magnusson, vald i februari 1362
Albrecht av Mecklenburg, vald 15 februari 1364
Erik av Pommern, elected on 11 juni i Skara, confirmed at Mora den 23 juli 1396
In February 1306, Torgils Knutsson was executed by beheading on Pelarbacken, better known as Götgatsbacken in today’s Stockholm.
Torgils Knutsson, statue in Viborg. Photo: Andrew Zorin, Creative Commons.
Despite opening with his death, he’s not the main character here.
Instead, it’s King Birger Magnusson – ward of Torgils Knutsson – and his brothers, Dukes Erik and Valdemar, all sons of King Magnus Ladulås and thus also grandsons of Earl Birger.
While both Earl Birger and Magnus Ladulås worked to strengthen peace in the country, domestic peace, court peace, church peace and women’s peace, there was no peace between the three brothers.
When Magnus Ladulås died on Visingsö in 1290 at about 50 years old and 15 years on the throne, he left three underage sons behind. Torgils Knutsson oversaw leading the interim government and leading young Birger on his path to eventually taking the throne.
While Birger became king, Erik and Valdemar had to settle for becoming dukes over Södermanland and Finland, respectively, something the two brothers found to be far from enough.
The absence of peace between the heirs of Magnus Ladulå resulted in Erik strengthening his power by forming alliances with powerful men. He was also married to the daughter of Norwegian king Haakon Magnusson, which didn’t hurt his cause. Valdemar, in turn, was married to a daughter of the loathed Torgils Knutsson, a marriage he made sure to have annulled as the conflicts between Erik and Valdemar on the one hand and Birger and the powerful Torgils on the other grew.
As a result of the ”noise” they were making, Erik and Valdemar were summoned by Torgils Knutsson in 1305 to sign a treaty that would end their conflict-seeking and attacks against the king’s regime as well as against Torgils himself. The treaty meant that they would cease all contacts with foreign countries – which were not unlikely aimed at building alliances with other regents and power players, stop their attacks on the king and Torgils Knutsson, obey the king and barred them from coming to court unless they were explicitly summoned.
As they perceived it, the two disadvantaged brothers signed the treaty at Kolsäter’s farm in Dalsland but didn’t intend to abide by it. Why King Birger and Torgils thought they would is somewhat of a mystery.
In the following months, however, some at least temporary peace seems to have settled between the three brothers, something that would affect Torgils Knutsson: before the year was over, the three had joined forces to arrest him, and this ended, as previously mentioned, with a beheading on Pelarbacken.
Life’s not a fairy tale, not today and not in the Middle Ages, and there is no ”happily ever after” ending to this story, no brothers who fell into each other’s arms after removing a man who caused conflict, and no peace.
It would pass only just over six months after Torgil’s execution in February 1306, before Erik and Valdemar yet again attacked their royal brother.
The primary source for these events is the so-called Erikskrönikan – the Erik Chronicle -written in knittel verse in the 1320s or 1330s, relatively close to the events it describes.
Håtuna, as pictured in the work ”Suecia” in 1694
According to the chronicle, King Birger held a banquet in Håtuna and invited his brothers, who arrived with their entourage, as befitted gentlemen at the time.
During the evening, the retinues armed themselves, contrary to both the legislation that the brothers’ father had enacted regarding domestic peace and the treaty they had signed.
Birger Magnusson was arrested and held prisoner for two years, an event that has gone down in history as the ”Håtunaleken”, the Håtuna game. When Briger was imprisoned, Valdemar and Erik carved out large chunks of the kingdom for themselves, giving Erik the largest part. Despite this, Birger was still king when he was finally released due to lengthy negotiations. He was still king and had lands to rule over, but they were significantly reduced.
According to historian Mikael Nordgren, this duchy of Duke Erik is the only attempt at a feudal ”state” made in Sweden.
Despite what had happened, more than ten years of relative peace passed between the brothers, but if Erik and Valdemar thought Birger had an element of ”forgive and forget” in him, that was a monumental mistake.
Nyköpingshus, part of what’s left.
In the fall of 1317, Valdemar passed through Nyköping while Birger had moved his court to Nyköpingshus. Valdemar was invited to a banquet and asked also to bring their brother Erik.
This would be the beginning of the end for all of them.
Valdemar arrived first, and had it not been for his reassurance that everything seemed fine, it’s possible that Erik probably never joined the celebration, but he did.
One would think, after the so-called Håtunaleken, that it should have raised all kinds of red flags for Erik and Valdemar when Birger announced that their respective armed retinues would not be housed at Nyköpingshus but would have to seek accommodation outside the city.
But without objection, they sent their men away.
What was it about these brothers that made them, despite all their experiences and their agendas, so willing to trust each other?
Was it actual sibling love that got lost in politics and self-interest? Because the willingness to trust is, in hindsight, completely incomprehensible.
Like Birger a little over ten years earlier, Erik and Valdemar would have reason to regret that trust.
According to the Chronicle of Erik, Valdemar and Erik were surprised by men with crossbows during the night between 10 and 11 December 1217. King Birger is said to have commented on this with, ”Do you remember Håtunaleken? I remember it all too well. This one isn’t going to get any better.”
It would get a lot worse.
Erik and Valdemar were kept prisoners in Nyköpinghus core house, which, as it happens, is one of the buildings of the weathered royal house that still exists today.
The preserved will of dukes Erik and Valdemar
They never get out of here alive. Five weeks into their captivity, they write a joint will. We know that for sure because it still exists.
There, among other things, they instituted a canonicate – an office for a canon, which in turn was a member of a cathedral chapter – in Uppsala, Linköping and Skara cathedrals.
They also give money to a wide range of churches and monasteries, including Strängnäs, Västerås and Turku, as well as to the monks in Varnhem, Alvastra and Skänninge, alongside the nuns in Sko, Riseberga and Askeberga, among others. This, alongside gifts to a long list of other church institutions, was undoubtedly in a desperate ambition to save their souls. The gifts were to be secured by pledging their estates in Svartsjö, Algö and Hammarö.
And then they die. It’s unknown how, but according to legend, Birger let them starve to death.
We may never know if this was true.
But the fate of the two royal brothers has been said to be quite worthy of a drama by Shakespeare. Such a thing could also have existed if Sweden had a Shakespeare.
So, how did King Birger fare? Did he conquer both the land and the fortune without his brothers?
The answer can be summed up in a short ”No”.
Lime painting depicting King Birger in Ringsted church.
Birger was not quite as popular a king as he had probably hoped. About six months after he imprisoned his brothers, the lawman (from the Swedish ”lagman”; someone who led the Thing and oversaw dealings within his juristiction) Birger Persson, who had been one of the witnesses to the brother’s will, led a rebellion against the king.
He chose to flee with his queen, first to Stegeborg castle in Östergötland, and when this fell into the hands of the rebels, on to Visby. They went to Zealand (Denmark), where King Birger lived for another four years. He and his queen are buried in Ringsted church.
Birger’s son was apprehended while trying to defend Nyköpinghus and executed in Stockholm in 1320. Instead, Duke Erik’s son Magnus was crowned king at the Mora stones outside Uppsala at just three years old. Magnus Eriksson would have a complicated reign, during which he was regularly vilified by none other than St Bridgid of Sweden.
Sources:
Sveriges Medeltid (Medieval Sweden) – Dick Harrison
Scandinavian History 