Stenkil died in 1066, leaving two sons, _Halsten_ and _Inge_, both
minors. During their minority two men, both named _Eric_, relatives of
Stenkil and the old royal line, fought for supremacy, and both fell
in the contest for the crown. Hakon of West Gothland took hold of the
reins of state and kept them for thirteen years, until King Halsten
became of age, Hakon himself dying. Halsten was a devout Christian
like his father, but less sagacious, trying to force the new faith
upon the heathen of Svealand. For this reason he was dethroned, and
his brother Inge called in from Russia. But King Inge was a Christian
enthusiast like his brother, and was subsequently driven away by
the irate inhabitants of Svealand, who now called to the throne his
brother-in-law _Sven_, surnamed _Blot-Sven_ (_Sven, the Sacrificer_),
of heathen faith. The royal brothers dwelt undisturbed among the
Christians, but after three years King Inge, in old heathen style,
surrounded and set fire to the domicile of Blot-Sven, who with all
his household perished within. King Inge resumed his reign, likely
very much in his old spirit, for two other pretenders, although less
formidable, appeared: _Olof Næskonung_ (_Nose-king_) and a son of Sven,
called _Kol_ or _Eric Arsæll_. Two papal documents are preserved from
Inge’s reign. They consist of letters from Gregory VII., making appeals
for closer relations between the pope and the Swedish king.
An invasion was made from Norway, whose king, Magnus Barfod, subdued
the inhabitants of the province of Dal. King Magnus built a fortified
place on the island of Kollandsœ in Lake Venar, close to the shore of
West Gothland, but it was captured by King Inge, who set its occupants
free, but without their weapons. Two battles were fought at Fuxerna,
the Norwegians being victors in the first, the Swedes in the latter.
Peace was effected at a meeting between the two kings at Kunghæll in
the summer of 1101, when it was agreed that the frontiers should remain
as they were before the war. King Eric Ejegod was also present at
the meeting, where the betrothal between King Magnus and King Inge’s
daughter Margaret was agreed upon. On account of the original nature of
the meeting the Swedish princess was surnamed Fredkulla (Peace-Maiden).
In 1103 the bishopric of Lund was raised to the dignity of an
archbishopric, yet not becoming perfectly independent of the
archbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen. The archbishop of Lund received the
title of Primas of Sweden, preserved long after Sweden had obtained its
own archbishop.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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