Swedish jarls

Last updated November 25, 2024

Swedish jarls were powerful noblemen in Sweden. There usually was only one holder of the title at a time, second only to the King of Sweden.

History

According to Procopius, the Heruli, after having raided the European continent for several generations, returned to Scandinavia in 512 as a result of military defeats. As their old territory was now occupied by the Danes, they settled next to the Geats in present-day Sweden. No elaborate theory exists to explain how the word came to be used as a title. Arguably, their knowledge in interpreting runes also meant they were gifted in martial arts and, as they gradually integrated, eril or jarl instead came to signify the rank of a leader.^[1] As described in the Icelandic sagas, such as Rígsthula,^[2] a jarl was a sort of chieftain next in rank to the king in the function of Marshal or Duke of the King's Army. Under any circumstance, when jarls are finally mentioned in medieval documents, it clearly was a title signifying a leader ranked directly under the king.^[1]

In Swedish history, Jarls are described as either local rulers or viceroys appointed by a king, ruling one of the historical Swedish provinces, such as Västergötland, Östergötland, or Svitjod. In Norway, the jarls apparently kept this role and the kings attempted to introduce one in each county (fylke) before the title was used exclusively on the Orkney Islands in the 14th century. In Sweden, however, the title was replaced by "duke" (Swedish 'hertig') in the 13th century. Before the title was discontinued after the death of Birger Jarl,^[3] Swedish jarls were powerful men, such as Birger Brosa, Ulf Fase, and Birger Jarl (original patronym Magnusson), often the true rulers of the Swedish kingdom.^[1]

Jarls of Sweden

Birger Brosa, 1174-1202^[4]
Johan Sverkersson, 1202-120?^[4]
Jon Jarl, ?-1206?^[4]
Knut Birgersson, 120?-1208,^[4] killed in 1208 at the Battle of Lena
Folke Birgersson [ sv ], 1208–1210,^[4] killed in 1210 at the Battle of Gestilren
Karl the Deaf (Karl Döve), 1210?-1220,^[4] killed at the Battle of Lihula
Ulf Fase, 1220?-? and 1231–1240, died 1248^[4]
Birger Magnusson, 1248–1266,^[4] last jarl (Dux Sweciae)

Regional jarls

Jarls of Västergötland

Ulf Tostesson
Ragnvald Ulfsson (c. 1010–20), later jarl of Staraja Ladoga and Ingria. Father of king Stenkil of Sweden.

Other

Jon Jarl (possibly several ones)
Roger I of Sicily (Jarl Rogeirr)

In popular culture

In the History Channel's historical drama television series Vikings , actor Thorbjørn Harr plays the character of Jarl Borg, a Jarl of Götaland.
In the video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim , the rulers of the various cities and their respective regions, called within the game as the nine holds, are known as Jarls.
In the NRK television series Norsemen, there are two jarls: Jarl Varg, the primary antagonist of the show, and Jarl Bjorn, a character in Season 3.

Notes

1 2 3 Lindström, p 113-115
↑ Wikisource - Rigstula, verse 34 (in Swedish)
↑
- Larrea, Beñat Elortza (13 March 2023). Polity Consolidation and Military Transformation in Medieval Scandinavia: A European Perspective, c.1035–1320. Brill. p. 287, 340. ISBN 978-90-04-54349-2.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lindström, p 267, "Jarls from the late 12th century to 1266"

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birger Jarl</span> Swedish regent (c. 1210 – 1266)

Birger Jarl, also known as Birger Magnusson, was a Swedish statesman and regent, jarl, and a member of the House of Bjälbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. His first marriage was to Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, which created his base of power. Birger led the Second Swedish Crusade, which established Swedish rule in Finland. Additionally, he is traditionally attributed with the foundation of the Swedish capital, Stockholm, around 1250. Birger used the Latin title of dux sveorum et guttorum.

Erik Eriksson, sometimes known as Erik XI or with the epithet the Lisp and Lame, was King of Sweden from 1222 to 1229 and again from 1234 to 1250. Being the last ruler of the House of Erik, he stood in the shadow of a succession of powerful jarls, especially his brother-in-law Birger Jarl, whose descendants ruled as kings after his death.

Johan Sverkersson, also known as John I, was King of Sweden from 1216 until his death in 1222. He was the last king from the House of Sverker, leaving no heirs. During his reign, an expedition was launched from Sweden against the Estonians, with disastrous results.

Erik Knutsson, sometimes known as Eric X, was King of Sweden between 1208 and 1216. Also known as Erik the Survivor, he was, at his accession to the throne, the only remaining son of King Knut Eriksson and his queen, whose name may have been Cecilia.

Sverker the Younger, also known as Sverker II or Sverker Karlsson, was King of Sweden from 1195 or 1196 to 1208 when he was defeated in the Battle of Lena by Erik Knutsson. Sverker died in the 1210 Battle of Gestilren where his forces battled those of King Erik Knutsson.

Knut Eriksson, also known as Canute I, was King of Sweden from 1173 to 1195. He was a son of King Erik the Saint and Queen Christina, who was a granddaughter of the Swedish king Inge the Elder.

The Battle of Gestilren took place on July 17, 1210. The battle was fought between the exiled King of Sweden Sverker and the ruling King Eric X. Sverker had been beaten in the previous Battle of Lena, but returned with new forces. Sverker was however killed in the battle. The exact strength of the armies is unknown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birger Brosa</span>

Birger Brosa was the jarl of Sweden from 1174 to 1202.

Bjälbo is a small village in Mjölby Municipality, Östergötland, Sweden.

Magnus Minniskiöld was a medieval Swedish magnate from the House of Bjälbo. He is best known as the father of the renowned statesman Birger Jarl, and the ancestor of the later Swedish kings. He is sometimes believed to have perished in the Battle of Lena in 1208, though the evidence is not conclusive.

Bengt Birgersson was the youngest son of Birger Jarl. He embarked on an ecclesiastical career, becoming the Archdeacon of Linköping in 1273, the Canon of Uppsala in 1275, and the Bishop of Linköping in 1286. When open war broke out between his brothers, King Valdemar and Duke Magnus, Bengt sided with Magnus. After Magnus became King of Sweden in 1275, Bengt served as his chancellor. In 1284, he was granted the title of Duke of Finland.

Ulf Fase was the jarl of Sweden from c. 1221 until his death in 1247.

Karl the Deaf of the House of Bjälbo (Folkungaätten) was the jarl of Sweden from 1216 to 1220.

Bengt Snivil from the House of Bjälbo was a Swedish magnate in mid-12th century.

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The Treaty of Lödöse was a peace treaty between the Swedish king Eric XI and the Norwegian king Haakon IV. The treaty was negotiated between King Haakon and the Jarl of Sweden, Birger Magnusson, in the town of Lödöse, during the summer of 1249. The main purpose of the treaty was to prevent mutual hostility from escalating into war. Some factions of the Swedish nobility wanted to attack Norway in retribution for a raid by King Haakon, which had targeted Norwegian rebels in the Swedish province of Värmland 24 years earlier.

Jarl is a rank of the nobility in Scandinavia. In Old Norse, it meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. Jarl could also mean a sovereign prince. For example, the rulers of several of the petty kingdoms of Norway had the title of jarl and in many cases they had no less power than their neighbours who had the title of king. It became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced by duke (hertig/hertug/hertog). The word is etymologically related to the English earl.

IngegerdBirgersdotter was Queen of Sweden as the second wife of King Sverker II.

Bridget Haraldsdotter, also Brigida was Queen of Sweden as the spouse of King Magnus Henriksen.

The Battle of Sparrsätra was fought in 1247 between the forces of King Eric XI of Sweden and rebels led by Holmger Knutsson near Enköping in Sweden. It occurred during a poorly documented period in Swedish history; as a result, many details are uncertain and conjectural.

References

Lindström, Fredrik; Lindström, Henrik (2006). Svitjods undergång och Sveriges födelse (in Swedish). Albert Bonniers förlag. ISBN 978-91-0-010789-5.

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[Lindström-113-1] 1 2 3 Lindström, p 113-115

[2] Wikisource - Rigstula, verse 34 (in Swedish)

[3] 
Larrea, Beñat Elortza (13 March 2023). Polity Consolidation and Military Transformation in Medieval Scandinavia: A European Perspective, c.1035–1320. Brill. p. 287, 340. ISBN 978-90-04-54349-2.

[mwiQ] Larrea, Beñat Elortza (13 March 2023). Polity Consolidation and Military Transformation in Medieval Scandinavia: A European Perspective, c.1035–1320. Brill. p. 287, 340. ISBN 978-90-04-54349-2.

[Lindström-267-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lindström, p 267, "Jarls from the late 12th century to 1266"

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