Legendary Swedish king. He lived approximately 785-815 and reigned over Swealand, or the central Swea Region part of Sweden which developed into that country by about 980 A.D. He belonged to the Upsala Dynasty, a collective name used here for the ancient line of Swealand rulers. He has been counted as the second Eric to rule, Eric I then being a 5th century king who reigned jointly with a brother Alaric and died when they clobbered and killed each other with the heavy metal bits of their horses. King Eric here has been called "Erik som avgudades" in Swedish (thus his epithet), as reported in accounts of St. Ansgar's experiences in trying to christen the Swedes in the mid-9th century. Returning to the area, the missionary found "great consternation among the people" because someone had given them an ominous message from the old Norse gods who were dissatisfied with declining offerings due to the new Christian deity being introduced. If the people were to have a new god, then they thought it should be pagan, and they acted to "adopt into the circle of idols their long deceased King Eric". Icelandic sources also name Eric, and Prof. Birger Nerman has deduced that he was the father of King Beorn II who was on the throne when Ansgar first visited Sweden in 829, and may have been the founder of Birchey (Birka), Sweden's first city. It is also safe to assume, according to Nerman, that Eric's grave is one of three large tumuli, probably the largest, now next to the church on the island of Adelsey.
Legendary Swedish king. He lived approximately 785-815 and reigned over Swealand, or the central Swea Region part of Sweden which developed into that country by about 980 A.D. He belonged to the Upsala Dynasty, a collective name used here for the ancient line of Swealand rulers. He has been counted as the second Eric to rule, Eric I then being a 5th century king who reigned jointly with a brother Alaric and died when they clobbered and killed each other with the heavy metal bits of their horses. King Eric here has been called "Erik som avgudades" in Swedish (thus his epithet), as reported in accounts of St. Ansgar's experiences in trying to christen the Swedes in the mid-9th century. Returning to the area, the missionary found "great consternation among the people" because someone had given them an ominous message from the old Norse gods who were dissatisfied with declining offerings due to the new Christian deity being introduced. If the people were to have a new god, then they thought it should be pagan, and they acted to "adopt into the circle of idols their long deceased King Eric". Icelandic sources also name Eric, and Prof. Birger Nerman has deduced that he was the father of King Beorn II who was on the throne when Ansgar first visited Sweden in 829, and may have been the founder of Birchey (Birka), Sweden's first city. It is also safe to assume, according to Nerman, that Eric's grave is one of three large tumuli, probably the largest, now next to the church on the island of Adelsey.
Bio by: Count Demitz
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