View source for House of Sverker

{{Short description|Medieval Swedish royal dynasty}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2022}}
{{House of Sverker}}

The '''House of Sverker''' were a powerful political force in medieval Sweden, contesting for royal power.<ref name=":0">{{Citation|last=Lindkvist|first=Thomas|title=The Emergence of Sweden|date=2008|url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203412770-61/emergence-sweden-thomas-lindkvist|work=The Viking World|pages=671|publisher=Routledge|doi=10.4324/9780203412770-61/emergence-sweden-thomas-lindkvist|isbn=978-0-203-41277-0}}</ref> Their origins were in Östergötland.<ref name=":0"/> After the extinction of the [[House of Stenkil]] and the ascension of [[Sverker I of Sweden]] in 1130, a civil war commenced. In the beginning, there were several pretenders, of whom Sverker I emerged as victorious, for a time. The antagonists in the long run were finally the House of Sverker in [[Östergötland]] and the [[House of Eric]] in [[Västergötland]] and [[Uppland]] ([[Saint Eric]] was killed and buried in the latter province, others in the dynasty were buried in [[Varnhem Abbey]] in the former province as later also [[Birger Jarl]] was, a relative to the dynasty), which alternated on the throne for several generations, until in the 1220s the Eric dynasty got the upper hand, and the Sverker dynasty became extinct (at least in the male line).

As usual in medieval succession rivalries, the outcome combined the blood of rival lines, as in 1250 [[Valdemar I of Sweden|Valdemar]] of the [[Folkung]]s (then a minor, his father Birger Jarl acting as regent) ascended the throne, having inherited the Eric dynasty claim from Valdemar's mother (who was sister of [[Eric XI of Sweden]], the last Eric-dynast) and some of the Sverker dynasty claim from Birger's mother (who was daughter of a younger son of Sverker I).
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==Kings of the house of Sverker==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:100%;"
|+
! width="5%" |Portrait
! width="21%" |Name
! width="24%" |Reign
! width="14%" |Succession
! width="12%" |Marriage(s)
! width="21%" |Life details
|-
|[[File:Sweartgar I of Sweden relief 2009 Heda Ödeshög (crop).jpg|80px|Non-contemporary depiction]]
| style="background-color: #e3e4ff" |'''[[Sverker I]]'''<br />"the Elder"<br /><small>''Sverker den äldre''</small>
|c. 1130{{sfn|Liljegren|2004|p=29}} – 25 December 1156{{Sfn|Venning|2023|loc=Sovereigns of Sweden}}<br><small>(c. 26 years)</small>
|Either no previous royal connection''{{sfn|SBolin|1953i}}'' or grandson of [[Blot-Sweyn]].{{Sfn|Williamson|1988|p=122}} Elected in opposition to Magnus I.''{{sfn|Bolin|1953i}}''
|[[Ulvhild Håkansdotter]]<br />(at least 4 children)<br />[[Richeza of Poland, Queen of Sweden|Richeza of Poland]]<br />(1 child?)
|Died 25 December 1156<hr />Assassinated, allegedly by the pretender [[Magnus II of Sweden|Magnus II]].{{Sfn|Williamson|1988|p=122}}{{sfn|Bolin|1953i}}
|-
|[[File:Karl-sverkersson.jpg|80px]]
| style="background-color: #e3e4ff" |'''[[Charles VII of Sweden|Charles (VII)]]'''<br /><small>''Karl Sverkersson''</small>
|c. 1157 – 12 April 1167{{Sfn|Venning|2023|loc=Sovereigns of Sweden}}<br><small>(c. 10 years; ruled all of Sweden from 1161 onwards)</small>
|Son of Sverker I. Initially ruled in [[Västergötland]] in opposition to Eric IX; later overthrew Magnus II.
|[[Christina Hvide]]<br />(at least 1 child)
|1130 – 12 April 1167<br /><small>(aged 37)</small><hr />Murdered by [[Canute I of Sweden|Canute I]], who succeeded him as king.{{Sfn|Williamson|1988|p=122}}{{Sfn|Venning|2023|loc=Sovereigns of Sweden}}{{sfn|Bolin|1953k}}
|-
|
| style="background-color: #e3e4ff" |'''[[Kol of Sweden|Kol]]<small>''<br>''</small>'''<small>('''status disputed''')</small>
|1170s<br><small>(several years)</small>
| rowspan="2"|Sons (?) of Sverker I. Ruled together in [[Östergötland]], in opposition to Canute I.
|''<small>Nothing recorded</small>''
|Few life details known{{Sfn|Harrison|2014|loc=Kol och Burislev}}
|-
|
| style="background-color: #e3e4ff" |'''[[Boleslaw of Sweden|Boleslaw]]'''<br /><small>''Burislev<br>''('''status disputed''')</small>
|1170s<br><small>(several years)</small>
|''<small>Nothing recorded</small>''
|Few life details known{{Sfn|Harrison|2014|loc=Kol och Burislev}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[File:Coin of Sweartgar II of Sweden c. 1200.jpg|80px]]
|rowspan=2 style="background-color: #e3e4ff" |'''[[Sverker II]]'''<br />"the Younger"<br /><small>''Sverker (den yngre) Karlsson''</small>
|rowspan=2|1196 – 1208<br><small>(12 years)</small>
|rowspan=2|Son of Charles VII
|[[Benedicta Hvide]]<br />(at least 1 child)
|rowspan=2|c. 1164 – 17 July 1210<br /><small>(aged c. 46)</small><hr />Deposed after the [[Battle of Lena]]. Killed at the [[Battle of Gestilren]] while trying to retake the throne.{{Sfn|Venning|2023|loc=Sovereigns of Sweden}}{{sfn|Liljegren|2004|p=37}}{{sfn|Bolin|1953m}}
|-
|[[Ingegerd Birgersdotter]]<br />(at least 1 child)
|-
|[[File:Coin of John I of Sweden c. 1220.jpg|80px]]
| style="background-color: #e3e4ff" |'''[[John I of Sweden|John I]]'''<br /><small>''Johan Sverkersson''</small>
|10 April 1216 – 10 March 1222<br><small>({{Age in years, months and days|1216|4|10|1222|3|10}})</small>
|Son of Sverker II
|Unmarried and childless
|1201 – 10 March 1222<br /><small>(aged c. 21)</small><hr />Died of illness as the last male-line member of Sverker's dynasty.{{Sfn|Venning|2023|loc=Sovereigns of Sweden}}{{sfn|Bolin|1953f}}
|}

==See also==
* [[List of Swedish monarchs]]
* [[Norse clans]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin|40em}}
* {{Cite web |last=Bolin |first=Sture|date=1953f |title=Johan Sverkersson |url=https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=12098 |access-date=21 July 2023 |work=Svenskt biografiskt lexikon |language=sv }}
* {{Cite web |last=Bolin |first=Sture|date=1953i |title=Sverker den äldre |url=https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=34966 |access-date=21 July 2023 |work=Svenskt biografiskt lexikon |language=sv }}
* {{Cite web |last=Bolin |first=Sture |date=1953k |title=Karl Sverkersson |url=https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=12369 |access-date=22 July 2023 |work=Svenskt biografiskt lexikon |language=sv }}
* {{Cite web |last=Bolin |first=Sture|date=1953m |title=Sverker den yngre |url=https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=34967 |access-date=22 July 2023 |work=Svenskt biografiskt lexikon |language=sv }}
* {{citation |last=Harrison |first=Dick |title=Jourhavande historiker rycker ut igen: Hur är det med Macbeth, Blot-Sven och Gandalf? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VjaRAwAAQBAJ |year=2014 |publisher=Norstedts |language=Swedish |isbn=9789113059631 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Liljegren |first=Bengt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dDhpAAAAMAAJ |title=Rulers of Sweden |publisher=Historiska Media |year=2004 |isbn=9789185057634 |location=Stockholm |language=Swedish }}
* {{Cite book |last=Venning |first=Timothy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M2bFEAAAQBAJ |title=A Compendium of Medieval World Sovereigns |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2023 |isbn=9781000866339 }}
* {{Cite book |last=Williamson |first=David |title=Debrett's Kings and Queens of Europe |publisher=Webb & Bower |year=1988 |isbn=0-86350-194-X |location=London}}

{{refend}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}

{{s-start}}
{{S-hou|House of Sverker|||||name=*[[Royal House]]*}}
{{S-bef|before=[[House of Stenkil]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Dynasty|Ruling House]] of the [[Sweden|Kingdom of Sweden]]|years=c. 1130 – 1156<br/>1161–1167<br/>1196–1208<br/>1216–1222}}
{{S-aft|after=[[House of Eric]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Royal houses of Sweden}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Swedish royal houses|Sverker]]

{{Sweden-hist-stub}}