Forn Sed

Last Heathen king of Sweden

Sweyn (Swedish: Blot-Sven, Sweyn the Sacrificer or the Blood Swain) was a Swedish king c. 1080, who replaced his Christian brother-in-law Inge as King of Sweden, when Inge had refused to administer the blóts (pagan sacrifices) at the Temple at Uppsala. There is no mention of Sweyn in the regnal list of the Westrogothic law, which suggests that his rule did not reachVästergötland. According to Swedish historian Adolf Schück he was probably the same person as Håkan the Red and was called the Blood Swain (a swain who was willing to perform the blood rites) as an epithet rather than a personal name.

The Norsta Runestone (U 861) on the drive of Wik Castle outsideUppsala was probably made by Sweyn and his family, as it mentions two people called Sweyn and Møy. It is the only existing mention of a Møy (“maiden”) besides the mention of Sweyn’s sister Mær (the Old Icelandic form of Møy) in Hervarar saga, and it is contemporary with Sweyn^[1]

The earliest source that deals with Blot-Sweyn’s coming to power is the Icelandic legendary saga Hervarar saga:

“King Ingi married a woman called Mær who had a brother called Svein. King Ingi liked Svein better than any other man, and Svein became thereby the greatest man in Sweden.^[3]”

However, Inge did not permit the people to follow the old ways, unlike his father Stenkil. The Swedes reacted strongly and asked Inge to either comply with the old traditions or abdicate. When Inge proclaimed that he would not abandon Christianity, the people pelted him with stones and chased him away. This was the opportunity for Sweyn to assume power, and the account provided by Hervarar saga concerning his inauguration contains a rare description of the ancient Indo-European ritual of horse sacrifice:

“Svein, the King’s brother-in-law, remained behind in the assembly, and offered the Swedes to do sacrifices on their behalf if they would give him the Kingdom. They all agreed to accept Svein’s offer, and he was then recognized as King over all Sweden. A horse was then brought to the assembly and hewn in pieces and cut up for eating, and the sacred tree was smeared with blood. Then all the Swedes abandoned Christianity, and sacrifices started again. They drove King Ingi away; and he went intoVestergötland.^[3]

According to Hervarar saga, Sweyn’s rule was not to last. Before long, the Christian Inge decided to kill the Pagan Sweyn in a less than honourable way:

Svein the Sacrificer was King of Sweden for three years. King Ingi set off with his retinue and some of his followers, though it was but as small force. He then rode eastwards by Småland and into Östergötlandand then into Sweden. He rode both day and night, and came upon Svein suddenly in the early morning. They caught him in his house and set it on fire and burned the band of men who were within. There was a baron called Thjof who was burnt inside. He had been previously in the retinue of Svein the Sacrificer. Svein himself left the house, but was slain immediately.

It is possible that Ingi was not immediately accepted by the stubbornly pagan Swedes of Uppland. The 13th century historian Snorri Sturlusson wrote in the Heimskringla that Blót-Sweyn had a pagan successor who continued the sacrifices (Eirik Arsale):

“At that time there were many people all around in the Swedish dominions who were heathens, and many were bad Christians; for there were some of the kings who renounced Christianity, and continued heathen sacrifices, as Blotsvein, and afterwards Eirik Arsale, had done.^[6]”

Blot-Sweyn is believed to have been the father of Eric of Good Harvests (Eirik Arsale). This Eric is mentioned by a plausible source as the father of Sverker the Elder, and so Blot-Sweyn could be the progenitor of theHouse of Sverker.