SEGERSÄLL Eirikr

Abt 0945 - Abt 0995  (50 years)

• Name	SEGERSÄLL Eirikr
  Birth	Abt 0945	Scandinavia (Sweden)
  Gender	Male
  Death	Abt 0995	Scandinavia (Sweden)
  Notes	Från svenska Wikipedia; Erik Segersäll (fornnordiska: Eiríkr sigrsæli, av Adam av Bremen på latin kallad Hericus Victor) död 995, var en svensk kung mellan 970 och 995 som även styrde en tid över Danmark. Han är en av de första svenska kungar som man vet något bestämt om och kan ha rått över Svealand, Västergötland och Östergötland, det vill säga större delen av det område som skulle bli kallat Sverige under tidig medeltid. Erik brukar anses vara den som grundade staden Sigtuna.[1] Från Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon: "Om E:s börd föreligga inga uppgifter i vittnesgilla källor; i isländsk litteratur berättas, att han skulle vara son till en konung Björn. Denna uppgift är emellertid historiskt omöjlig, och det har i stället antagits, att han skulle vara son till den Emund Eriksson, som Adam av Bremen i sin krönika uppför omedelbart före E. såsom svensk konung (Schück, Nerman). Onekligen finnes intet, som hindrar, att E:s far hetat Emund — detta namn bars av en E:s sonson — eller att han liksom E. varit svensk konung. Men några faktorer, som ens göra det sannolikt eller troligt, att E. var son till Emund Eriksson, föreligga ej. Att namnskicket bland E:s ättlingar är detsamma som bland hans företrädare på tronen, gör det emellertid sannolikt, att hans tronbestigning icke innebar något dynastiskifte." Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon Biography Erik Segersäll (Erik the Victorious) is, by most historians, thought to have lived somewhere between 945 and 995. He is said to have founded the town of Sigtuna. He is accounted to be the first ruler of what, in early medieval times, would account to the area called Sweden (modern day Svealand, Västergötland and Östergötland) and is thought to have ruled abt. 970-995. Some texts also claim that he won a battle in Denmark and then ruled in Denmark for a couple of years prior to his death. There is however no archeological evidence that suggest that this fact should been true and both Swedish and Danish historians are usually quite skeptic about this "fact". Erik Segersäll was the first Christian king of Sweden. He became king of Sweden around 970, perhaps as co-ruler with his brother Olof. The rulers of this time reigned Sweden from the city of Uppsala. Around 985 he is supposed to have won the Battle of Fýrisvellir, a battle against his nephew Styrbjörn. Due to research the existance of both the battle and Styrbjörn are disputed.[2] Around 988 he went to war against Denmark and its king Sven Tveskägg . The ruler of Denmark, Sven Haraldsson Tveskägg, was driven away and Erik became the new ruler for the next fourteen years, until his death. In Denmark Erik abandoned the old faith and became a christian, only to abandon that as well.[3] [4] According to Adam of Bremen Erik allied himself with his brother-in-law Boleslav I of Poland to fight this war against Sven. According to the Norwegian-Icelandic Sagas Erik took help from Styrbjörn to take over Denmark from Sven Haraldsson.[3] Name(s) His byname "Segersäll" means "the Victorious". Old Norse: Eiríkr inn sigrsæli Swedish and Norwegian; Erik Segersäll Latin; Adam av Bremen called him Hericus Victor English: Eric the Victorious Eric's number is either V or VI but wether there has been any Erics before Eric the Victorious or not that have been kings in "Sweden" is disputed.[5] Parents and siblings His parents are really not known. The Icelandic stories name a king Björn as the father of Erik and some have speculated that this would mean he would be son of Björn Eriksson but that connection is historical impossible. A more likely senario is that Erik's father was Emund Eriksson who supposedly ruled Sweden in the 960's according to Adam of Bremen.[3] Hervarar saga says Erik was son of Björn den Gamle (Björn the old). A translation of "Sagas of the Norse Kings" says; Bjorn was father of Eric the Victorious and of Olaf, the father of Styrbjorn. [6] In Flateyjarbók (written abt. 1387-1394) he is mentioned to have ruled together with a younger brother named Olof who died young, leaving Erik to rule alone. According the sagas, Olof's son would have been Styrbjörn Starke who later claimed his right to rule. Erik and Styrbjörn is supposed to have met in the three day long battle at Fyrisvallarna. Erik defeated Styrbjörn and that is how he got the byname Segersäll/the Victorious. (There are runestones from late 900 who mention persons who fell in a battle near Uppsala, they can however not with any certainty be connected to the battle at Fyrisvallarna.) Some suggest he would be son of Emund Eriksson, mentioned by Adam av Bremen as the king before Erik's rule. But that would not be very probable either, even if Erik had a grandson named Emund.[7] Spouse(s) and children Different sources mention different wifes and what is correct or not is impossible to be certain of. Which of the two women that are considered most credible depends entirely on how to evaluate the reliability of sources. According to "Ingvar den vittfarnes saga" Erik was married to Aud Håkansdotter. The Icelandic sagas, as well as Saxo Grammaticus (Gesta Danorum), tell us that his wife was Sigrid Storråda, daughter of Swedish chieftain/petty king Skoglar Toste and she gets a lot of space in their stories. Adam of Bremen indicates, however, that she was an unnamed Slavic princess, either sister or daughter of Boleslav. She later known as either Świętosława or Gunhild (according to Snorre Sturlasson who mentions a slavic princess Gunhild as an alliance marriage). The marriage was a sign of a covenant between Erik and Boleslav against the Danish king Harald Bluetooth.[3] If he is believed to be the same Boleslav as the Polish king Boleslav I there is a problem because he reigned after the death of Harald Bluetooth. There seem to be some medieval Polish and German sources that suggest that Sigrid Storråda was the same person as Swiatoslawa (Swietosława), daughter of Mieszko I of Poland and his wife Dubrawka av Böhmen (Tjeckien).[8] Children; Olof Skötkonung which is the only child that is historically attested. Some sagas also mention; Edmund/Emund Holmfrid, in some sagas mentioned as sister and in other sagas as daughter (there might have been both, ie two persons with that name Unnamed daughter, grandmother of Ingvar den vittfarne. Death and burial It is estimated that he died 994-995. Some historians suggest he died of illness in Kungsgården in Gamla Uppsala [9] There seem to be some medieval Polish that say the marriage between Sigrid/Swietosława was not a happy one and that she killed her much older husband.[10] Research Note Relationships between historical figures could have been simplified or even fabricated in the text to give the impression that succession remained within the same family….Precise chronology is also difficult to assess from the Sagas….The conclusion must be that the tight family network described in the Sagas is unlikely to be correct and that the relationships shown below should be treated with considerable caution. Preceded by King of Sweden 970-994 Succeeded by Olof Skötkonung Preceded by King of Denmark 988-994 Succeeded by Sources ↑ https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Segers%C3%A4ll ↑ ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Erik Segersäll, http://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/artikel/15407, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (art av Sture Bolin.), hämtad 2016-10-22. ↑ Svensson, Alex (2010) "Sveriges regenter under 1000 år" Svenskt Militärhistoriskt Bibliotek ↑ Eric the Victorious. (2016, October 1). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11:11, October 1, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eric_the_Victorious&oldid=742051828 ↑ Snorri Sturluson: Sagas of the Norse Kings. Translated by Samuel Laing, revised by Peter Foote MA. Everyman's Library Dutton New York SBN 460 00847 1 Page 71 ↑ Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20191221081151/http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/historia/a/xRVex8/sigrid-storrada-var-skoningslos-som-drottning ↑ Book; Lagerqvist, Lars O. & Åberg, Nils, Litet lexikon över Sveriges regenter, Vincent bokförlag, Boda kyrkby 2004. ISBN 91-87064-43-X (femte reviderade upplagan), sidan 9. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20191221081151/http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/historia/a/xRVex8/sigrid-storrada-var-skoningslos-som-drottning Källa: Statens historiska museum, Lars G. Holmblad Bl.a. Niels Lund: "The Danish Empire and the End of the Viking Age", The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings. Ed. P. H. Sawyer. Oxford University Press, 2001, p. 167–181. See also: https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_Segers%C3%A4ll https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamla_Uppsala_fornlämningsområde Scandia, tidskrift för historisk forskning, 1928-1931, om Slaget vid Fyrisvallarna Slaget på Fyrisvallarna i ny tolkning Konigf. Gen. Hist. Tab., Denm 2, Tab. 1, 9, 12, p. 6, 115, 150, 151 Danish Biog., Lexikon, Denm Pub. D, v. 15, p. 575-76 Nordisk Familjebok, Swed 47, v. 6, p. 966, v. 15, p. 226 Keiser und Koenig Hist., Gen. Hist. 25, pt 1, p. 142-43 See also: Battle of Fýrisvellir, Wikipedia EARLY KINGS OF SWEDEN Sweden Kings, MedLands Projects
  Person ID	I58696	Freeman-Smith
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026

  
  

  Family
  Children	1. ERIKSSON Olof Skötkonung,   b. Abt 0980, Scandinavia (Sweden) d. Abt 1020, Scandinavia (Sweden) (Age 40 years)  [Father: natural]
  Family ID	F347236	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026