Eskil Magnusson (c. 1175 – c. 1227) was a nobleman and

lawspeaker A lawspeaker or lawman (Swedish language, Swedish: ''lagman'', Old Swedish: ''laghmaþer'' or ''laghman'', Danish language, Danish: ''lovsigemand'', Norwegian language, Norwegian: ''lagmann'', Icelandic language, Icelandic: , Faroese language, ...

(''Lagman'') of

Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Väs ...

. He is the first attested legal official in what is now Sweden about whom we have any extensive information.

Biography

He was a member of the Bjelbo dynasty or House of Folkung (''Folkungaätten'') which in the 1250s became Sweden's royal dynasty. He was the son of

Magnus Minniskiöld Magnus Minniskiöld (also spelled Minnisköld or Minnesköld, circa 1175—1208?) was a medieval Swedish magnate from the House of Bjelbo. For posterity, he is best known as the father of the renowned statesman Birger Jarl, and the ancestor of the ...

, and the elder half-brother of

Birger Jarl Birger Jarl, also known as ''Birger Magnusson'' (21 October 1266), was a Swedish statesman, ''jarl'', and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, w ...

(''Birger Magnusson''), the most powerful man of Sweden in the middle of the 13th century. Around 1217, he married

Kristina Nilsdotter Kristina Nilsdotter Blake (died 1254), was a Swedish noblewoman. Kristina and her spouse were written of by poet Snorre Sturlasson, who visited them in 1219; they reportedly gave him valuable information for his writings. Kristina was the daughter o ...

, widow of the Norwegian earl

Hakon the Mad Haakon the Crazy (Old Norse: ''Hákon galinn'', Norwegian: ''Håkon Galen'') was a Norwegian ''jarl'' and Birkebeiner chieftain during the civil war era in Norway. Håkon Galen was born no later than the 1170s and died in 1214. His epithet "the cr ...

(''Håkon Galen''), whose son

Knut Håkonsson Knut Haakonsson (''Knut Håkonsson'', Old Norse ''Knútr Hákonarson'') (c. 1208–1261) was a Norwegian nobleman and claimant to the throne during the Civil war era in Norway. Biography Haakonsson was born the son of jarl Haakon the Crazy ('' ...

was a pretender to the Norwegian throne. Due to the location of his jurisdiction and his marriage to Kristina, Eskil had good contacts in Norway and may have functioned as a negotiator between the Swedish and the Norwegian monarchs. Some time during 1218–1220, he was visited by Icelandic historian

Snorri Sturluson Snorri Sturluson ( ; ; 1179 – 22 September 1241) was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was elected twice as lawspeaker of the Icelandic parliament, the Althing. He is commonly thought to have authored or compiled portions of the ...

. Eskil was noted for his learning and seems to have had an important role in codifying the law of Västergötland, (''

Västgötalagen ( or ) or the Westrogothic law is the oldest Swedish text written in Latin script and the oldest of all Swedish provincial laws.The Scanian law is older, but Scania was not incorporated into Sweden until late 17th century, and it is thus count ...

'') the oldest known Swedish text written in the Latin script. The list of lawspeakers of Västergötland appended to ''Västgötalagen'' tells that he collected and edited the province's laws, and administered justice with great consideration. He had good judgment, the learning of a cleric and he was ''superior to all the chieftains of the kingdom''. The list also claims that he distinguished himself in bravery and that it would take a long time until another man of that kind was born.

Biography

References

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