Magnus III ( 1240 – 18 December 1290), also called Magnus Ladulås, was
King of Sweden
The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Instrument ...
from 1275 until his death in 1290.
Name
He was the ''first
Magnus'' to rule Sweden for any length of time, not generally regarded as a usurper or a pretender (but third Magnus to have been proclaimed Sweden's king and ruled there). Later historians ascribe his epithet "Ladulås" – ''Barnlock'' – to a royal decree of 1279 or 1280 freeing the yeomanry from the duty to provide sustenance for travelling nobles and bishops ("Peasants! Lock your barns!"); another theory is that it's a corruption of Ladislaus, which could possibly have been his second name, considering his
Slavic heritage. (Magnus's maternal great-grandmother was
Sophia of Minsk
Sophia of Minsk or Sophia of Polotsk (died 5 May 1198) was a Danish queen consort by marriage to King Valdemar I of Denmark, and a landgravine of Thuringia by marriage to Louis III, Landgrave of Thuringia.
Life Origin
Sophia was the daughter ...
, a
Rurikid
The Rurik dynasty ( be, Ру́рыкавічы, Rúrykavichy; russian: Рю́риковичи, Ryúrikovichi, ; uk, Рю́риковичі, Riúrykovychi, ; literally "sons/scions of Rurik"), also known as the Rurikid dynasty or Rurikids, was ...
princess.) This king has also been referred to as Magnus I, but that is not recognized by any Swedish historians today.
In
Finnish, Magnus is similarly known as ''Mauno Ladonlukko'' ("barnlock") or ''Mauno Birgerinpoika'' (Birgersson").
Early life
Magnus, whose birth year has never been confirmed in modern times, was probably the second son of
Birger Jarl (1200–66) and Princess
Ingeborg
Ingeborg is a Germanic feminine given name, mostly used in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, derived from Old Norse ''Ingiborg, Ingibjǫrg'', combining the theonym ''Ing'' with the element ''borg'' "stronghold, protection". Ingebjørg is the N ...
, herself the sister of the childless
King Eric XI and daughter of
King Eric X. Thus, Valdemar Birgersson (1239–1302) was the eldest son and ruled as
Valdemar, King of Sweden from 1250–1275, succeeding King Eric, their maternal uncle who ruled until 1250. Birger Jarl had designated Magnus as
Jarl
Jarl is a rank of the nobility in Scandinavia. In Old Norse, it meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. ''Jarl'' could also mean a sovereign prince. For example, the rulers of several of the pet ...
, henceforth titled
Duke of Sweden, and as Valdemar's successor. Even after Valdemar's coming of age in 1257, Birger Jarl kept his grip over the country. After Birger's death in 1266 Valdemar came into conflict with Magnus who wanted the throne for himself.
Accession and marriage
In 1275 Duke Magnus started a rebellion against his brother with Danish help, and ousted him from the throne. Valdemar was deposed by Magnus after the
Battle of Hova
The Battle of Hova (''Slaget vid Hova'') was fought in Hova, Sweden on 14 June 1275 between peasants commanded by King Valdemar of Sweden
Valdemar (English: Waldemar; sv, Valdemar Birgersson; 1239 – 26 December 1302) was King of Sweden ...
in the forest of
Tiveden on 14 June 1275. Magnus was elected king at the
Stones of Mora (''Mora stenar''). In 1276, Magnus allegedly married a second wife
Helwig Helwig is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Andreas Helwig (1572–1643), German classical scholar and linguist
* David Helwig (born 1938), Canadian poet
*Hans Helwig (1881–1952), German Nazi SS concentration camp comma ...
, daughter of
Gerard I of Holstein. Through her mother, Elizabeth of Mecklenburg, Helwig was a descendant of Christina, the putative daughter of
King Sverker II. A papal annulment of Magnus' alleged first marriage and a dispensation for the second (necessary because of
consanguinity
Consanguinity ("blood relation", from Latin '' consanguinitas'') is the characteristic of having a kinship with another person (being descended from a common ancestor).
Many jurisdictions have laws prohibiting people who are related by blood fr ...
) were issued ten years later, in 1286. Haelwig later acted as regent, probably 1290–1302 and 1320–1327.
Reign
The deposed King Valdemar managed, with Danish help in turn, to regain provinces in
Gothenland in the southern part of the kingdom, and Magnus had to recognize that in 1277. However, Magnus regained them about 1278 and assumed the additional title ''rex Gothorum'',
King of the Goths
:''This is about the medieval title; for the migration-era Goths, see King of the Visigoths, King of the Ostrogoths.''
The title of King of the Goths ( sv, Götes konung, da, Goternes konge, la, gothorum rex) was for many centuries borne by both ...
, starting the tradition of "King of the Swedes and the Goths".
King Magnus's youngest brother,
Benedict (1254–1291), then
archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that of mo ...
, acted as his
Lord High Chancellor of Sweden, and in 1284 Magnus rewarded him with the
Duchy of Finland.
Magnus died when his sons were yet underage. Magnus ordered his kinsman
Torkel Knutsson
Torkel (Tyrgils or Torgils) Knutsson (d. 1306) was Lord High Constable of Sweden, member of the Privy Council of Sweden (''Riksråd''), and virtual ruler of Sweden during the early reign of King Birger Magnusson (1280–1321).
Biography
Tor ...
, the
Lord High Constable of Sweden as the guardian of his heir, the future
King Birger, who was about ten years old at father's death.
Modern research
In spring 2011,
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsca ...
s and
osteologist
Osteology () is the scientific study of bones, practised by osteologists. A subdiscipline of anatomy, anthropology, and paleontology, osteology is the detailed study of the structure of bones, skeletal elements, teeth, microbone morphology, funct ...
s from the
University of Stockholm were given permission to open one of the royal graves in
Riddarholm Church (''Riddarholmskyrkan'') in order to study the remains of what was presumed to be Magnus Ladulås and some of his relatives.
SVT broadcast a presentation of the preliminary studies, where a number of results were presented; among others his sickly disposition.
Carbon-14
Carbon-14, C-14, or radiocarbon, is a radioactive isotope of carbon with an atomic nucleus containing 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Its presence in organic materials is the basis of the radiocarbon dating method pioneered by Willard Libby and co ...
tests dated the bones to the 15th century, indicating the remains could not be those of the king and his family.
In December 2011, the researchers applied for permission to open the neighbouring sarcophagus, which has hitherto been presumed to contain the bones of a later king,
Charles VIII.
Children
From his alleged first (annulled) marriage to an unknown woman:
* Eric Magnusson (born c. 1275 – c. 1277)
From his second marriage to
Helwig of Holstein:
*
Ingeborg Magnusdotter of Sweden (born c. 1279); married King
Eric VI of Denmark.
*
Birger, King of Sweden (born c. 1280)
*
Eric Magnuson,
Duke of Sudermannia in 1302 and Halland etc. c 1305, born c. 1282. Died of starvation in 1318 at Nyköpingshus Castle while imprisoned by his brother King Birger.
*
Waldemar Magnuson,
Duke of Finland in 1302 and Öland 1310. Died of starvation 1318 at
Nyköpingshus Castle while imprisoned by his brother, King Birger.
*
Richeza Magnusdotter of Sweden (d. after 1347), Abbess of the convent of
St. Clare's Priory, Stockholm
St. Clare's Priory, Stockholm, was a Roman Catholic nunnery of the Poor Clares in Stockholm, Sweden that was active from 1289 to the Swedish Reformation in 1527.
History
The nunnery was given large donations and lands upon its foundation by K ...
.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magnus 03 of Sweden
1240 births
1290 deaths
13th-century Swedish monarchs
Rulers of Finland
House of Bjelbo
Burials at Riddarholmen Church