Ulf Fase (died 1247) was the

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 petty k ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

(c. 1221-47) .

Biography

Ulf Fase was probably the son of jarl

Charles the Deaf Charles the Deaf ( sv, Karl Döve) from the House of Bjelbo (''Folkungaätten'') was the jarl of Sweden during 1216–1220. Biography His father was magnate Bengt Snivil. He was the brother of Magnus Minnesköld and jarl Birger Brosa and father ...

(''Karl Döve'') and member the house of Folkung (''Folkungaätten''). After jarl Charles had been killed during the Swedish attack against

Estonians Estonians or Estonian people ( et, eestlased) are a Finnic ethnic group native to Estonia who speak the Estonian language. The Estonian language is spoken as the first language by the vast majority of Estonians; it is closely related to other ...

at the

Battle of Lihula The Battle of Lihula or Battle of Leal was fought between invading Sweden, Swedes and Estonians for the control of a castle in Lihula, Estonia in 1220. The exact date remains uncertain, though some historians suggest that the battle took place ...

in 1220, Ulf as his closest relative was soon selected as the new jarl. An ephemeral jarl may have served briefly before Ulf's appointment. Before the death of King

John I of Sweden John I ( sv, Johan Sverkersson; c. 1201 – 10 March 1222) was the king of Sweden from 1216 until his death. Background John was the son of King Sverker II of Sweden of the House of Sverker and Queen Ingegerd Birgersdotter of Bjelbo, Ingegerd of t ...

in 1222, Ulf certainly held the office. In 1222, the rival dynasty's young heir, King

Eric XI Eric "XI" the Lisp and Lame Swedish: ''Erik Eriksson'' or ''Erik läspe och halte''; Old Norse: ''Eiríkr Eiríksson'' (1216 – 2 February 1250) was king of Sweden in 1222–29 and 1234–50. Being the last ruler of the House of Eric, he stoo ...

(''Erik Eriksson'') ascended the throne at the age of 6. His minority meant that jarl Ulf gained more importance along with

Canute II of Sweden Canute II the Tall ( sv, Knut Långe; Knut Holmgersson), was King of Sweden from 1229 until his death in 1234. He was the father of Holmger Knutsson, a later pretender for the Swedish throne. Both father and son were members of the House of Folk ...

(''Knut långe''). The nominal regent was Ulf's cousin Bengt Birgersson. In 1229, King Canute II usurped the throne and exiled the young Eric. Ulf continued to hold the position of jarl. Upon Canute's death in 1234, King Eric, now 18, was restored to the throne. His supporters did not appreciate Ulf's "treachery" in accepting an usurper over Eric five years earlier. Ulf however was too powerful to be deposed from his office. There are clear records to show that Ulf Fase had the right to mint money, an otherwise exclusively royal prerogative. Several pieces of such coins, bearing his signs, are preserved. In 1247, there was an attempted coup against King Eric. The rebels were crushed at the

Battle of Sparrsätra The Battle of Sparrsätra, fought between the forces of King Eric XI of Sweden and rebels led by Holmger Knutsson, took place in 1247 near Enköping in Sweden. It occurred during a poorly documented period in Swedish history; as a result, many de ...

. Sources do not reveal whether Ulf was already dead at that time, or if alive, what was his role in the revolt. It has been speculated that he participated in the revolt and was therefore executed. Several rebel leaders were beheaded in 1247-48, including Canute's son

Holmger Knutsson Holmger Knutsson (1210s – 1248) was a Swedish nobleman and a claimant to the Swedish throne during the reign of King Eric XI of Sweden. His tomb cover showed two Coats of Arms: one is known to have been used by his father, the other is that ...

(1210s – 1248). After Ulf's death, the office of jarl was held by his relative Birger Magnusson (''

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, whi ...

''). Ulf Fase left one well-attested son, Karl Ulfsson who had bad relations with Birger jarl. He later left into voluntary exile by joining the

Teutonic Knights The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

in Livonia. Karl was killed in 1260 at the Battle of Durbe near

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...

Courland Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fase, Ulf Swedish nobility 1247 deaths 13th-century Swedish people Year of birth unknown Swedish jarls House of Bjelbo