Olof Björnsson, in

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

, was a Swedish king who was referenced in several Old Norse Sagas including '' Hervarar saga'', ''

Saga of Harald Fairhair The Saga of Harald Fairhair (''Haralds saga hárfagra'') is the third of the sagas in Snorri Sturluson's ''Heimskringla'', after ''Ynglinga saga'' and the saga of Halfdan the Black. Snorri sagas were written in Iceland in the 1220s. This saga is ...

'' and the ''

Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa ''Styrbjarnar þáttr Svíakappa'' (''The Tale of Styrbjörn the Swedish Champion'') is a short story, a ''þáttr'' on the Swedish claimant and Jomsviking Styrbjörn the Strong preserved in the '' Flatey Book'' (GKS 1005 fol 342-344, ca 1387- ...

''. Reconstructions that place him as a historical king date his reign to c. 970 – c. 975. Olof was the son of Björn Eriksson who ruled as king of Sweden. After the death of their father, Olof ruled jointly with his brother

Eric the Victorious Eric the Victorious (Old Norse: ''Eiríkr inn sigrsæli'', Modern Swedish: ''Erik Segersäll''; c. 945 – c. 995) was a Swedish monarch as of around 970. Although there were earlier Swedish kings, he is the first Swedish king in a consecutive re ...

(Swedish: ''Erik Segersäll''). By his queen Ingeborg Thrandsdotter, he was the father of Styrbjörn Starke and Gyrid, queen consort of King

Harald Bluetooth Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson (; , died c. 985/86) was a king of Denmark and Norway. The son of King Gorm the Old and Thyra Dannebod, Harald ruled as king of Denmark from c. 958 – c. 986, introduced Christianization of Denmark, Christianity to D ...

. He died of

poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...

during a meal. Eric, instead of proclaiming his nephew Styrbjörn co-ruler, proclaimed his own unborn son to be co-ruler. This son ruled as the historical king

Olof Skötkonung Olof Skötkonung (; – 1022), sometimes stylized as Olaf the Swede, was King of Sweden, son of Eric the Victorious and, according to Icelandic sources, Sigrid the Haughty. He succeeded his father in c. 995. He stands at the threshold of record ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olof Bjornsson European people whose existence is disputed 10th-century Swedish monarchs House of Munsö Olof 2 Year of birth uncertain

See also

References