| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
The historical existence of Björn and Anund is supported by Rimbert. He relates of a king Björn, the brother of Anund (Anoundus), who succeeded a king Erik (as in Hervarar saga) who asked the Frankish emperor Louis the Pious to send Christian missionaries to Sweden. The emperor responded in 829 by sending Ansgar. Björn received Ansgar at his court on the island of Adelsö and gave him permission to found a Christian congregation in Birka[1].
In his Edda Snorri Sturluson quotes many stanzas attributed to Bragi Boddason the old (Bragi Boddason inn gamli), a court poet who served several kings, especially King Björn at Hauge (see Bragi and Hervarar saga). This Bragi was reckoned as the first skaldic poet, and was certainly the earliest skaldic poet then remembered by name whose verse survived in memory. For Björn, Bragi composed Ragnarsdrapa about Björn's ancestor Ragnar Lodbrok (see the Britannica of 1911, [2]).
The existence of the two brothers, Björn and Anund, is not only supported by Rimbert, but also by Adam of Bremen who relates that Björn and Anund preceded Olaf. However, Hervarar saga only mentions Erik Anundsson, who was the father of Björn (III) ErikssonBjorn was the father of Olof (II) Bjornsson and Eric the Victorious, according to Hervarar saga. He was the grand-father of Styrbjorn Starke. According to Hervarar Saga he was the son of an Erik who fought Harald Fairhair who succeeded the brothers Bjorn (the father of Eric the Victorious and Olof (II) BjörnssonOlof Bjornsson (ca 970 975), ruled together with his brother Eric the Victorious. He was the father of Styrbjorn Starke. He died of venom. Instead of proclaiming his son Styrbjorn co-ruler, Eric proclaimed his own unborn child co-ruler on condition that i).
See also Early Swedish KingdomsThis time is problematic in Swedish history. The problems resides not only in a dearth of sources, but also in the fact that the sources are usually either second hand information or semi-legendary in character. Add to this the problem of whether to defin, House of Munsö.
| Preceded by: Erik Refilsson | Semi-legendary king of Sweden | Succeeded by: Olof and/or Erik Anundsson |