Free Cross and Scepter by Sverre Bagge

Most probably, however, Harald’s line became extinct with his grandsons, after which there was open competition for the throneuntil the mid-eleventh century, when Harald Hardrada (1046–1066) and his descendants ruled in relative peace for four generations. The change must be understood partly as a reaction to the period of Danish rule 1030–1035 and partly as the result of the canonization of Olav Haraldsson (1031), from whom later kings derived their right to the throne. Olav was succeeded first by his son Magnus (1035–1047) and then by his half-brother Harald. The rules of succession were vague, but seem to have favored agnatic descendants, whether born in wedlock or not. There was no rule of individual succession; if there was more than one candidate, which was often the case, they either had to share the power between them or fight over it. During the following series of inner struggles, only members—or alleged members—of the dynasty were allowed to compete, which is evident from the fact that many of the pretenders were only boys. Formal rules of succession were laid down in the Law of Succession of 1163/64, which introduced individual succession with preference for the late king’s eldest legitimate son, although it also established an element of election by prescribing an elective body dominated by the bishops.
    The Law of 1163/64 may be regarded as an attempt to assure peaceful succession to the throne, but it was first and foremost intended to protect the ruling king, Magnus Erlingsson, against his rivals, by defining their claims as illegal and stamping them as rebels and heretics. Magnus was only seven years old and related to the dynasty through his mother, but he had the advantage from point of view of the Church that he was born in marriage. The real ruler during Magnus’s minority, and even longer, was his father, the Earl Erling Ormsson, nick-named Skakke (the Wry-neck). However, far from protecting Magnus against rivals, the law occasioned a most intense period of internal conflicts. Magnus was challenged by a queue of rivals, the most important of whom was Sverre Sigurdsson, allegedly an illegitimate son of a previousking. During a series of campaigns, Sverre managed to defeat and kill first Erling (1179) and then Magnus (1184), rule until his death in 1202, and leave the kingdom to his descendants, although he had to spend most of his reign fighting rebellions. His grandson HÃ¥kon HÃ¥konsson put an end to the internal struggles and consolidated the kingdom during his long reign (1217–1263). During his and his successors’ reigns, the principle of individual succession by the king’s eldest son was laid down in the Law of 1260, revised in 1274 and 1302. These laws were based exclusively on the principle of hereditary succession. They decreed that an assembly should meet after the death of a king, but that its duty was only to acclaim the next in the line of succession. An election would only take place in case the dynasty had become extinct.
    The first king of Sweden of whom we have any concrete knowledge is Olof Skotkonung (“the Tax King,” so called either because he taxed his people or because he had to pay tribute to King Cnut the Great), who fought at Svolder. He issued coins, some of which are extant. Olof may have been recognized as king of most of present-day Sweden, but his main area seems to have been in the west. We know the names of his successors until the thirteenth century, but very few details about them. Medieval Sweden was divided into three main parts, from west to east: Västergötland, Östergötland, and Svealand. Lake Vättern forms the line of division between the two former, whereas Svealand is the fertile area around Lake Mälaren. From the late eleventh century onwards, there were almost continuous struggles over the throne between two dynasties, the one of Erik and the one of Sverker—both named after