House of Bjelbo, also known as House of Bjälbo (Bjälboätten in Swedish) or House of Folkung (Folkungaätten in Swedish), was an Ostrogothian Swedish family that provided for several medieval Swedish bishops, jarls and kings. (help· info) is a historical Province (landskap) in the south of Sweden. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Name and origin

The traditional name of this house is "House of Folkung", which is still the most commonly used in Swedish works of reference. This name is probably derived from the oldest known member of the family who is certain to have existed, i.e. Folke who lived about the year 1100, or their legendary forefather Folke Filbyter who lived in pagan time.^[1] In an effort to avoid confusion with the Folkunge Party have some modern historians argued that "House of Bjälbo" would be a better name because Birger Jarl lived there and it is the family's oldest known manor. Bjälbo is located in Östergötland, outside of Skänninge in the present-day commune of Mjölby.^[2] In any way the members of this dynasty never used a name to refer to themselves since family names were not widely adopted in Sweden until the 16th century, thus there is no "correct name" of the dynasty which would have precedence over the other. Coat of arms of Folkung family In modern Swedish, Folkung has two meanings, which appear to be opposites: The noble (royal) clan of some Folkungar, later named Folkungaätten (ätt means clan), who in effect introduced inheritance of the throne during the 12th century. ... Folke Filbyter searching for his grand-child, statue by Carl Milles in Linköping. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Family of Bjälbo is a name particularly in research literature used for a medieval Swedish line of nobles and kings. ... (help· info) is a historical Province (landskap) in the south of Sweden. ... Market square Skänninge is a town in the province of Östergötland, Sweden. ... Mjölby is a municipality in Östergötland County, in southeast Sweden. ...

Jarls and bishops

Coat of arms of the House of Bjelbo.

House of Bjelbo produced most of the jarls in Sweden in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries until the title was abolished in 1266. Different branches of the family were often rivals for the office of jarl. Most of the kings during that time were also from Östergötland. Image File history File links Folkunga. ... Image File history File links Folkunga. ... A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... (help· info) is a historical Province (landskap) in the south of Sweden. ...

Around 1100, Folke the Fat became the first known Bjelbo jarl, and probably the first jarl of all Sweden, under king Inge I of Sweden. He was married to a daughter of king Canute IV of Denmark. According to legends, he was the first of his family so elevated. Nothing is known of any of Folke's collateral relatives, though it is well-established that several of his sons' descendants were important lords. Folke was according to Gesta Danorum by the Danish 12th century Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus, the most powerful man in Sweden c. ... ... the death of Canute the Holy, by Christian Albrecht von Benzon Canute IV, (approximately 1043 — 1086), also known as Canute the Saint and Canute the Holy, was King of Denmark from 1080 until 1086. ...

Other notable jarls from the family were Birger Brosa, Charles the Deaf, Ulf Fase, and Birger jarl. In the early 13th century, some members of the family moved to Norway, and held the office of jarl there. Noteworthy is that regardless of the ruling royal family, Bjelbos continued to hold the position of the jarl in the kingdom. Birger Brosas sealBirger Brosa (Brosa means smiling), earl of Sweden 1174-1202, d. ... Charles the Deaf (Karl Döve in Swedish) from the House of Bjelbo was the jarl of Sweden during 1216-1220. ... Ulf Fase (died 1247) was the jarl of Sweden c 1221-47. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Several members of the family were also Bishops of Linköping at least in the 13th century. Diocese covered the area of Östergötland. Bishop of Linköping was often involved in the eastern activities. Bishops of the Diocese of Linköping, Sweden. ... (help· info) is a historical Province (landskap) in the south of Sweden. ...

Rise to royalty

Valdemar, a son of Birger jarl, was elected as the King of Sweden in 1250. House of Bjelbo had gradually married to all rival royal dynasties in Sweden eventually producing an heir related to them all. When the previous king Eric had died without an heir apparent, his sister's son, and also Birger's son, was the most suitable option to hold the royal office. Valdemar Birgersson (1239-1302), King of Sweden 1250-1275/1288/1302, was the son of princess Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden and Birger Jarl, Earl Birger Magnusson of Bjälbo, who more or less ruled Sweden from 1248 under king Eric Ericsson the Lame his brother in law. ... Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a representative democracy based on a parliamentary system. ... Eric XI of Sweden Eric XI Ericsson (1216 – February 2, 1250) den läspe och halte: the stuttering and lame, was king of Sweden 1222 – 1229 and 1234 – 1250. ...

The male line reigned in Sweden until 1364. During 1320-1387, the members of the family were also kings in Norway. Almost all subsequent monarchs of Sweden, Norway and Denmark descend from the House of Bjelbo through female lines. Centuries: 13th century - 14th century - 15th century Decades: 1310s 1320s 1330s 1340s 1350s - 1360s - 1370s 1380s 1390s 1400s 1410s Years: 1359 1360 1361 1362 1363 - 1364 - 1365 1366 1367 1368 1369 See also: 1364 state leaders Events Charles V becomes King of France. ... Events January 20 - Dante - Quaestio de Aqua et Terra January 20 - Duke Wladyslaw Lokietek becomes king of Poland April 6 - The Scots reaffirm their independence by signing the Declaration of Arbroath. ... Events June 2 - John Holland, a maternal half-brother of Richard II of England, is created Earl of Huntingdon. ... This article is a list of rulers of Norway up until the present, including: The Norwegian kingdom (with the Faroe Islands) The Union with Iceland and Greenland (1262-1814) The Norwegian kingdom (with Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands 1262-1814) The Union of Sweden and Norway (1319-1343) The...

Unclarities in genealogy

Particularly, several persons conventionally assigned as sons and grandsons to Benedict Snivel, son of Folke the Fat, may actually be related to him in a different way. Conventional assignations stretch two generations to cover a hundred years, which is probably not realistic, and three generations over 150 years.

See also

• List of Swedish monarchs
• List of Norwegian monarchs
• Jarl in Sweden
• Bishop of Linköping

This is a list of Swedish monarchs, that is, the Kings and ruling Queens of Sweden with Regents and Viceroys of the Kalmar Union up until the present time. ... This article is a list of rulers of Norway up until the present, including: The Norwegian kingdom (with the Faroe Islands) The Union with Iceland and Greenland (1262-1814) The Norwegian kingdom (with Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands 1262-1814) The Union of Sweden and Norway (1319-1343) The... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Bishops of the Diocese of Linköping, Sweden. ...

References