Magnus Minniskiöld

Magnus Minnisköld was a medieval Swedish Lawspeaker from the House of Bjelbo.

He lived at the family estate Bjälbo, in the current Mjölby municipality, Östergötland, Sweden. He was the son of Bengt Snivil, and nephew of the Riksjarl Birger Brosa. He married the noblewoman Ingrid Ylva, and fathered several sons who would influence early Swedish history, most notably Birger Jarl. He is mentioned in two contemporary diplomas (DS 70, 116), as the brother of Birger Brosa, as well as by King Magnus Birgersson, who in a letter in 1280 called him grandfader.

The remains of his son Birger Jarl has been examined, and they indicate that he was 50-55 years old when he died, and Magnus must therefore still have been alive around 1210.

He is commonly believed to have been killed in battle, most likely in the Battle of Lena in 1208, or at the Battle of Gestilren in 1210.

Children

• Eskil Magnusson, Lawspeaker of Västergötland in the early 13th century. He was married to Kristina, the granddaughter of Eric the Saint and the widow of the Norwegian earl Hakon the Mad
• Karl Magnusson, Bishop of Linköping who died at the Battle of Lihula in Estonia
• Bengt Magnusson, succeeded Karl Magnusson as Bishop of Linköping and died in 1237
• Birger Magnusson, Birger Jarl who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden while Jarl in Sweden
• He is said to have had several daughters whose names are not known.

Sources

• Koht, Halfdan (1929) The Scandinavian Kingdoms until the end of the thirteenth century (Cambridge University Press)