Boleslaw of Sweden

Boleslaw and Kol were contenders for to the Swedish throne, held by King Canute I of Sweden, then head of the House of Eric. The two, who were brothers, half-brothers or uncle and nephew, may never have controlled much more than the Province of Östergötland. Boleslaw is believed either to have been murdered by King Canute's men, or to have fled to Poland sometime before 1173. He was mentioned in at least one letter sent by the Pope to a Swedish king. He was assumably named for his ancestor Bolesław III Wrymouth.

According to a medieval genealogy, Boleslaw and Kol were sons of King Sverker I's son John, but a notice in a Danish source claims Sverker also had son named Boleslaw.[1] Boleslaw is mentioned in the regnal list appended to Västgötalagen together with Kol, but otherwise appears in fewer medieval sources than he.[2]

Natanael Beckman, who wrote his article in Svenskt biografiskt lexikon, claimed that Boleslaw and Kol were sons of Sverker.[3] Swedish historian Adolf Schück claimed instead that the contenders were sons of John.[4]

Though several sources affirm that Boleslaw actually was King of Sweden for a few years, the Swedish Royal Court does not recognize him as such in its official list of rulers.

Preceded by
Karl Sverkersson
as King of Sweden		 King of Östergötland
1167–1173
with Kol of Sweden 		Succeeded by
Canute Ericson

References

  1. ↑ Hans Gillingstam. "Jon jarl". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon. Retrieved 10 Oct 2013.
  2. ↑ Hans Gillingstam. "Kol". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon. Retrieved 10 Oct 2013.
  3. ↑ Nathanael Beckman. "Burislev". Svenskt biografiskt lexikon. Retrieved 10 Oct 2013.
  4. ↑ in Från Viby till Bjälbo, studier i Sveriges historia under 100-talets senare hälft, Fornvännen 1951 p. 199