Erik Refilsson

Erik Refilsson
King of Sweden
House	House of Munsö
Religion	Pagan

Erik Refilsson was a semi-legendary king of Sweden of the House of Munsö, who would have lived in the early 9th century. One of the few surviving Scandinavian sources that deal with Swedish kings from this time is Hervarar saga. It says:

“

Then Eric the son of Refil succeeded to the Kingdom. He was a great warrior and a very powerful King. The sons of Eric Björnsson were Önund of Upsala and King Björn. Then the Swedish Realm again came to be divided between brothers. [1]

”

Apparently, he was such a successful king that Rimbert relates that at Ansgar's second visit in Birka it was suggested among the people that Erik (Erik who preceded Björn) was to be elevated to god instead of the new god.

Skáldatal mentions that he had a court skald named Álfr jarl inn litli.

Notes and references

1. "Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks", Guðni Jónsson's and Bjarni Vilhjálmsson's edition at Norrøne Tekster og Kvad. English translation by N. Kershaw: "The Saga of Hervör and Heithrek" in Stories and Ballads of the Far Past, translated from the Norse (Icelandic and Faroese). Cambridge University Press, 1921.

See also

• Early Swedish History