 Coat of Arms of Stockholm, depicting Eric IX of Sweden Eric IX of Sweden (or Erik the Lawgiver or Eric the Saint. In Swedish he is simply known as Erik den helige which roughly equals Saint Eric) (circa 1120 - 1160) was a Swedish king between 1150 and 1160. He was a rival king to Sverker the Elder who claimed the thone between 1150 and 1156. Eric's reign ended when he was murdered in Uppsala. He's said to have been murdered by Emund Ulvbane, an assassin who was hired by Sverker people in order for them to regain the control of the kingdom.
People from Svealand recognized one miracle after Erik's death, since a fountain sprang from the earth where the king's head fell after being chopped out.
He would later be made a (regionally recognized) saint whose feast day is 18 May. The relic casket of Eric is on display in Uppsala cathedral (Uppsala domkyrka). The casket contains bones of a male, with traces of injury to the neck. Eric is the patron saint of Stockholm and depicted in the city's arms.
|
