Anund Jacob of Sweden

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Anund Jakob (Old Icelandic: Önundr Óláfsson, Old Swedish: Æmundær colbrænnæ, meaning "Emund coal-burner") was King of Sweden 1022-1050. He is believed to have been born in 1008 as Jakob. When the Swedish counsel, the Thing, was to elect him the co-ruler of Sweden, the people objected to his non-Scandinavian name. They then gave him the pronomen Anund, which they did when they found a name too difficult. (See also the later Anund Gårdske).

The Westrogothic law says that he was called Kolbränna ("Coal-burner") as he had the habit of disposing of opponents by burning them to death inside their houses.

His political agenda was to maintain the balance of power in Scandinavia. That is why he supported the Norwegian kings Olaf II and Magnus I against Denmark's king Canute during the 1020s and 1030s. At the Battle of the Helgeå, Anund and Olaf were defeated by Canute. Consequently, Canute subjugated for some time the core provinces of Sweden around lake Mälaren where he had his own coins minted in Sigtuna.

When Magnus I became king of Norway and Denmark in 1042, Anund Jakob supported him until the death of Magnús in 1047. Anund Jakob himself died at 1050 during an attack to Finland, one source placing the date of death as 25th of July 1050.

Two skalds are known to have served Anund Jacob: Sighvatr Þórðarson and Óttarr svarti.

The Hervarar saga has very little to tell about Anund:

Önundr hét sonr Óláfs konungs sænska, er konungdóm tók eptir hann ok varð sóttdauðr. Á hans dögum fell Óláfr konungr inn helgi á Stiklastöðum. Eymundr hét annarr sonr Óláfs sænska, er konungdóm tók eptir bróður sinn.[1]

King Olaf the Swede had a son called Önund who succeeded him. He died in his bed. In his day fell King Olaf the Saint at Stiklestad. Olaf the Swede had another son called Eymund, who came to the throne after his brother.[2]

[edit] Notes and references

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

House of Munsö
Preceded by Olof of Sweden	King of Sweden	Succeeded by Emund the Old