Björn at Haugi

Ethnicity and domination

Björn Järnsidas sons Erik and Refil Björnsson. Erik is supposed to be followed by the Hervarar saga, his father as king of the Svea in southern Sweden. He was succeeded after a short reign of his nephew Erik Refilsson, whose sons Björn på Haga and Anund Uppsale after initially ruled together as kings. Anund Uppsale to have had his residence at the cult center of Old Uppsala, which earned him his nickname. Björn's nickname på Haga = the grave mound ) stemmed from his residence in an old ( grave hill called " Hågahögen " on the island Adelsön near Birka, from where he could observe this important trading city well. Snorri Sturluson quotes in his works some seals of the skald Brage Boddason, is said to have sojourned at the court Björn and is also mentioned in the Hervarar saga.

Christian Mission

According Rimbert, the biographer of Sweden missionary Ansgar from Bremen, Björn asked the Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious to send Christian missionaries to Birka, whereupon 829 Ansgar traveled to Sweden. Björn received him on his farm and allowed him to proselytize and to build the first Christian church in Scandinavia. Ansgar was 831 recalled by Emperor Louis to advance as a bishop ( and from 832 as archbishop ) of the Hammaburg from another mission enterprise in the north. Then Gauzbert was a nephew of the Archbishop Ebo of Rheims, consecrated by Ansgar and Ebo to the Missionary Bishop and seconded by Ebo to Sweden to continue Ansgar's work. Gauzbert probably began to proselytize 836 in Sweden. He was well received by King Bjorn, but 845 evicted by a popular uprising.

Succession

Bjorn's brother Anund had been driven loud Rimbert earlier from Sweden, but returned in around 840 years back with eleven own and 21 Danish ships. He had his Danish allies promised rich booty for their participation in the campaign, but when they arrived in Birka, Björn was absent. Anund demanded by the inhabitants of a hundred marks in silver, not to plunder the city. Although the Danes thus felt cheated, succeeded Anund, they substitute to talk to a raid against Slavic settlements in which they held harmless. Anund remained in Sweden. According to the saga Hervarar his son Erik Anundsson followed him and his brother Bjorn as king of the Svea. Both Rimbert and Adam of Bremen report on the other hand, that Olof Björn's son became the new king of the Svea.