Västgötalagen

Västgötalagen is a legal text for the historical province of Västergötland in Sweden, the oldest coherent document in the Swedish language, which is still completely intact. The law was written in Latin script. There are even older Swedish -language documents, but they exist only as a fragment.

It is believed that the text was written in 1220 by Eskil Magnusson, the legal head in Västergötland and a half-brother Birger Jarl was. The copy obtained is from around 1280 and is preserved in the National Library in Stockholm.

A much debated quote from the law reads: " Sveær egho konong at taka ok sva vrækæ ". Many historians suggest the place so that only the Svea had the right to choose the king, who then ruled over Västergötland. Some amateur historians and lawyers from the so-called Visigothic school ( Västgötaskolan ) think that with " Sveær " all the people of Sweden is meant. The latter interpretation is not confirmed by Saxo Grammaticus, which also deals with the Swedish throne disputes of the 12th century in his work Gesta Danorum. The term did not come to Sweden before the 15th century and was initially used only for the residents around Lake Mälaren.

After 1281 began a revision of the law, of which survives today only a handwritten copy.