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Erik den heliges sk...
Erik den heliges skelett
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Sten, S. (author)
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Lovén, C. (author)
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Kjellström, A. (author)
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Lidén, K. (author)
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Vretemark, M. (author)
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- Vala, CecilieHongslo, 1983 (author)
- Gothenburg University,Göteborgs universitet,Institutionen för medicin,Institute of Medicine
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Ljunggren, O. (author)
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Fjällström, M. (author)
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Shalabi, A. (author)
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Duvernoy, O. (author)
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Segelsjö, M. (author)
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Malmström, H. (author)
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Jakobsson, M. (author)
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(creator_code:org_t)
- 2016
- 2016
- Swedish.
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In: Fornvännen. - 0015-7813. ; 111:1, s. 27-40
- Related links:
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https://gup.ub.gu.se...
Abstract
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- No contemporary sources mention Erik Jedvardsson, Sweden's king saint. The only account of his life is the saint's legend, in its preserved form written in the late 13th century, and legends are notoriously untrustworthy. It says that in 1160, in the tenth year of Erik's reign, he was killed by a throne claimant. His remains have rested in a reliquary in Uppsala Cathedral since 1257 at the latest and survived the Reformation. A thorough investigation was made in 1946, and the development of new methods motivated a new investigation in 2014. 23 bones remain that apparently belong to the same individual. (They are accompanied in the reliquary by an unrelated shinbone.) Radiocarbon values are consistent with a death in 1160. The bones belong to a man, 35-40 years old, about 171 cm tall, without any discernible medical conditions. Bone density indicates a life of good nourishment and abundant exercise. The skull has one or two healed wounds that may have been due to weapons. Isotope analysis points to a diet rich in freshwater fish. Stable isotopes also imply that he did not spend his last decade in the expected Uppsala area but rather in Västergötland further south. Insufficient reference materials however make this a very preliminary conclusion. Samples for DNA analysis were collected, but the results are not expected for another year. The saint's legend says that in the king's final battle, the enemy swarmed him, and when he fell to the ground they gave him wound after wound until he lay half dead. They then taunted him and finally cut off his head. The remaining bones have at least nine cuts inflicted in connection with death, seven of them on the legs. No wounds have been found on the ribs or the remaining arm bone, which probably means that the king wore a hauberk but had less protected legs. Both shin bones have cuts inflicted from the direction of the feet, indicating that the victim lay on his front. A neck vertebra has been cut through, which could not have been done without removing the hau berk, i.e. not during battle. This confirms that there was an interlude, as described by the taunting in the legend, between battle and decapitation. At no point do the documented wounds gainsay the account of the fight given by the much later legend.
Subject headings
- HUMANIORA -- Historia och arkeologi -- Historia (hsv//swe)
- HUMANITIES -- History and Archaeology -- History (hsv//eng)
Publication and Content Type
- ref (subject category)
- art (subject category)
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Fornvännen
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- By the author/editor
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Sten, S.
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Lovén, C.
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Kjellström, A.
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Lidén, K.
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Vretemark, M.
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Vala, CecilieHon ...
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show more...
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Ljunggren, O.
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Fjällström, M.
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Shalabi, A.
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Duvernoy, O.
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Segelsjö, M.
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Malmström, H.
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Jakobsson, M.
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show less...
- About the subject
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- HUMANITIES
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HUMANITIES
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and History and Arch ...
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and History
- Articles in the publication
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Fornvännen
- By the university
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University of Gothenburg