House of Munsö
The House of Munsö, also known as the House of Björn Ironside, the House of Uppsala or simply the Old dynasty, was the first dominant ruling dynasty of Sweden, dating back to the Viking Age.[1] The House of Munsö could trace its lineage to Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons Halfdan, Ivarr, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, Björn and Ubba Ragnarsson during the Viking expansion into England.[2][3][4] For much of the 9th and 10th centuries, the dynasty ruled from the island of Munsö, as opposed to Uppsala, the seat of political power in Sweden.[1]
In 975, the House of Munsö was caught up in a succession crisis that was caused by the assassination of Olof Björnsson after he finished a meal that was poisoned by the Scandinavian branch of the Hidden Ones. The Hidden Ones backed the ascendant Swedish king Eric the Victorious, who was largely under the influence of his advisor Torgny the Lawspeaker. The disgruntled Styrbjörn the Strong on the other hand decided to overthrow his uncle by forging an alliance with Harald Bluetooth, the Templar king of Denmark and Norway. Furthermore, Styrbjörn's sister Gyrid Olafsdottir was already married to Harald and she was one of the participants in the effort to overthrow Eric. However, Eric emerged victorious in the struggle to secure the Swedish throne and crushed his rivals, including Styrbjörn and Gyrid.[5]
By 1060, the Munsö dynasty had to come an end after the death of Emund the Old. By then, the ascendant House of Stenkil had replaced them as the ruling monarchs of Sweden.[6]
Notable members[edit | edit source]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
The House of Munsö is the earliest reliably attested medieval dynasty in Sweden by historical sources such as German archbishop Rimbert and chronicler Adam of Bremen as well as the Icelandic sagas. Historians have debated the existence of the dynasty and over how much of its lineage was real or fake with its founder Björn Ironside largely considered to be a legend rather than an actual historical figure.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Fate of the Gods (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Geirmund's Saga
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Blood Brothers
References[edit | edit source]
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