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Marsker (‘marshal’), and Knnceler (‘chancellor’) now became the
chief officials of the crown. The rest of the aristocracy consisted
of the courtiers and royal vassals, the barons and knights (Riddare),
the esquires (Sven af våpen, Yapnare), and even simple freemen
who were willing to render military service whenever required.
Between all these and the peasantry there was a wide social gap.
The history of early Swedish Literature is well-nigh an
absolute blank. The oldest work handed down to us is a
compilation of the laws of West Gotland, dating from the beginning
of the 12th century. A few meagre historical writings in Latin,
a work concerning the ‘Styrilse kununga ok höfdinga’ (the rule of
kings and governors), and several translations of foreign romances
also belong to this period.
* Transition to the Union.
On the death of Haakon Magnusson of Norway in 1319 without
male issue, he was succeeded by Magnus Eriksson, afterwards
called Magnus Smek (‘the luxurious’), the son of his daughter
Ingeborg and the Swedish Duke Erik , and at that time a child of
three years. On the banishment of King Birger in 1319 Magnus
was also elected King of Sweden , so that the two crowns were
now united, but it was arranged that each country should retain
its own administration. The union, however, was not attended
with happy results. At first Sweden was prudently governed by
the regent Mats Ketilmundsson, and in 1332 the province of
Skåne, which had been pledged to the Swedish Marshal von
Eber-stein by Erik Menved and Christopher II. of Denmark (1318),
declared itself in favour of Magnus. The king, however, who
soon afterwards assumed the reins of government, and his queen
Blanche of Namur, were ruled by unworthy favourites and soon
forfeited the respect of their people. A disastrous fire at
Thrond-hjem (1343), great inundations in the Guldal and Orkedal (1345),
and above all the plague which swept away about two-thirds of
the population (1349-50) aggravated the discontent of the
Norwegians, who in 1350 elected Haakon Magnusson, the minor son
of Magnus, regent of Norway, and in 1355 Haakon entered upon
his functions, the province of Vigen and Iceland alone being
reserved to his father. In Sweden Magnus consolidated the
provincial laws and drew up a new municipal code in 1347, but here
too he was overtaken by many troubles. The aristocracy resented
his endeavours to restrain their excesses, the people were
exasperated by the unsuccessful issue of his Russian campaigns
(134849, 1350-51), the plague intensified their dissatisfaction in 1350,
and lastly the king was excommunicated in 1358 on account of
his failure to pay debts due to the pope. Eric, the king’s son,
took advantage of these troubles and assumed the title of king in
1356, but died in 13:>9. New disasters, however, soon followed.
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