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62 A History of Sweden
against the pagan Finns, who were in the habit of
ravaging and plundering the Swedish coasts. There
were the same reasons for them to convert the Finns
as there had been for the people of southern and cen-
tral Europe to Christianize the northern vikings. They
sought to put an end to their ravages. A king named
Eric led a crusade to the southwestern part of Fin-
land. He exhorted the Finns to accept baptism, but
with loud shouts they refused. He then attacked them,
conquered them, and compelled the survivors to be bap-
tized. The crusades were a sort of Christian viking
expeditions. This occurred about the year 1160.
King Eric met a violent death. He was slain by a
Danish prince who sought by violence to win the Swed-
ish throne. Eric’s tragic death led people to regard
him as a martyr for his country. Many anecdotes were
told of his piety and miracles at his grave. The peo-
ple spoke of him as Eric the Saint. He was, however,
never canonized by the Church. His bones were de-
posited in a silver casket and placed in the Cathedral
of Uppsala. He was worshiped as the patron saint of
Sweden.
Other Finnish tribes continued the ravaging of the
Swedish coasts. Once they penetrated into Lake Malar,
plundered its fertile shores, and burned Sigtuna, which
had become a prosperous commercial city after the de-
struction of Birka. The Swedes now had to "lock up
Lake Malar/’ This was done by building a fortress on
an island at the entrance, that was Stockholm.* Thus
*Hohn means island, and Stockholm may possibly be derived from the
"stockaded island."
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