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72 A History of Sweden
Waldemar he entered into an alliance against the elder
brother, King Birger. But as long as the young king
had the powerful support of Torgils Knutsson, they
could accomplish nothing.
Then the two brothers persuaded the weak king that
Torgils was the cause of their disagreements and in-
duced him to remove his powerful supporter. One day
the three brothers appeared at Torgils’ home in West
Gothland. There King Birger arrested the man who
had been as a father to him so many years. "This will
be your shame, my Lord King, as long as you live/’ ex-
claimed the aged man. He was placed on a horse and
carried all the way to Stockholm. There he was be-
headed in the year 1306. This was his reward for many
years of faithful service.
The Hatuna Game. But "Punishment follows the
footsteps of Crime." One day, later in the year, the
two dukes came unexpectedly to visit the king at his
estate Hatuna, near Sigtuna. They were well received,
but rewarded the hospitality by capturing the king and
his family during the night. This event came to be
called the Hatuna Game (Hatunaleken).
Birger was released after two years, but had to con-
tent himself with a third of the kingdom and to make
a solemn promise that all past differences should be
forgotten. Thus Sweden was divided among three
young princes, each of whom kept a prodigal court, to
the bitter cost of the peasants. Among the brothers,
Eric appeared the most magnificent. He married a
Norwegian princess, the sole heiress to her country’s
throne, and began to revolve grand plans in his mind.
The Nykoping Banquet. At yuletide 1317, Birger in-
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