Sverker I of Gothenland (The Kalmar Union)

Emerging victorious out of a decade of chaos in Gothenland, Sverker I would go onto rule Svealand as well founding successful dynasties in each realm.

The exact circumstances of his rise are obscure as are most events in the near absence of sources during Gothenland's mini-'Dark Age'. It is known he was a prominent landowner in the Östergötland on the vague borders between Gothenland proper and Svealand. As revolts hit Hakan's rule in the 1110s his nobles began to squabble amongst themselves for power. Hakan's son Halsten may have been crowned in 1115 but he anarchy was already overtaking the kingdom and Halsten was either deposed or killed. Various nobles fought it out for the crown. Sverker appears to have secured the friendship of the Svealandic king Inge II and with this royal assent slowly eliminated his rivals until he could secure his coronation in 1128.

Meanwhile Inge II had died and Svealand had passed to Magnus I Nielsson, however he was a Vikene Estridssen and his rule was soon in trouble. Deposed in 1130 the Svealandic nobles proclaimed Sverker King of Svealand, but he was bound by oaths not to rule 'the two as one' and so the two kingdoms were kept separate. To make matters more complicated Magnus' step-mother Ulvhild ran away from Niels I of Viken to become Sverker's wife.

Once Magnus inherited Viken from his father in 1137 he began to plot his revenge however the two kings would be reconciled when Sverker's daughter Helena married Magnus's son Cnut. Sverker would later marry Magnus' widow Richeza to secure an alliance with Poland.

He was an avid builder of monasteries, perhaps to smooth over his reputation as a warrior however once the threat of attack from Viken had passed he ploughed his two kingdom's energies into military ventures in the east. He would break the cease-fire with Novgorod on papal urging in 1142. This act began a near-800 year permanent state of war between Svealand and Novgorod.

Sverker was murdered at Alvastra in 1156. The suspected instigator, Magnus II Henriksson, would briefly rule Svealand from 1161-62. However after his death in battle Svealand was inherited by Sverker's grandson Burislev. In Gothenland Sverker's son Karl I. succeeded.