The Arthurian Legacy in Sweden

The so-called Eufemiavisor, three translations into Old Swedish written at the behest of the Norwegian Queen Eufemia at the beginning of the fourteenth century, mark the beginning of Swedish literature. At least, there is no trace of earlier literary texts of the same scope as the Eufemiavisor: the runic inscriptions, law texts, and legends that precede them are really not narrative literary texts as extensive as the Eufemiavisor.

This beginning of Swedish literature also signalled the arrival of King Arthur in Sweden. Two of the Eufemiavisor link up directly with the Arthurian tradition. Herr Ivan mainly recalls Chrétien de Troyes’s famous romance Le Chevalier au lion: the French text was the Swedish translator’s main source text, while the Old Norse translation of the romance, Ívens saga, served as occasional support.¹ The source text of the second of the Eufemiavisor, Hertig Fredrik av Normandie, has not survived, but similarities with the German genre of the Spielmannsepos have been pointed out by William Layher (1999), and the text presents a strong “Arthurian veneer” (Layher 1999, 247). Florian Bambeck, who has studied Hertig Fredrik av Normandie extensively, considers it as “ein nachklassischer Artusroman mit Brautwerbungsepisode, der seine Handlung in eine nacharturische Ära verlegt” (2009, 235) [a postclassical Arthurian romance with a courtship episode, whose plot is set in a post-Arthurian era].² The third text that was written at the behest of Queen Eufemia, Flores och Blanzeflor, can hardly be considered an Arthurian text, since it goes back to the tradition of the French roman idyllique, a genre that was also known throughout medieval Europe.

The Old Swedish Herr Ivan, the first of the three Eufemiavisor, presents both ideological and stylistic ideals, and simultaneously introduced the Arthurian legend to Sweden.³ When reading the becomes clear that King Arthur was not considered a well-known character by the new public but needed a careful presentation:

J nampn fadhers oc sons oc thæs hælgha andhawil iak taka mik till handaforna saghu fram att førathem til skemptan ther a wilæ høraaff the werdhogasta konunga twather man æ hørdhe sakt j fra:Karlamagnus oc konung Artws;til dyghdh oc æro waro the fws.Artws war konung aff Ængland.Han van Rom medh swerdh oc brandok war ther keyser medh mykle æra.Han frælste Ængland aff hardhe kæra ok skat ther romara førra giordho,swa at ængin han sidhen kreffwia thordhe.Annar war Karlamagnus aff Franz.Thet wil iak idher sighia til sanz,mot hedhna mæn for cristna at stridæwaro enge fræmbre j thera tidæ.Badhe the herra iak sigher j frathe haffwa thera framfærdh skipath swa,ower alla werldina gaar thera loffhwar herra och førstæ søkiæ hoff.Konunga synir the søkto thera heem,hertoghar, iærlar, greffuar thiænte them;riddara synir the giordo och swaoch alle the ther wider kunno na.Om thenne werdug konung Artus daghawaro kempæ starke thera liiff tordo wagafor ridderskap och frvr æræ.Thet ær illæ the æru nw færræfore frvor loff wilæ priis at winnæ;man kan them nw næplik finnæ.

(Noreen 1931, vv. 1–32)

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I will take it upon myself to tell an old tale as entertainment for those who want to listen about the two most worthy kings about whom stories have ever been told: Charlemagne and King Arthur; they were eager for virtue and honor. Arthur was the king of England. He conquered Rome with sword and fire and was emperor there with great glory. He freed England from hardship and from tribute which the Romans formerly imposed, so that nobody has dared demand it since. Charlemagne was the other one. In truth I want to tell you: where Christians battled against the heathens none was more outstanding in those days. The two rulers I am telling you about have governed their actions in such a manner that their praise has spread over the entire earth...