Stone of Mora was the monument where the Swedish kings were elected during the Middle Ages, and probably even earlier. The beginning of the tradition is lost in the sands of time.
Mora Meadow
In Lagga parish about 10 km south-east of Uppsala is Mora äng (Mora Meadow). The location is at equal distance from the Tings of the old folklands Attundaland and Tiundaland.
The Stone and Ting of Mora
This was the location of Mora Ting, where the Swedish kings were elected. After his election was decided, the king was elevated on top of a flat stone and hailed by his subjects.
In the Westrogothic law, bishop Brynolf Algotsson (1279-1290) of Skara reminded the Geats that they had to accept this election by adding the following line on the top of the first page: Sveær egho konung at taka ok sva vrækæ meaning It is the Swedes (Suiones) who have the right of choosing and deposing the king.
The law of Uppland and Södermanland state: The three folklands, i.e. Tiundaland, Attundaland and Fjädrundaland, shall first elect king. Then the election will be established by the law speaker of Uppland and then by all his subordinate law speakers in the rest of the kingdom, one by one. This process was done during the so called Eriksgata.
Stone of Mora
The stone was flanked by many stones with inscriptions comemmorating the elections of earlier kings. However, the stones were destroyed in 1515 during the civil war against the Danes. Gustav Vasa and John III are said to have tried to reconstruct the Stones of Mora without success.
One of the fragments is known as the stone Three Crowns since it is the earliest known example of the use of Sweden's national symbol. The fragment is what remains of the election of Albert of Mecklenburg.
Elections of which documents have survived
- Magnus Ladulås. There is a document which tells that he was elected at the Stones of Mora in 1275.
- Magnus Birgersson was elected at the stones in 1319 shortly after which he was executed.
- Kristian I, in 1457, he was the last one to be elected at the stones.
The building
The building where the fragments are contained was constructed by Carl Wijnbladh 1770.
See also
Last updated: 08-01-2005 16:09:08
