Inge the Younger
King of Sweden
Inge the Younger was King of Sweden in c. 1110–c. 1125 and probably the youngest son of king Halsten. According to unreliable traditions, Inge would have ruled together with his brother Philip Halstensson after the death of their uncle, Inge the Elder. In English literature both have also been called Ingold.
Hallstein's sons were Philip and Ingi, and they succeeded to the Kingdom of Sweden after King Ingi the elder. (The 13th century Hervarar saga)
Other sources say that after the death of Philip (1118), Inge the Younger was the sole king of Sweden, but the year of his own death is unknown. According to the regnal list in the Westrogothic law, Inge was poisoned with an evil drink in Östergötland:
Niunði war Ingi konongær, broðher Philipusær konongs, oc heter æptir Ingæ kononge, Halstens konongs brødhær. Hanum war firigiort mæð ondom dryk i Østrægøtlanði, oc fek aff þy banæ. Æn Sweriki for e wæl, mædhæn þer frænlingær rædhu.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Inge the Younger” is king of Sweden. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Inge, Younger and King, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “king of Sweden” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated Dec 24, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q471475. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1110, 1125 and 1118.
Public reputation and documentary evidence do not always develop together; absence from a summary is not evidence of historical absence. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
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Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Inge the Younger”, its source revision and the description used here.
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- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Inge the Younger” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.