Magnus Eriksson
King of Sweden and Norway (1316–1374)
Magnus Eriksson (April or May 1316 – 1 December 1374) was King of Sweden from 1319 to 1364, King of Norway as Magnus VII from 1319 to 1355, and ruler of Scania from 1332 to 1360. His long reign saw major legal and administrative reforms, including the introduction of Magnus Erikssons landslag, the first law code intended to apply throughout the Swedish countryside.
Medieval Swedish kings did not use regnal numbers as part of their titles. Magnus is therefore variously referred to in modern sources as Magnus II, Magnus III, or Magnus IV. He was also known by the later epithet Magnus Smek, the meaning of which has been variously interpreted. Magnus remained Sweden's longest-reigning monarch until 2018, when the length of his reign was surpassed by Carl XVI Gustaf.
Biography
Early life and accession
Magnus was born in Norway, either in April or May 1316. His father was Duke Erik Magnusson, son of King Magnus Ladulås of Sweden. His mother was Ingeborg, daughter of King Haakon V of Norway. Magnus was elected king of Sweden on 8 July 1319 at Mora Thing to prevent the previous king Birger Magnusson, his uncle, from returning to power. Magnus was also acknowledged as the hereditary king of Norway at Haugating in Tønsberg in August of the same year.
The public source identifies “Magnus Eriksson” as king of Sweden and Norway (1316–1374). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Magnus, Eriksson and King.
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Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q314457. VIAF identifies the subject as 817379. The Library of Congress control number is n97036403. 3 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1316, 1374, 1319 and 1364.
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This entry incorporates text from “Magnus Eriksson” 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.