Eriksgata

Eriksgata (i.e. "Erik's Road") was the tour traditionally taken in the

have made visits to Swedish provinces and called them an "Eriksgata", but those visits have no resemblance to the old medieval tradition.

The earliest reference of an Eriksgata is probably from

. But the tradition is probably much older than that.

The Eriksgata journey was not without risks since there is at least one example of a King being killed during his Eriksgata. This is the incident from the 1120s recorded by Saxo Grammaticus and also in an appendix to the Västgöta law. According to these sources, the newly elected King Ragnvald Knaphövde carelessly decided not to take along the customary hostages from prominent local families while travelling through Västergötland, even though a rival candidate for the throne had gained support in the province. According to Västgötalagen Ragnvald's decision was taken as an insult to the people of Västergötland, since it showed that he did not fear them, and they killed him in Karlepitt (an unknown location in Västergötland).

External links

• Kulturarv Östergötland "Heritage Östergötland"