Ingold I

Inge Stenkilsson (king 1079–1084 (?) and 1087–1105) ruled with his half-brother Halsten, until Halsten died, in 1080. He had became co-ruler about 1079 because he is then mentioned as the king of the Swedes in a papal letter.

Inge had spent much of his youth in Russia at Staraja Ladoga. While in Russia he married his wife, Helena. Her origin is unknown but she was probably Russian or Greek. Their children were:

1. Kristina, married Grand Duke Mstislav of Kiev, and ancestress of several Kievan and Novgorod princes.
2. Ragnvald, died before 1105. His daughter, Ingigerd, was the mother of pretender (and alleged murderer) Magnus Henriksson
3. Margareta Fredkulla, married (1)Magnus Barefoot king of Norway; (2) king Niels of Denmark; through her second marriage, she was the mother of King Magnus the Strong of Westrogothia and claimant of Denmark
4. Katarina, married a Danish "Son of King", Bjorn Ironside, with whom she had a daughter Christina Bjornsdatter who married the future Eric IX of Sweden.

He was a fervent Christian who had churches built and bishops appointed. This led to popular rebellion that forced him to leave the Swedish core provinces in Svealand, where the people instated his "brother-in-law" Blot-Sweyn. In a papal letter from 1081, Ingold is no longer king of Sweden, only King of Westrogothia. He returned to Uppsala, in 1087, and killed Blot-Sweyn. This is probably the date of the destruction of the Temple at Uppsala.

During the late part of his reign, he fought the Norwegian king Magnus Barefoot. At the ensuing peace of Kungahälla, he married his daughter Margareta to Magnus Barefoot whereupon she was given the cognomen Fredkulla. He was succeed by his nephews Ingold II and Philip, sons of his brother Halsten Stenkilsson.

Sources

• Soloviev, Sergei. The History of Russia from the Most Ancient Times, 1959–1966
• William, Abbot of Ebelholt. Scriptores Historiae Danicae Minores, 1195