{"id":58873,"date":"2020-08-05T00:00:32","date_gmt":"2020-08-05T07:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/?p=58873"},"modified":"2020-08-14T13:05:44","modified_gmt":"2020-08-14T20:05:44","slug":"a-hat-on-a-pole-the-curious-case-of-the-king-who-almost-lost-his-country-after-his-hat-fell-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.todayifoundout.com\/index.php\/2020\/08\/a-hat-on-a-pole-the-curious-case-of-the-king-who-almost-lost-his-country-after-his-hat-fell-off\/","title":{"rendered":"A Hat on a Pole- The Curious Case of the King Who Almost Lost His Country After His Hat Fell Off"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"A good hat can be very hard to come by. A good example of this comes from H.G. Wells, who once stole the Mayor of Cambridge\u2019s hat, leaving a note that said: \u201cI stole your hat. I like your hat. I shall keep your hat\u201d.<\/p>\n

This all brings us to 9th century Scandinavia and a king called Erik Anundsson, sometimes also called Erik Weatherhat, a semi-legendary King of the Swedes during this period, who is primarily commemorated today via a hat placed on a cliffside. So what\u2019s the story here and why for over three centuries has a hat been kept on a pole in his honor?<\/p>\n

Anundsson is said to have been either the son of the Swedish king Anund Uppsale or as a son of the legendary Viking Ragnar Lothbrok. Him being the son of the previous Swedish king is the most widely accepted theory, but do keep in mind that most of the information we have about him comes from medieval Icelandic sources and should therefore be taken with a big old pinch of salt. The tale that has the most to tell us about Erik is The Saga of Harald Fairhair where he appears as an antagonist to the saga\u2019s hero, in this case the Norwegian king Harald Fairhair, but his name does appear in other works of the era as well. The oldest reference we have to mention the name \u201cErik Weatherhat\u201d is Saxo Grammaticus\u2019 Deeds of the Danes, written in the 13th century.<\/p>\n

In the Hervarar Saga Erik is described as a mighty king who was highly successful in expanding his realm in the lands of the east. In the Heimskringla written by Snorri Sturlason in the 13th century, a character called Torgny the Lawspeaker relates an anecdote about King Erik, where he mentions that Erik as a young man went on Viking raids each summer and had conquered the regions of Finland, Kirjalaland, Courland, Estonia and other eastern countries. He also mentions that there were still earth-bulwarks, ramparts, and other great works to be seen in these regions that had been built by King Erik, and that he was a humble man who would listen to what each of his subjects had to say to him.<\/p>\n

Raids and conquests in the east appear frequently when reading about the old Swedish kings, so how come Erik is especially remembered as being more successful in his eastern campaigns than his forebears? What made his campaigns different?<\/p>\n

The answer to this comes to us in a local legend in the M\u00e4lar Valley region of Sweden \u2013 the very heartland of the old Swedish kings. According to this tale Erik was so successful on his raids and campaigns because of his allegedly magical hat. We do not know from where he acquired this hat, but we are told of its magical properties. When Erik wore this hat, handily he could control the winds and the weather by simply turning the hat in any given direction. This was, of course, quite useful in the Viking Age when the main way of transportation was by ship and when sudden attacks by sea could be incredibly devastating. The powers of the hat increased the king\u2019s prestige and he would no longer be called \u201cErik Anundsson\u201d \u2026 He became Erik Weatherhat! We\u2019ll leave it to you to decide whether his hat was actually magical or just made him look magically dapper.<\/p>\n

Whatever the case, years passed and Erik became a rich and powerful king through plundering and subjugating the east, much due to the magic of his powerful hat. As he grew older, however, his earlier humility had left him and he had become very ambitious, and now sought to rule the west as well. He made plans to greatly expand the Swedish realm by incorporating the disputed regions in modern-day western Sweden, and even to conquer another country \u2013 Norway.<\/p>\n

Weatherhat\u2019s ambition was to create a kingdom as great as that ruled by the Swedish king Sigurd Ring and his son Ragnar Lothbrok. Apart from western Sweden, this also meant conquering the area of Viken in what was then southern Norway. This land was, however, already ruled by a king called Harald Fairhair, who was to become Erik\u2019s greatest rival- someone with magnificent hair always being greater than one who merely wears a hat, no doubt to hide hideous baldness\u2026<\/p>\n

The western campaign started off well for Erik, who managed to subjugate several regions of western Sweden and southern Norway, even making his way to Viken where Harald Fairhair ruled and forced many of the locals to accept him as their overlord. News of this of course reached the Norwegian king who was off doing his \u201cunite all of Norway\u201d-thing further north. Harald quickly rushed south and punished those who had betrayed him but was eventually successful in taking back his lands from King Erik.<\/p>\n

Erik, on the other hand, was busy feasting with his followers in one of his newly conquered regions called V\u00e4rmland. But one day he was approached by one of the richest farmers in the region, called \u00c5ke, who invited him to a feast. This suited Erik well, as this was what he was doing anyway. Unbeknownst to Erik, however, was that \u00c5ke had also invited King Harald to the same feast.<\/p>\n

In order to fit both kings \u00c5ke had built a new longhouse, that was much grander than his old one. He had also decorated his new longhouse in a more elaborate fashion and bought some new tapestries and beautiful dishware fit for a king and his retinue. He meanwhile decorated the old longhouse with worn tapestries and dishware that was still beautiful, but had seen many years of service.<\/p>\n

When both kings arrived \u00c5ke invited King Harald to his new longhouse, while he offered Erik the old one. After the feast, \u00c5ke walked over to King Harald and offered him his son Ubbe as a servant, which King Harald gladly accepted, and even referred to \u00c5ke as a friend. Erik, on the other hand, was insulted that \u00c5ke had clearly favoured the Norwegian king over him \u2013 his rightful king! He travelled and conversed with \u00c5ke until they reached a forest, and then asked him why he had favoured Harald, when \u00c5ke was after all, Erik\u2019s subject. \u00c5ke responded that he had offered Harald the new, splendid hall because Harald was a young king in the prime of his life, while Erik was old. He also said that he is as much a subject to the Swedish king, as the Swedish king is a subject to him.<\/p>\n

Erik did not care much for this answer but still chose to act diplomatically by beheading \u00c5ke with his sword and leaving his corpse in the forest. When King Harald got word of this, he swore to avenge the death of the loyal \u00c5ke and to wreak havoc upon King Erik\u2019s lands.<\/p>\n

Harald chased Erik out of V\u00e4rmland and subjugated the region. Erik returned back home, probably still angry with the petty farmer \u00c5ke and this young Norwegian king, but still confident that he could win this war.<\/p>\n

But now, things would take a turn for the worse for the once mighty King Weatherhat.<\/p>\n

So how does this story end? To find the answer, we must go back to that local legend. According to this legend, Erik had been secretly followed back home by King Harald\u2019s men. Erik, who of course suspected none of this, felt secure while he was in the heartland of Sweden. One day, for example, he went out riding without any guards. For some reason he travelled to a small forested island in the middle of Lake M\u00e4laren; an island that is now known as \u201cKungshatt\u201d or \u201cKing\u2019s Hat\u201d in English. And while Erik was out enjoying his stroll on this small island, the Norwegians decided to act.<\/p>\n

They followed King Erik to this island and attempted to catch him, but Erik noticed them just in time and managed to flee. The Norwegians chased the King of the Swedes until they reached a tall and steep cliff at the very top of the island. King Erik was now surrounded by his enemies on all sides, except for the steep cliffs behind him. He realized that he only had two choices \u2013 either get captured or risk everything by jumping from the cliffs.<\/p>\n

And so it was that Erik supposedly spurred his horse on and jumped from the tall cliffs and splashed into the murky waters below. And against all odds, both he and his horse allegedly survived the jump, and luckily for Erik his horse could swim and managed to get him to safety. Unfortunately, in the process of this daring escape, Erik had lost his hat.<\/p>\n

Naturally, now hatless, the remainder of the war did not go well for King Erik Weatherhat, who was now plain king Erik Anundsson again. He lost all the territory that he had gained in the war and most of western Sweden. King Erik died around 882 \u2013 895 AD and was succeeded by his son called Bj\u00f6rn who would rule as King of the Swedes for a very long time, until he had a son named after his once glorious father. This son would later become known as Erik the Victorious.<\/p>\n

So, what are we to make of this tale? Is there any truth to it? Well, since the story is based on medieval Icelandic manuscripts and a local legend, it is quite easy to dismiss it as pure fantasy. But there is likely some truth to the tale of King Erik, as his name shows up in many different manuscripts relating to the period. How much is true is however, much more difficult to say. It is definitely possible that there was once a Swedish king called Erik who was successful in the east, but was defeated in the west by Harald Fairhair. The regions they fought over could have existed in a power vacuum left there by the weakened Danish kings towards the late 9th century. The tale of the magical hat is likely just icing on the cake, however, conjured from an obscure reference to a legendary figure, named Erik Weatherhat in the old sources.<\/p>\n

But that did not stop the locals on the island of Kungshatt from erecting a big hat on a pole on those very cliffs in the early 17th century. The hat has been replaced a several times, but still stands at the top of the cliffs to this very day, from where it is said that brave King Erik jumped to escape his foes. The tale, too, has stood the test of time, and is still told today when travelling past the hat on the pole. And at least since the 19th century it has been a tradition when passing the hat to take off your own hat in salute to the king\u2019s lost artifact, or if you are already hatless, to just give it a good wave. If you do so, legend says you will tap into some of that glorious hat magic and have good luck with the weather, for the remainder of the day.<\/p>\n

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