s convened to fill
the people with discontent, so that the union with Norway did not
prove a happy one. A separation was brought about in 1844, when
Haakon, the younger son of Magnus, was made king of Norway, Magnus
remaining in power until Haakon came of age, and his older son,
Eric, was chosen king or heir-apparent of Sweden. It seems that this
division had been preconceived by King Magnus when he gave this older
son the Swedish name of Eric and to the younger the Norwegian name
of Haakon, both equally characteristic of the royal lines of the
respective countries.

It was during the Folkung period that there flourished one of the most
remarkable and renowned of Swedish women, St. Birgitta. At the Swedish
court, she was the highest functionary of Queen Blanche, where she
gathered deep and strong indignation against the mighty and powerful
world. By some she is considered a reformer before Luther, because
she insisted on direct communication between the communicant and God
without the mediation of priests or saints. Yet there was a difference
between Birgitta and Luther, because the latter sought to reform
institutions, while the former would reform the upholders of the
institutions.

After the reign of Magnus and his sons, there came for a brief season
Albrecht of Germany, and after him Queen Margaret, who united for
the first time in history the three Scandinavian countries and their
dependencies. This period was denominated one of unionism against
patriotism, and closed with the rebellion of Denmark and the ascending
of the Swedish throne by Christian of Denmark, who claimed the right
of his descent from St. Eric. Then followed the public execution
under edict of King Christian, when eighty-two persons were beheaded,
including many bishops and men of note in Sweden.

It is needless to say that this period was followed immediately by
one of revolution and reformation, characterized by much heroism and
patriotism, and bringing into prominence those splendid warriors,
Gustavus Vasa, Gustavus Adolphus, Charles XII, and others, and the
memorable battle of Pultowa and other lesser engagements.

After this came a period of political grandeur under various rulers,
notably Queen Christine, followed by what has been called the period
of Liberty, or the Aristocratic Republic, under Queen Ulrica Eleonore,
when literature and the arts and sciences flourished, and Swedenborg,
Linnaeus, Dahlin, Tegner, and many others came int