Erik VII, "Segersäll" Björnsson, King of the Svear - Numbering

All these numbering schemes were applied centuries later.

Pick a version you like, and use that.

Check with the curator first. He may have a numbering scheme which he likes, usually for no valid reason most of the time.

Regards,

Mike King

I was actually searching for a Geni profile which specifically demonstrated how arbitrary the number systems are, to make a point in another discussion thread, so this was a good example :)

The Swedish kings might be a very good example or a very bad example, depending on how you look at it.

I don't remember the details but the Swedish kings started using the current numbering system sometime in the 16th century. One of the Vasas. Maybe Erik XIV. They adopted their numbers based on a history by Johannes Magnus, which included kings who are now regarded as fictional.

I'll see if I can find a reference.

How about Harrison, Dick (2009), Sveriges historia 600-1350, pp. 21, 121, ISBN 978-91-1-302377-9

Good enough, I'm sure.

Wikipedia might be more accessible for some people so I'll add that to the list:

"In the 16th century, Johannes Magnus constructed a mythical line of Swedish kings, beginning with Magog, the son of Japheth, to demonstrate the antiquity of the Swedish throne. On the basis of his list, Eric XIV and Charles IX adopted their high ordinals; previous monarchs with those names are traditionally numbered counting backward from Eric XIV and Charles IX. In contemporary Swedish usage, medieval kings are usually not given any ordinal at all."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Swedish_monarchs