I paraphrase Bibi Sawyer:
the swedish legend was developed as a response to claims of
overlordship from germany and denmark. when the swedish
archbishopric was established in 1164, the pope decided
that the swedish archbishop was always to be subject to
the archbishop of denmark. the swedes opposed this and made up the
story ... according t 13th c. legend Olof Skotkonung (the first
christian king of sweden) asked his friend king Mildred in England
to send him missionaries, and the english king sent him none less
tha sigfried, archbishop of York. of course, there never was
an english king mildred or archbishop of york sigfried.
anyone wishing to quote Dr. Sawyer more precisely will find
this info. in her comment to the paper by Arnold Angenendt
on "The Conversion of the ANglo-Saxons" in
Angli e Sassoni al di qua e al di la del mare
Settimane di Studio del Centro Italiano di studi sull alto medioevo
XXXII vol. 2 pp. 747-81. Sawyers contribution is probably near
to p. 781.
Margaret Cormack [log in to unmask]
Dept. of Philosophy and Religion fax: 843-953-6388
College of Charleston tel: 843-953-8033
Charleston, SC 29424-0001
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