Folke Filbyter - Verner von Heidenstam

Art. no. 216584063 24 Apr 2025

Folke Filbyter is a novel by Swedish author Verner von Heidenstam, published in 1905. It is the first part of a series of novels called Folkungaträdet, which depicts the history of the Folkung dynasty in the Middle Ages. In this book, Folke Filbyter, the ancestor of the family, is portrayed as a stubborn and greedy farmer from Östergötland. He sets out on a Viking raid to create a fortune that will become the basis for the survival of the dynasty. He marries not a highborn maiden but a Finn woman, daughter of the dwarf Jorgrimme, and it is from her that the dark features of the Folkung saga originate. From her, the Folkung have inherited their strong hatred, cunning and cruelty.

In Folke Filbyter, the protagonist is portrayed as a man undergoing a tragic development. After losing his son and having his beloved grandson secretly abducted, he becomes rootless in life. The novel explores themes of greed, power and family ties, and offers a glimpse into medieval Sweden through Heidenstam's poetic and epic style. The work is part of a planned trilogy, the second part of which, Bjälboarvet, was published in 1907. A third planned novel was to have revolved around the Nyköping Feast, but was never realized.