Kung Agnes hög

Hidden within Sollentuna, Kung Agnes hög whispers tales of ancient kings and vengeful princesses. Kung Agnes hög isn’t just one mound, but a collection of fourteen burial mounds and a few stone settings. The largest mound, the so-called “Kungshögen,” stands an impressive 5 meters high and 28 meters in diameter. It dominates the landscape, a silent testament to a powerful figure from the past. Legend claims this is the resting place of King Agne. This story, passed down through time, tells of a king returning from a victorious campaign in Finland. He brought back Skjalf, daughter of the defeated Finnish chieftain Froste, as a captive. During a celebratory feast, Skjalf cunningly tricked Agne. She asked him to wear his precious gold torc for safekeeping. As he slept, she used the torc to hang him from a tree, avenging her father. Snorri Sturluson, the Icelandic historian, documented this dramatic tale in his 13th-century chronicle, Ynglingasagan. Another theory connects Kung Agnes hög to the nearby Hersby gård. “Hersby” potentially derives from the Old Norse word “hersir,” meaning chieftain. This suggests Hersby gård was once a chieftain’s estate. Three other burial sites within 300 meters support this theory, hinting at a local power center rather than a royal burial. The mounds likely date back to 400-550 AD, possibly even later, towards the latter half of the first millennium. Remarkably, Kung Agnes hög underwent one of Sweden’s first archaeological restorations in 1928. Led by the national antiquarian Sigurd Curman, the project cleared vegetation and reorganized the site. This early restoration work allows us today to experience the raw power and mystery of Kung Agnes hög, a place where legend and history intertwine.