View source for King of the Goths

{{Short description|Title previously used by Swedish and Danish monarchs}}
{{About|the medieval title|the migration-era Goths|King of the Visigoths|and|King of the Ostrogoths}}
The title of '''King of the Goths''' ({{langx|sv|Götes konung}}; {{langx|da|Goternes konge}}; {{langx|la|gothorum rex}}) was for many centuries borne by both the [[List of Swedish monarchs|kings of Sweden]] and the [[List of Danish monarchs|kings of Denmark]].

In the Swedish case, the reference is to [[Götaland]] (land of the [[Geats]]); in the Danish case, to the island of [[Gotland]] (land of the [[Gutes]]).

== Migration period ==
{{see|King of the Visigoths|King of the Ostrogoths|King of the Wends}}

[[Getica|Jordanes' ''Getica'']] has a number of legendary kings of the Goths predating the 4th century:  [[Berig]] (the leader of the original Goths during their migration from [[Scandza]] to [[Oium]]), and 
[[Filimer|Filimer son of Gadaric]] ("about the fifth since Berig").
A Gothic leader named [[Cniva]] is recorded for the [[Battle of Abritus]] of 250.

[[Attila|Attila the Hun]] styled himself "Attila, Descendant of the Great [[Nimrod]]. Nurtured in Engaddi. By the grace of God, King of the [[Huns]], the Goths, the [[Danes (tribe)|Danes]], and the [[Medes]]. The Dread of the World".<ref name=Creasy>{{Cite book |last=Creasy |first=Edward Shepherd |author-link=Edward Shepherd Creasy |title=Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World from Marathon to Waterloo |year=1969 |publisher=[[The Heritage Press|Heritage Press]]/[[BiblioBazaar|BiblioLife]] |asin=B000LF91OK |page=149 |edition=[[Harper (publisher)|Harper]] |chapter=Chapter VI. The Battle of Chalons, A.D. 451 }}</ref>

== Swedish title ==
{{see|King of the Geats}}

A papal letter from about 1100 is directed to two Swedish kings—[[Inge the Elder]] and [[Halsten]] or [[Håkan Röde]] (only the initials are given)—as Kings of the Visigoths, which has been interpreted as meaning that they only ruled over [[Västergötland]], and had lost control over the rest of the country.

In a papal letter dated 5 September 1164, King [[Karl Sverkersson]] ({{circa}} 1130–67; reigned 1161–1167) was addressed as ''rex Sweorum et Gothorum''.

The first Swedish king to regularly use the title was King [[Magnus Ladulås]], particularly after he had in {{circa}} 1278 had his final win over his deposed brother [[Valdemar, King of Sweden|Valdemar]] who had hitherto held lands of Västergötland. First ''Sveriges och Götes Konung'' up to later decades of [[Gustav Vasa]], then ''Sveriges, Götes och Vendes Konung'', was used in official documentation. Between [[Union between Sweden and Norway|1814 and 1905]] ''Sveriges, Norges, Götes och Vendes Konung'' was used, adding [[Norway]]. ''Sveriges, Götes och Vendes Konung'' was used again from 1905 up to the accession of [[Carl XVI Gustaf]] in 1973, who was the first monarch officially proclaimed ''Sveriges Konung'' ("King of Sweden") and nothing else.

== Danish title ==
[[File:Coat of arms of Jutland or the King of Goths.svg|thumb|right|Coat of arms representing the Danish monarchs' title as 'King of the Goths'. Today it is a common symbol of [[Jutland]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://forsvaret.dk/JDR/Om%20Jydske%20Dragonregiment/Pages/default.aspx|website=[[Forsvaret.dk]] |title=Om Jydske Dragonregiment|access-date=11 December 2021}}</ref>]]
The first Danish king to use the title was [[Valdemar IV of Denmark|Valdemar IV]] (reigned 1340 to 1375), who adopted it in 1362<ref name="Svane">Svane, Erling: Det danske Rigsvåben og Kongevåben, Odense University Press, 1994, p. 172 {{in lang|da}}</ref> after conquering Gotland the previous year. The Danish kings continued to use the title over the next six hundred years until 1972, when Queen [[Margrethe II]] succeeded. She abandoned the use of all her predecessors' titles except her title as 'Denmark's Queen', which is the royal style today.

First documented 1449,<ref name="Svane"/> the [[coat of arms of Denmark|arms of the Danish monarchs]]<!--In 1960 reclassified as the arms of the Danish monarch--> contained until 1972 a subcoat representing the title ''King of the Goths'': on gold, a blue [[Leopard (heraldry)|heraldic leopard]] above nine red [[Seeblatt|heraldic hearts]].<!-- the sea-leaves are in the arms of Denmark. This symbol dates from a time when hearts were used also for the Danish arms--> Originally derived from the arms of the [[Duke of Halland|dukes of Halland]] which again was derived from the Danish arms. This symbol is consequently unrelated to Gotland's arms featuring the [[Agnus Dei]], although the latter symbol was also formerly represented in the arms of Denmark.<!--from the reigns of Frederick II to Frederick VI-->{{clear}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
*{{Cite web |last=Rozn |first=Val |date=2004 |title=Denmark |url=http://www.geocities.com/eurprin/denmark.html |website=The Titles of European Rulers |access-date=10 June 2022 |archive-date=21 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021160355/http://geocities.com/eurprin/denmark.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}
*{{Cite web |last=Rozn |first=Val |date=2004 |title=Sweden |url=http://www.geocities.com/eurprin/sweden.html |website=The Titles of European Rulers |access-date=10 June 2022 |archive-date=22 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022050352/http://geocities.com/eurprin/sweden.html |url-status=bot: unknown }}

== Further reading ==
*{{cite book |author=J. Guinchard |title=Sweden: Historical and statistical handbook |year=1914 |location=Stockholm |publisher=P. A. Norstedt & Söner |page=188 |url=https://runeberg.org/sweden14/1/0218.html}}

[[Category:13th-century establishments in Sweden]]
[[Category:Goths]]
[[Category:Danish heraldry]]
[[Category:Swedish heraldry]]
[[Category:Monarchy of Denmark]]
[[Category:Monarchy of Sweden]]
[[Category:Style of the Swedish sovereign]]