Skärkind
Skärkind is situated in the intersection between the municipalities of Söderköping, Norrköping and Linköping, but away from the main roads. This was not always the case. The pre-historic main road – which the Royal Route followed – from Söderköping towards Linköping, passed through Skärkind, from the church to the village of Ekenberg, via Halleby to Örtomta. To the east, there were forests like Aspveden and Alvestad, dangerous and not easily forced, where wild animals and outlaws were a reality. This was also the route along which the remnants of St. Birgitta were carried on her last journey.
Crowned heads on the Skärkind old church which is now a funeral chapel. 12th century. The abundance of stone enclosures and grave-fields indicates a well populated area in the early Iron Age. In the 5th century, the laconic rune-stone was carved, which is now in the cemetery near the old church. This is not the original position, but presumably very close. The text just says “skiÞaleubaR”, which has been interpreted in different ways. The meaning can be ”Leubar at the court site”, and in that case it indicates the hundred court site, which may have been situated there the 5th century, until about the year 1700, when the court moved to Gistad. The place thus has become the first church site, a very common place-continuity in Sweden. The gallows hill was one km west of the present vicarage, where there was also a grave-field.
The Halleby grave-field from early Iron Age is situated near a system of stone enclosures and, on the opposite side of Lake Hallebysjön, there is a hillfort – Borgarön. A kind of settlement was in existence here 1500 years ago, permanent or moving around in the neighbourhood.
In the early Middle Ages, the Folkunga royal family owned land and farms in Skärkind. A battle in the bloody struggle between the three brothers, Duke Erik, Duke Valdemar and King Birger, took place here in 1318, when the armed forces of the murdered dukes ambushed Birger´s army and defeated him.
Since then, Swedish history has graced other arenas, but 700 years ago Skärkind was one of the most important places of Sweden.
After Skärkind, the Royal Route continued to Askeby and Linköping.