The Heritage of Arn

The Heritage of Arn
Swedish first edition cover
Author(s)	Jan Guillou
Original title	Arvet efter Arn
Country	Sweden
Language	Swedish
Genre(s)	Historical novel
Publisher	Piratförlaget
Publication date	June 2001
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback) & Audio Book & E-book
Pages	424 pp
ISBN	91-642-0003-5
OCLC Number	49309930
LC Classification	PT9876.17.U38 A78 2001
Preceded by	The Kingdom at the End of the Road

The Heritage of Arn (Swedish: Arvet efter Arn) is a follow-up to The Knight Templar (Crusades trilogy) by Jan Guillou about Birger jarl, the founder of Stockholm - fictionalized to be Arn Magnusson's grandson.

The story spans across a transitional period of Scandinavia where the last remnants of the Viking traditions are replaced by continental medieval customs and the Swedes and Geats unite under the hard rule of Birger "Jarl" Magnusson. The book basing itself on Swedish history and legends, taking great artistic freedoms starts Birger as a young man who has just lost his father Magnus and grandfather Arn Magnusson. Under the eyes of his determined mother, he is groomed into a fully fledged general and statesman. Cunning in war, finance, politics and theology, he slowly seizes power over the country, makes Finland part of Sweden and eliminates all pretenders to the throne in favour of his own son. Thus concluding the work of making Sweden one single nation.

See also

• The Knight Templar (Crusades trilogy)
• The Road to Jerusalem (1998), ISBN 91-1-300565-0 the first book in the series
• The Knight Templar (1999), ISBN 91-1-300733-5 the second book in the series
• The Kingdom at the End of the Road (2000), ISBN 91-89426-02-9 the third book in the series