THE FIRST FINNISH KNIGTH
(historical character)
It is 1396 AD. A group of Finnish and Swedish nobility has gathered in the fields of Mora to choose a new king. The Swedes choose the son of the niece of Queen Margaret "the mistress invested with full powers" as their king. The king, Eric of Pommer is already the ruler of Denmark and Norway. In honour of the election the new king dubs 36 of his most loyal supporters knights.
Niilo Olavsson kneels in front of his king. He places his hand between the hands of the ruler and repeats with a serious expression on his face the sentence: " I Niilo Olavsson from the Suontaa mansion in Tyrväntö promise in the name of the merciful God, Virgin Mary, Saint Eric and Holy Knut to protect the holy Christian faith, to be loyal to my king Eric and to protect all the weak such as the widows, the fatherless and motherless children and the beautiful damsels with my life and possessions and fight against all injustice and unfair. I promise to shed my blood for my king and my God." The king touches him flat with his shining sword on the left shoulder –on the side of the heart where the knight’s life power is. Niilo Olavsson is now the king’s knight and he is obligated by the oath of knighthood and fairness. He no longer needs to pay taxes to the Crown, but he does have to arm a precious horse for battle. The knighthood obligates him to be loyal to the monarch and fight by his side until the last draw of breath. The king needs to gather troops for the entire kingdom is in turmoil. The Queen Margaret has through the son of her niece united the whole of North into one large kingdom, but it is so far unknown whether all the people will stay loyal to her…
