insignia of independence – martin sunnqvist 375 sion that it was not as closely attached to the sovereignty of the state as the seal of the High Council was. It is relevant to try to compare these seals to those of similar courts in other European countries. In British literature, there has been a discussion about so-called deputed and departmental seals.1118 These are seals that are used instead of the great seal when it historically could or should have been used, but for practical reasons had been replaced by seals specific to a particular court or authority. They should be of the same size as the great seals, be two-sided and bear a portrait of the sovereign on one side and the King’s arms on the other.1119 The seals of the Parlement de Paris and the Grote Raad vanMechelen(Parlement deMalines) have been discussed in similar terms.1120 It is clear that neither the seals of the High Council or the Svea Court of Appeal meet all the criteria used for deputed or departmental seals. I have discussed the relationship between these courts and the King’s jurisdiction above. The question now is what seals were used for judgements confirmed by the King in the mediaeval period. From the Middle Ages, there are examples of judgements by the King under the royal seal. In 1225, King Erik Eriksson (r. 1222 – 1229, 1234 – 1250) and Archbishop Olof confirmed a judgement by a district court. The final words of the judgement areEgo ericus dei gratia Sweorum rex ss. & sigillo meo confirmo. Ego Olauus upsalensis archiepiscopus ss. & sigillo meo confirmo.1121 In 1355, there is a judgement by King Magnus Eriksson (r. 1319 – 1364) with the final words sub sigillo nostro ad causas1122 and one without these words but with a fragment of his ad causas seal, a seal especially used for judgements.1123 Except for this fragment, the seals are not preserved on these letters. In 1364, King Albrekt of Mecklenburg (r. 1364 – 1389) confirmed a judgement by the Drots of the Realm, under which his personal seal appeared. The King ended his judgement with the words sub secreto 1118 See Jenkinson, Hilary 1935 pp. 293-338. 1119 Jenkinson, Hilary 1935 p. 294. 1120 See 500Jaar Grote Raad. 1473-1973 p. 72: “afgeleide en gespecialiseerde zegel”; “zegel ‘bij afwezigheid’ of ‘geordend’ zegel.” 1121 Svenskt Diplomatarium/Diplomatarium Suecanum(hereafter DS), ed. Liljegren, nos. 240, vol. I, pp. 246-247; Svenskt Diplomatariums huvudkartotek över medeltidsbreven, www.riksarkivet.se (hereafter SDHK) no. 440. 1122 DS no. 5085, vol. VI, p. 535; SDHKno. 6817. 1123 DS no. 5086, vol. VI, pp. 535-536; SDHKno. 6819. See Fleetwood, Harald 1942, pp. 45-47. See Battenberg, Friedrich 1979 pp. 6-7 for ad causas seals of this period.
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