Eric IX of Sweden was a 12th-century monarch who founded the House of Erik, a dynasty that ruled Sweden intermittently until 1250. Born in Västergötland around 1120, he ascended to the throne approximately in 1156 and reigned until his death in Uppsala in 1160. He is remembered through hagiographical legends as a pious and just ruler who sought to strengthen Christianity within his realm. The Catholic Church recognizes him as a saint, and his feast day is observed on 18 May.