Botulf of Gottröra (d. 1311) is, as far as we know, the only person executed for heresy in the Swedish Middle Ages. The only document that testifies to Botulf's fate is his death sentence issued by Archbishop Nils Kettilsson, but this text contains important information about the inquisition process and how a heretic was perceived in Sweden in the early 14th century. Although Botulf's case is well known among Swedish historians, there are only a few studies that analyze the source text in detail, and these are only available to a Swedish-speaking audience.

My project examines Botulf's death sentence based on the last decades of research on medieval heretic movements. In particular, I examine how the heretic Botulf is constructed in this text based on literary and rhetorical themes that existed in medieval antiheretical literature. I also show how the procedure was inspired by continental practices and in what respects it deviated from them. A comparison of Botulf's case with similar cases in the European periphery also demonstrates the links between heresy trials outside the areas where the Inquisition was mainly active. The article is accompanied by the source text in Latin with an English translation to make this unique event in Swedish history accessible to international researchers and students.