Sankt Botvids källa, Natural spring at Lake Bornsjön in Salem Municipality, Sweden.
Sankt Botvids källa is an artesian spring at Lake Bornsjön in Salem Municipality that continuously releases water at a rate of 5 to 10 liters per second. The flowing water creates a small lagoon before joining the lake through a short stream.
The spring is named after Saint Botvid, whose relics were carried in procession in 1129 to a new church built by his brother Björn at Botkyrka. When the bearers set the relics down to rest, a spring reportedly burst from the ground. Botvid had been buried around 1120 at Salem Church, 1.5 km west, making it a pilgrimage church. The present spring cannot be identical to the one in the legend.
This spring forms part of Saint Botvid's Pilgrimage Trail and serves as a place where visitors pause for reflection along the religious route. The flowing water creates a natural focal point for those seeking spiritual connection during their journey.
The spring sits where Bergaholmsvägen becomes Sankt Botvids väg, near the Botkyrka border. The iron-rich water feeds a short stream to Bornsjön, leaving yellow and green algae on the streambed. The ground by the pool is wet and can be slippery; the Söderby runestone stands about fifty metres away.
The Söderby runestone stands nearby, connecting this site to both medieval Christian and ancient Nordic heritage. This layering of religious and cultural periods makes it a place where two historical worlds meet.
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