Icelandic sagas

Despite the fact that the legendary title "King of Kvenland" appears widely used in various contexts, it is mentioned only once in sagas: Faravid

Faravid

Faravid was a legendary King of Kvenland who is mentioned in the Icelandic Egils saga from the early 13th century. According to the saga, Faravid made an alliance with Norwegians to fight against Karelian invaders. The saga mentions him in a 9th century context, but this is too early to be credible...

 in Egil's saga

Egils saga

Egils saga is an epic Icelandic saga. The oldest transcript dates back to 1240 AD. The saga is centered on the life of Egill Skallagrímsson, an Icelandic farmer, viking and skald...

 is directly said to be the "King of Kvenland". He also appears to have been a Kven himself.

Two other sagas that mention Kvenland, Hversu Noregr byggdist

Hversu Noregr byggdist

Hversu Noregr byggðist is an account of the origin of various legendary Norwegian lineages, which survives only in the Flatey Book. It traces the descendants of the primeval Finnish ruler Fornjót down to Nór, who is here the eponym and first great king of Norway, and then gives details of the...

 and Orkneyinga saga

Orkneyinga saga

The Orkneyinga saga is a historical narrative of the history of the Orkney Islands, from their capture by the Norwegian king in the ninth century onwards until about 1200...

, do not use the title.

In Orkneyinga, only Fornjót

Fornjót

Fornjót was an ancient giant in Norse mythology and a king of Finland. His children are Ægir , Logi and Kári ....

 is said to be "a king" and that he "reigned over Gotland, which we now know as Finland and Kvenland", never stating that he was specifically a "King of Kvenland". Orkneyinga neither says that Fornjót or any of his descendants were Kvens which is another common misconception.

Hversu has very much the same usage of the title. This time only Fornjót's (who is said to be just "a man") great-grandson Old Snow

Snær

Snær Snærr, East Norse Sniō, Latin Nix, Nivis) 'snow', in Norse mythology seemingly a personification of snow, appearing in extant text as an euhemerized legendary Scandinavian king.-Icelandic tradition:...

 and his son Thorri are told to be kings, but again not "Kings of Kvenland". Kvenland appears only in relation to Thorri of whom it is said that "he ruled over Gothland, Kvenland, and Finland". Again, no mention that anyone of them had been Kvens. Hversu briefly mentions that Kvens made sacrifices to Thorri.

None of the kings mentioned to have ruled Kvenland can be verified to have been historical persons.

Charles IX of Sweden

It is often, and erroneously, referenced that king Charles IX of Sweden

Charles IX of Sweden

Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...

 would have called himself as the "King of the Kvens". The king expanded his already lengthy title 1607 CE to be as follows (example from year 1608 CE):

"Carl then Nijonde medh Gudz nådhe, Swerikes, Göthes, Wendes, Finnars, Carelers, Lappers j Nordlanden, the Caijaners, och Esters j Lifland, etc. Konung"

The title does not include Kvens, but "Caijaners", Swedish name for inhabitants of Kainuu

Kainuu

Kainuu is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Northern Ostrobothnia, North Karelia and Northern Savonia. In the east it also borders Russia. Kainuu is known in the ancient Norse sagas as Kvenland....

. His son dropped the "Lappers j Nordlanden, the Caijaners" from the title 1611 CE when he succeeded his father as king, and the text was not added to it later. The fix in the Charles IX's title is clearly related to the construction of the Kajaani castle

Kajaani castle

The Kajaani castle was built on the Ämmäkoski island of the Kajaani river in the centre of Kajaani, Finland, in the century....

1604 CE close to the Russian border.