Botulf Botulfsson
Encyclopedia
Botulf Botulfsson from Gottröra
, Uppland
, was a Swedish
man burned at the stake for heresy
. His is the only confirmed case of an execution for heresy in Sweden.
He was accused by the Catholic Church of heresy after having denied that the wine and bread of the communion was literally the blood and body
of Christ
.
in the autumn of 1303 reached the parish of Gottröra, the local priest, Father Andreas, reported to him a case of heresy. One of the people of his congregation, the peasant Botulf from Östby, had one day after communion said that he did not believe that the wine and bread of communion was the blood and body of Christ. This was a severe crime against the law of the Church, which had decided to support and make a doctrine of the view that the wine and bread of the communion was not only symbolically but literally turned to the blood and body of Christ in 1215. The archbishop had himself studied this in Germany, France, and at the curia in Rome in the 1290s, and was eager to see this new idea accepted in Sweden.
Botulf was called upon and interrogated by the archbishop in church; eventually he admitted having said what the priest claimed and then, according to the documents, very quickly said that he now realised that what he said was dangerous heresy and that he deeply regretted having said it. He was then made to take back what he had said in front of the congregation and was sentenced by the archbishop to a penance of seven years, after which he was to be taken back to the congregation and to receive communion again.
, where he was released from the penance by the new archbishop Nils Kettilsson. The 19 April 1310 he went to church to receive communion by Father Andreas, the same priest who had reported him in 1303. When Botulf kneeled in front of the priest, the priest asked him: "Well, Botulf, now I am sure that you believe that the bread is the body of Christ?" Botulf was then to have raised his head, looked the priest straight in the eye and firmly answered:
Botulf was to have said this very quickly, "vomited out his sinfullness", according to the terrified priest, who added that he said much more than this, but that the priest could not bring himself to write it down. The priest reported it all to the archbishop, who called Botulf to Uppsala, but Botulf never showed up.
The 11 November the archbishop was on an inspection in Närtuna church close to Gottröra. During the procession towards the church, Father Andreas noticed Botulf in the crowd and pointed him out to the archbishop. Botulf was quickly taken by the bishop's men to the archbishop who asked him if the things Father Andreas told him about Botulf was true. Botulf, according to the documents, answered: "I have said so, and I do not deny saying it."
Botulf was put on trial in Skepptuna church, the next stop on the journey. Thirteen of his neighbors were called as witnesses and questioned by Israel Erlandsson, prior of the Dominican Abbey in Sigtuna
. The witnesses confirmed that Botulf several times stated his opinions in front of others. Botulf was now banished for one year, during which he was taken to a clerical prison in Uppsala. During the imprisonment, he was informed that if he did not take back his opinions, he was to be burned. Upon hearing this he answered: "That fire will pass after but a short moment." This answer made the archbishop convinced that he was an incorrigible heretic, and after the year had passed, the archbishop, "Rising in the virtue of Jesus Christ", judged Botulf as a heretic in 8 April 1311. As was the custom with trials of heresy in southern Europe, he was then turned over to a secular court, which was to carry out the sentence of the church.
A paper, Botulf-bladet, is named after him; it is a humanistic paper against religious oppression.
and showed the monks articles he claimed to have been dictated by the Virgin Mary. The articles were deemed to go against the teachings of the church, and he was sentenced by the bishop in Linköping
to Jejunia (fasting
), and was chained in a dungeon. The starvation
quickly made him retract everything. He was paraded with a heap of wood on his back and burning candles in his hands to symbolize the sentence he had been spared from, and he declared that he deserved to be burned if he should ever fall back into his sin. After this his articles were read to him and he denounced them in Vadstena.
In 1492, Eric Clauesson
was burned for being a follower of the old Norse paganism
, which could be considered as a heresy trial.
Gottröra
Gottröra is a village in Norrtälje Municipality in the province of Uppland, Sweden. Several hundred ancient monuments are registered in Gottröra.In 1991 the Scandinavian Airlines Flight 751 had to make an emergency landing near Gottröra.-References:...
, Uppland
Uppland
Uppland is a historical province or landskap on the eastern coast of Sweden, just north of Stockholm, the capital. It borders Södermanland, Västmanland and Gästrikland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea...
, was a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
man burned at the stake for heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. His is the only confirmed case of an execution for heresy in Sweden.
He was accused by the Catholic Church of heresy after having denied that the wine and bread of the communion was literally the blood and body
Transubstantiation
In Roman Catholic theology, transubstantiation means the change, in the Eucharist, of the substance of wheat bread and grape wine into the substance of the Body and Blood, respectively, of Jesus, while all that is accessible to the senses remains as before.The Eastern Orthodox...
of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
.
First incident
When the inspection journey of archbishop Nils AllessonNils Allesson
Nils Allesson was Archbishop of Uppsala, Sweden, 1292-1305.It is believed that he studied at the University of Paris in 1278. After returning to Sweden, he became deacon in Uppsala in 1286 and was elected Archbishop in 1292...
in the autumn of 1303 reached the parish of Gottröra, the local priest, Father Andreas, reported to him a case of heresy. One of the people of his congregation, the peasant Botulf from Östby, had one day after communion said that he did not believe that the wine and bread of communion was the blood and body of Christ. This was a severe crime against the law of the Church, which had decided to support and make a doctrine of the view that the wine and bread of the communion was not only symbolically but literally turned to the blood and body of Christ in 1215. The archbishop had himself studied this in Germany, France, and at the curia in Rome in the 1290s, and was eager to see this new idea accepted in Sweden.
Botulf was called upon and interrogated by the archbishop in church; eventually he admitted having said what the priest claimed and then, according to the documents, very quickly said that he now realised that what he said was dangerous heresy and that he deeply regretted having said it. He was then made to take back what he had said in front of the congregation and was sentenced by the archbishop to a penance of seven years, after which he was to be taken back to the congregation and to receive communion again.
Second incident
Seven years later, in the spring of 1310, Botulf traveled by foot to UppsalaUppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
, where he was released from the penance by the new archbishop Nils Kettilsson. The 19 April 1310 he went to church to receive communion by Father Andreas, the same priest who had reported him in 1303. When Botulf kneeled in front of the priest, the priest asked him: "Well, Botulf, now I am sure that you believe that the bread is the body of Christ?" Botulf was then to have raised his head, looked the priest straight in the eye and firmly answered:
"No. If the bread were truly the body of Christ you would have eaten it all yourself a long time ago. I do not want to eat the body of Christ! I do not mind showing obedience to God, but I can only do so in a way which is possible for me. If someone were to eat the body of another, would not that person take vengeance, if he could? Then how much would not God take vengeance, he who truly has the power to do so?"
Botulf was to have said this very quickly, "vomited out his sinfullness", according to the terrified priest, who added that he said much more than this, but that the priest could not bring himself to write it down. The priest reported it all to the archbishop, who called Botulf to Uppsala, but Botulf never showed up.
The 11 November the archbishop was on an inspection in Närtuna church close to Gottröra. During the procession towards the church, Father Andreas noticed Botulf in the crowd and pointed him out to the archbishop. Botulf was quickly taken by the bishop's men to the archbishop who asked him if the things Father Andreas told him about Botulf was true. Botulf, according to the documents, answered: "I have said so, and I do not deny saying it."
Botulf was put on trial in Skepptuna church, the next stop on the journey. Thirteen of his neighbors were called as witnesses and questioned by Israel Erlandsson, prior of the Dominican Abbey in Sigtuna
Sigtuna
Sigtuna is a locality situated in Sigtuna Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 18 inhabitants in 2005. It is the namesake of the municipality even though the seat is in Märsta....
. The witnesses confirmed that Botulf several times stated his opinions in front of others. Botulf was now banished for one year, during which he was taken to a clerical prison in Uppsala. During the imprisonment, he was informed that if he did not take back his opinions, he was to be burned. Upon hearing this he answered: "That fire will pass after but a short moment." This answer made the archbishop convinced that he was an incorrigible heretic, and after the year had passed, the archbishop, "Rising in the virtue of Jesus Christ", judged Botulf as a heretic in 8 April 1311. As was the custom with trials of heresy in southern Europe, he was then turned over to a secular court, which was to carry out the sentence of the church.
A paper, Botulf-bladet, is named after him; it is a humanistic paper against religious oppression.
Other cases of heresy
This is the only known execution for heresy in Sweden. However, in 1442, a man called Hemming came to the Vadstena AbbeyVadstena Abbey
Vadstena Abbey was the motherhouse of the Bridgettine Order, situated on Lake Vättern, in the Diocese of Linköping, Sweden. The abbey started as one of the farms donated by the king, but the town of Vadstena grew up around it...
and showed the monks articles he claimed to have been dictated by the Virgin Mary. The articles were deemed to go against the teachings of the church, and he was sentenced by the bishop in Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
to Jejunia (fasting
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
), and was chained in a dungeon. The starvation
Starvation
Starvation is a severe deficiency in caloric energy, nutrient and vitamin intake. It is the most extreme form of malnutrition. In humans, prolonged starvation can cause permanent organ damage and eventually, death...
quickly made him retract everything. He was paraded with a heap of wood on his back and burning candles in his hands to symbolize the sentence he had been spared from, and he declared that he deserved to be burned if he should ever fall back into his sin. After this his articles were read to him and he denounced them in Vadstena.
In 1492, Eric Clauesson
Eric Clauesson
Eric Clauesson was a Swedish man executed for sorcery, theft and heresy, though in reality, this was an execution for Paganism. His case illustrates the fact that the old Pre-Christian Pagan Norse religion still lived in Sweden as late as in the 15th century.Eric Clauesson worked as a servant to...
was burned for being a follower of the old Norse paganism
Norse paganism
Norse paganism is the religious traditions of the Norsemen, a Germanic people living in the Nordic countries. Norse paganism is therefore a subset of Germanic paganism, which was practiced in the lands inhabited by the Germanic tribes across most of Northern and Central Europe in the Viking Age...
, which could be considered as a heresy trial.