Catherine of Ymseborg
Encyclopedia
Catherine Sunadotter of Ymseborg , (born c. 1215, died 1252 at Gudhem Abbey
), was a Swedish queen, wife of King Eric XI of Sweden
and queen consort
of Swedes and Goths from 1244 to 1250. In her later years she served as abbess
of Gudhem Abbey
.
Catherine's maternal grandparents were King Sverker II and Queen Benedikte of Sweden
. Descending from the families of Bjelbo and Sverker, she was of the Geatish clans.
Catherine's father, Sune Folkason, was Lord of Ymseborg, lawspeaker
of Västergötland
, and in some literature he is referred to as Earl of the Swedish. His father was Folke Birgersson of Bjelbo, Earl of the Swedish, who was killed in 1210. Folkason's paternal grandparents were Birger Bengtsson of Bjelbo (d. 1202), Earl of the Swedish, and Queen Dowager Brigida of Sweden
. Folkason died in 1247.
from 1229 to 1234. Eric returned to Sweden on Canute's death in 1234 and served as king until his own death in 1250. Young Eric was, according to semi-legendary material, physically lame and spoke with a stutter ("läspe och halte"), and he was reportedly of a kindly nature. Eric and Catherine were married in order to strengthen Eric's claim to the throne, as Catherine was of royal blood on her mother's side. The marriage took place in 1243 or 1244, at Fyrisängen near Uppsala
. Catherine had received an immense dower
upon the marriage: some legends speak romantically about "half the kingdom".
Since she immediately devoted herself to a sequestered religious life and not to family at Eric's death, the conclusion has tended to be that they did not have any surviving children. The underage Valdemar Birgersson, a nephew of king Eric, was chosen as the next King of Sweden.
retreated to the Gudhem Abbey. Because Scandinavian customary law dictated that no clan property could be held by a member of a religious order, she transferred some lands, including her queenly dower, to certain relatives and gave others as donations to ecclesiastical institutions. For example, her sister Benedikta received as a gift from her the town of Söderköping
, one of the Queen's dower possessions. The Queen Dowager soon became the Abbess of Gudhem Abbey, and served in that position until her death in 1252.
Gudhem Abbey
Gudhem Abbey, Swedish Gudhems kloster, in operation from 1152 to 1529, was a nunnery in Sweden, initially Benedictine and later Cistercian. It was located in Gudhem outside Falköping in Västergötland...
), was a Swedish queen, wife of King Eric XI of Sweden
Eric XI of Sweden
Eric "XI" of Sweden, or Eric the Lisp and Lame Swedish: Erik Eriksson läspe och halte; Old Norse: Eiríkr Eiríksson was king of Sweden in 1222–1229 and 1234–1250.-Background:...
and queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Swedes and Goths from 1244 to 1250. In her later years she served as abbess
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
of Gudhem Abbey
Gudhem Abbey
Gudhem Abbey, Swedish Gudhems kloster, in operation from 1152 to 1529, was a nunnery in Sweden, initially Benedictine and later Cistercian. It was located in Gudhem outside Falköping in Västergötland...
.
Heir of the Sverker dynasty
Catherine was the eldest daughter of Princess Helena of Sweden and Sune Folkason. Catherine did not have any brothers.Catherine's maternal grandparents were King Sverker II and Queen Benedikte of Sweden
Benedikte Ebbesdotter of Hvide
Benedicta Ebbesdotter of Hvide was a Swedish queen consort, first consort of king Sverker II of Sweden. In Sweden she was often called Queen Bengta.-Biography:...
. Descending from the families of Bjelbo and Sverker, she was of the Geatish clans.
Catherine's father, Sune Folkason, was Lord of Ymseborg, lawspeaker
Lawspeaker
A lawspeaker is a unique Scandinavian legal office. It has its basis in a common Germanic oral tradition, where wise men were asked to recite the law, but it was only in Scandinavia that the function evolved into an office...
of Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
, and in some literature he is referred to as Earl of the Swedish. His father was Folke Birgersson of Bjelbo, Earl of the Swedish, who was killed in 1210. Folkason's paternal grandparents were Birger Bengtsson of Bjelbo (d. 1202), Earl of the Swedish, and Queen Dowager Brigida of Sweden
Brigida Haraldsdotter
Brigida Haraldsdotter was a medieval Swedish Queen consort, spouse of King Magnus of Sweden.Brigida Haraldsdotter was the illegitimate daughter of King Harald IV of Norway. Her mother is unknown, but she was possibly Tora Gudmundsdotter, long-term lover of her father and the mother of King...
. Folkason died in 1247.
Queen of Sweden
Eric XI (1215–50) of the Eric dynasty became king in 1222, and was exiled by co-king Canute II of SwedenCanute II of Sweden
Canute II Holmgersson, called the Tall , was King of Sweden from 1229 until his death 1234. He may have been a great grandson of Eric the Saint, for the sagas give Filip Eriksson, Eric's youngest son, as the father of Holmger, Canute's father...
from 1229 to 1234. Eric returned to Sweden on Canute's death in 1234 and served as king until his own death in 1250. Young Eric was, according to semi-legendary material, physically lame and spoke with a stutter ("läspe och halte"), and he was reportedly of a kindly nature. Eric and Catherine were married in order to strengthen Eric's claim to the throne, as Catherine was of royal blood on her mother's side. The marriage took place in 1243 or 1244, at Fyrisängen near Uppsala
Uppsala
- 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...
. Catherine had received an immense dower
Dower
Dower or morning gift was a provision accorded by law to a wife for her support in the event that she should survive her husband...
upon the marriage: some legends speak romantically about "half the kingdom".
Since she immediately devoted herself to a sequestered religious life and not to family at Eric's death, the conclusion has tended to be that they did not have any surviving children. The underage Valdemar Birgersson, a nephew of king Eric, was chosen as the next King of Sweden.
Queen dowager and abbess
Upon the death of her husband, the now Queen DowagerQueen Dowager
A queen dowager or dowager queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a deceased king. In the case of the widow of a deceased emperor, the title of empress dowager is used...
retreated to the Gudhem Abbey. Because Scandinavian customary law dictated that no clan property could be held by a member of a religious order, she transferred some lands, including her queenly dower, to certain relatives and gave others as donations to ecclesiastical institutions. For example, her sister Benedikta received as a gift from her the town of Söderköping
Söderköping
Söderköping is a locality and the seat of Söderköping Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 6,951 inhabitants in 2005. Söderköping is, despite its small population, for historical reasons normally still referred to as a city...
, one of the Queen's dower possessions. The Queen Dowager soon became the Abbess of Gudhem Abbey, and served in that position until her death in 1252.