Cecilia Månsdotter
Encyclopedia
Cecilia Månsdotter Eka also called Cecilia of Eka, was a Swedish noblewoman. She was the spouse of Erik Johansson Vasa and mother of King Gustav I of Sweden
.
, which is now known as Eka, Örebro County
in Sweden
. She was the oldest of the two children from the nobles Sigrid Eskilsdotter Banér
and Magnus Karlsson Eka. Her mother later remarried, and became the mother of the famous Christina Gyllenstierna
in her second marriage, who was thereby Cecilia's half sister. Cecilia Månsdotter married the noble Erik Johansson Vasa before 1495 and with him had eight children.
In 1520, Cecilia's half sister Christina defended Stockholm from the Danish invasion, but was forced to surrender. Cecilia became a widow when her husband was executed at the Stockholm bloodbath
in 1520. She, as well as her half sister Christina Gyllenstierna, her mother and her daughter's, belonged to the Swedish noblewomen taken as prisoners by the Danes.
They were taken to Denmark in 1521 and imprisoned in the infamous Blaatornet
(Blue Tower) in Copenhagen
- where she died of the plague in 1523, along with her two younger daughters Martha and Emerentia. Cecilia died the same year her son Gustav became king of the newly independent Sweden, which he had liberated from Denmark.
According to legend, she was in fact executed by the King of Denmark. As an act of revenge after her son proclaimed himself King of Sweden, the King of Denmark forced her to sew a sack; after she was finished, he allegedly had her placed in the sack and thrown in the sea, where she drowned.
There is no confirmation that this legend is true, however, though the women were said to have been badly treated in the prison by the cold air, harsh treatment and starvation.
Her mother, her half sister Christina, and her eldest daughter Margareta was eventually released and returned to Sweden.
All of their children were born in either Orkesta
or Rydboholm Castle, in the present-day county of Stockholm
(Swedish
: Stockholms Län), in southeastern Sweden
.
Gustav I of Sweden
Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....
.
Biography
Cecilia was born around 1476 in Eka, LillkyrkaLillkyrka
Lillkyrka is a locality situated in Enköping Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 300 inhabitants in 2005....
, which is now known as Eka, Örebro County
Örebro County
Örebro County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders the counties of Västra Götaland, Värmland, Dalarna, Västmanland, Södermanland and Östergötland.- Province :...
in Sweden
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....
. She was the oldest of the two children from the nobles Sigrid Eskilsdotter Banér
Sigrid Eskilsdotter (Banér)
Sigrid Eskilsdotter , was a Swedish noble, the mother of the Swedish regent Christina Gyllenstierna and the maternal grandmother of King Gustav Vasa of Sweden.- Biography :...
and Magnus Karlsson Eka. Her mother later remarried, and became the mother of the famous Christina Gyllenstierna
Christina Gyllenstierna
Christina Nilsdotter of Fogelvik, Heiress of Tullgarn , was the wife of the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Younger, and after his death, leader of resistance to Christian II of Denmark...
in her second marriage, who was thereby Cecilia's half sister. Cecilia Månsdotter married the noble Erik Johansson Vasa before 1495 and with him had eight children.
In 1520, Cecilia's half sister Christina defended Stockholm from the Danish invasion, but was forced to surrender. Cecilia became a widow when her husband was executed at the Stockholm bloodbath
Stockholm Bloodbath
The Stockholm Bloodbath, or the Stockholm Massacre , took place as the result of a successful invasion of Sweden by Danish forces under the command of King Christian II...
in 1520. She, as well as her half sister Christina Gyllenstierna, her mother and her daughter's, belonged to the Swedish noblewomen taken as prisoners by the Danes.
They were taken to Denmark in 1521 and imprisoned in the infamous Blaatornet
Blåtårn
Blåtårn was a tower at the royal Danish palace of Copenhagen Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. The tower was used as a prison and has been known as such in history...
(Blue Tower) in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
- where she died of the plague in 1523, along with her two younger daughters Martha and Emerentia. Cecilia died the same year her son Gustav became king of the newly independent Sweden, which he had liberated from Denmark.
According to legend, she was in fact executed by the King of Denmark. As an act of revenge after her son proclaimed himself King of Sweden, the King of Denmark forced her to sew a sack; after she was finished, he allegedly had her placed in the sack and thrown in the sea, where she drowned.
There is no confirmation that this legend is true, however, though the women were said to have been badly treated in the prison by the cold air, harsh treatment and starvation.
Her mother, her half sister Christina, and her eldest daughter Margareta was eventually released and returned to Sweden.
Family
Cecilia Månsdotter married Erik Johansson Vasa and with him had eight children. Their children were:- Gustav Eriksson VasaGustav I of SwedenGustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....
(12 May 1495 - 29 September 1560)- Gustav Eriksson would become King of Sweden in 1523
- Margareta Eriksdotter Vasa (1497 - 31 December 1536)
- Johan Eriksson (b. 1499, d. young)
- Magnus Eriksson (1501–1529)
- Anna Eriksdotter (1503–1545), nun at Vadstena AbbeyVadstena AbbeyVadstena 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...
- Birgitta Eriksdotter (b. 1505, d. young)
- Marta Eriksdotter (1507–1523)
- Emerentia Eriksdotter (1507–1523)
All of their children were born in either Orkesta
Orkesta
Orkesta is a parish with 1103 inhabitants , located in Vallentuna Municipality, Stockholm County in Sweden. It is located at 59°36'0.00"N latitude, 18° 7'0.00"E longitude. Its altitude is at 21.95 meters ....
or Rydboholm Castle, in the present-day county of Stockholm
Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
(Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
: Stockholms Län), in southeastern Sweden
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....
.
See also
- House of Vasa List
- Foundation of modern Sweden
- Line of succession to the Swedish ThroneLine of succession to the Swedish ThroneThe line of succession to the Swedish throne is determined by the Swedish Act of Succession. In 1980 Sweden adopted equal primogeniture, meaning that the eldest child of the monarch, regardless of gender, takes precedence in the line of succession...
- Kalmar UnionKalmar UnionThe Kalmar Union is a historiographical term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway , and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently and with a population...
- Swedish HistoryHistory of SwedenModern Sweden started out of the Kalmar Union formed in 1397 and by the unification of the country by King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. In the 17th century Sweden expanded its territories to form the Swedish empire. Most of these conquered territories had to be given up during the 18th century...