Ingeborg Tott
Encyclopedia
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Jönköping
-Notable people:*Lillian Asplund, RMS Titanic survivor*John Bauer, illustrator, painter*Amy Diamond, singer*Agnetha Fältskog, ABBA*Carl Henrik Fredriksson, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Eurozine*Anders Gustafsson, kayaker, Olympian...
, 1507), was a Swedish noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, the consort of the Swedish regent Sten Sture the elder
Sten Sture the Elder
Sten Sture the Elder was a Swedish statesman and regent of Sweden from .-Background:...
(reign 1470–97 and 1501–03). She was also the fiefholder and regent of Häme
Häme castle
Häme Castle is a medieval castle in Hämeenlinna, Finland. The castle is located on the coast of lake Vanajavesi in the city center. The castle was originally located on an island....
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. She functioned as the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
queen consort of Sweden for over three decades. The marriage produced no heirs.
Background
Daughter of the Danish noble and knight Axel Åkesson (1405–1477), governor in the castle of ÖrebroÖrebro
-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
, and Märtha Bengtsdotter (d. 1480). She was first married to the noble Sten Bielke. She was engaged to the Norwegian noble Hans Sigurdsen in 1464, but he died the same year. She married to Sture in 1467. Her uncle was the spouse of Princess Magdalena of Sweden
Magdalen of Sweden
Magdalena of Sweden was a Swedish princess. She was the daughter of King Charles VIII of Sweden and his first queen consort, Catherine of Bjurum. In 1468-1470, her spouse Ivar Axelsson was the promised successor of her father as regent.-Biography:Magdalena was one of Charles's nine children, most...
, daughter of king Charles and queen Catherine of Sweden
Catherine of Bjurum
Catherine of Bjurum, in her lifetime called Katarina Karlsdotter, in history known as Katarina Gumsehuvud was the Queen consort of Sweden from 1448 to 1450 and later the Queen consort of Norway from 1449 to 1450...
. Another relative was the infamous Brita Tott
Brita Tott
Brita Olovsdotter Tott or Birgitte Olufsdatter Thott , , called the Lady of Hammersta, was a Danish and Swedish noble, landowner, royal county administrator, spy and forger. She was judged for treason and for the forgery of seals...
. Her spouse was made regent in 1470.
Wife of the regent
Fru Ingeborg ("lady Ingeborg"), as she was called, was what one might call a renaissanceRenaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
-personality; highly interested in science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and education, and known as the patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
of the development in this issues. She encouraged the foundation of the first secular university in Sweden, the Uppsala Academy and the Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
in 1477, and gave large and independent donations from her own money to print books and finance libraries. She also took an interest in religion and in the order of the Carmelites
Carmelites
The Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel or Carmelites is a Catholic religious order perhaps founded in the 12th century on Mount Carmel, hence its name. However, historical records about its origin remain uncertain...
; she benefited the Carmelite convent of Varberg
Varberg
Varberg is a locality and the seat of Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden with 26,041 inhabitants in 2005.Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their 'typical west coast' sandy beaches. In Varberg the coast changes from wide sandy beaches to rocky terrain that continues north into...
, founded by her father, and supported the foundation of the first convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
of the Carthusian Order in Sweden, the Carthusian convent of Mariefred
Mariefred
Mariefred is a locality situated in Strängnäs Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 3,813 inhabitants in 2005.The name is derived from that of the former Carthusian monastery here, Mariefred Charterhouse, and means "Peace of Mary"...
(1493). She financed the printing of Alanus de Rupe
Alanus de Rupe
Alanus de Rupe ; was a Roman Catholic theologian noted for his views on prayer. Some writers claim him as a native of Germany, others of Belgium; but his disciple, Cornelius Sneek, assures us that he was born in Brittany...
s famous Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
book about the psalm of the Virgin Mary (1498). The court of Sten Sture and Ingeborg are described as being a jolly one.
Ingeborg is described as wise, brave, talented, and as the equal and match of her spouse in these areas. In their private correspondance, Sten Sture referred to her as "My dearest Combrade", and entrusted her with political tasks: in 1503, for example, he wrote that he had received her report that a ship from Lübeck had reported about a future meeting between the Hanseatic city of Lübeck and the danish monarch, and gave her the assignment of trying to find out when and were this meeting was to take place.
In his absence, she was recommended for her wise rule over fortresses and counties. During her spouse's reign, the country was a de facto independent nation, though a union with Denmark in name. Despite her Danish origin, she became known for her loyalty toward her spouse and her new home country.
During the Battle of Brunkeberg
Battle of Brunkeberg
The Battle of Brunkeberg was fought on October 10, 1471 between the Swedish regent Sten Sture the Elder and forces led by Danish king Christian I.-Background:...
1471 she called the poor of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
to the castle of Tre Kronor
Tre kronor
Tre kronor, Swedish "Three crowns", may refer to:*Three Crowns, a national emblem of Sweden*Sweden men's national ice hockey team, which has the Swedish national emblem on its jersey*Tre Kronor , a 16th century royal castle in Stockholm, Sweden...
and fed them in exchange for their prayers for victory. She then joined her ladies-in-waiting, who watched the battle praying for victory from the castle-walls.
In 1483, when her spouse was absent in Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
, a riot broke out on the streets of Stockholm: the noble Sten Kristiansson Oxentstierna murdered a commoner, and the public tried to lynch him. Ingeborg ventured out on the streets to try to calm down the riot, but was pushed to the ground and almost trampled to death in the crowds. When her spouse returned, he became very angry, and had to be prevented by the parliament from extracting revenge upon the inhabitants of the city; he did, however, lecture them so severely that the city remained calm during the rest of his reign.
In 1497, the union with Denmark was reestablished, and the Danish king made regent of Sweden. Ingeborg and her spouse left for Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, where they held a grand court at Tavastehus Castle
Häme castle
Häme Castle is a medieval castle in Hämeenlinna, Finland. The castle is located on the coast of lake Vanajavesi in the city center. The castle was originally located on an island....
. In 1501, a rebellion broke out against Denmark, and her spouse was again made regent. Stockholm was taken after a siece from the Danish queen, Christina of Saxony
Christina of Saxony
Christina of Saxony , was a Saxon princess who became Queen consort of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. She was born a granddaughter of Frederick the Gentle of Saxony, and daughter of Ernest, Elector of Saxony and Elisabeth of Bavaria.-Biography:She was married to John, King of Denmark, Norway and...
, who at her surrender turned herself over to Ingeborg, who met her at the castle and followed her to a convent (1502).
By her participation in her spouse's rebellion against Denmark, she lost her Danish property: she had in 1476 been given equal inheritance rights with her brothers after their parents.
In 1503, Sten Sture died. He was at the time of his death not in the company of Ingeborg, and she was unaware that he had died. Hemming Gadh kept the news of his death from her and informed his relative Svante Sture. Svante Sture had the desire to be elected regent, which had caused a conflict with Sten Sture at the time. There were concerns that Ingeborg would oppose the new regime by refusing to turn over the strategic castles in Finland, which she commanded in the name of her spouse, as well as the castle of Stockholm and Kalmar, and that she would turn the garrisons on these castles toward the new regime, which could easily be done if they had not been paid by the state before the new regime was installed.
Hemming Gadh also reported, that the payment of the garrison at Kalmar was sent by Ingeborg and on the way. In fear of her resistance, Svante Sture gave the order that the death of Sten Sture should be consealed from Ingeborg until the payment had reached Kalmar, and that, in the event that Ingeborg herself were to travel to Sten Sture, she should be stopped on her way.
Informed about the death of her spouse, Ingeborg did turn over her command of the castles in Finland and Sweden, but kept the weapons and food supplies of the garrisons.
Later life
After the death of Sten Sture, Ingeborg withdraw to her estates. In 1504, she was given the fief of her late spouse, Häme CastleHäme castle
Häme Castle is a medieval castle in Hämeenlinna, Finland. The castle is located on the coast of lake Vanajavesi in the city center. The castle was originally located on an island....
in Finland for life, were she ruled as an interdependently. In 1505, the castellan Folke Gregerinpolka tried to take the castle by force with the support of the council, but Ingeborg was supported by the public and by some of the nobility, and his troops had to retreat. Her rule only lasted two more years after this, however: she died in 1507.
The Princess in the group of sculptures "Sankt Göran och Draken" (Saint George and the Dragon
Saint George and the Dragon
The episode of Saint George and the Dragon appended to the hagiography of Saint George was Eastern in origin, brought back with the Crusaders and retold with the courtly appurtenances belonging to the genre of Romance...
) in the Storkyrkan
Storkyrkan
Sankt Nikolai kyrka , most commonly known as Storkyrkan and Stockholms domkyrka , is the oldest church in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. It is an important example of Swedish Brick Gothic...
in Stockholm, which were made in 1471-1475, are considered to bear the features of Ingeborg.
External links
- http://www.hame.fi/default.asp?docId=23068