King Martha (Swedish noblewoman)
Encyclopedia
Märta Erikdotter Leijonhufvud, (English: Martha) known as King Märta (24 December 1520 in Ödeby Lillkyrka, Ekeberg
, Närke
-15 January 1584 in Stegeholm), was a Swedish noble. She was the sister of Queen Margaret Leijonhufvud
and sister-in-law
of king Gustav I of Sweden
.
, and Ebba Eriksdotter Vasa
, and related to Gustav Vasa, who became king of Sweden in 1523. Her sister Margaret was engaged to Svante Sture, but the engagement was broken when king Gustav proposed to her and married her in 1536. Instead, Sture was married to Märta. There is a legend
as to how this came about: Svante Sture threw himself at the feet of Margaret, and the king entered the room and discovered them. The king asked: "What is this?", and Margaret replied: "My lord Sture is asking me for the hand of my sister Märta", at which the king said: "Granted!".
by Nils Dacke
during the Dacke War
, and Dacke offered the couple to become the king and queen of Sweden. They denied the offer.
Svante was often absent on his official missions: he became marschal in 1543 and commander in Finland
in 1556, and governor of Livonia and Reval in 1562. During his absence, Märta took the responsibility for Stegeborg and his estates, and her dominance earned her the nickname King Märta, by which she is known in history.
In 1561, king Eric XIV of Sweden
introduced the new title of count in Sweden at his coronation, and her husband was created one of Sweden's first three counts, making Märta the first countess in Sweden. King Eric, however, feared that the Sture family had desires on the throne, and during his reign, they also became a center of the opposition within the nobility.
, who sent for her and assured her that no harm would come to them, and that she would speak to the king on their behalf. This made Eric hesitate temporarily, but shortly after, he ordered for the murder of the three men all the same. This is known as the Sture Murders. Afterwards, the king ordered for a grand funeral and paid out fines of silver to Märta. In 1568, the nobility under the king's brothers rebelled against king Eric. Märta financed the rebellion with silver.
to provide them with 200 men to help them elope. Erik asked Malin to take a trip on the sleigh with him, and when they were seated, the prince's guards came forvard and the couple departed from the estate.
Martha convinced her royal nephew the king
to arrest Erik and confiscate his property. He was eventually released and his property was restored to him, after the siblings and spouse of the king as well as his own family, among them his aunt (and Martha's niece) Queen Dowager
Katarina Stenbock
, had united in convincing the king to conseed to it, and married Malin in 1574. According to the legend, it took one year of begging from the couples relatives to convince Malin's powerful mother to forgive the couple for defying her authority; the women of the family begged her "crying upon their knees" before she agreed to see her daughter; according to legend, her daughter had to crawl on her knees up to her while pregnant.
Ekeberg
Ekeberg is a neighborhood in the city of Oslo, Norway. The Norway Cup soccer tournament takes place at Ekebergsletta every summer. "Sletta" means plateau. The painting "the Scream" by Edvard Munch is painted from Utsikten a part of Ekeberg.In the area are a number of old Iron Age grave mounds and...
, Närke
Närke
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergötland to the southwest, and Värmland to the northwest...
-15 January 1584 in Stegeholm), was a Swedish noble. She was the sister of Queen Margaret Leijonhufvud
Margaret Leijonhufvud
-Children:#John III , Duke of Finland, King of Sweden 1567-1592#Catherine , wife of Edzard II, Count of East Frisia#Cecilia , wife of Christopher II, Margrave of Baden-Rodemachern...
and sister-in-law
Sister-in-law
A sister-in-law is the sister of one's spouse, the wife of one's sibling, or sometimes the wife of one's spouse's sibling...
of king Gustav I of 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....
.
Background and marriage
Born to Erik Abrahamsson Leijonhufvud (d.1520), a man executed at Stockholm bloodbathStockholm 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...
, and Ebba Eriksdotter Vasa
Ebba Eriksdotter Vasa
Ebba Eriksdotter Vasa , was a Swedish noble. She was the mother of Queen Margaret Leijonhufvud and King Märta and mother-in-law of King Gustav Vasa....
, and related to Gustav Vasa, who became king of Sweden in 1523. Her sister Margaret was engaged to Svante Sture, but the engagement was broken when king Gustav proposed to her and married her in 1536. Instead, Sture was married to Märta. There is a legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
as to how this came about: Svante Sture threw himself at the feet of Margaret, and the king entered the room and discovered them. The king asked: "What is this?", and Margaret replied: "My lord Sture is asking me for the hand of my sister Märta", at which the king said: "Granted!".
King Martha
Märta had at least fifteen children, of which ten became adults. The couple resided in Stegeborg Castle. In 1542, Stegeborg was besiegedSiege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
by Nils Dacke
Nils Dacke
Nils Dacke was the leader of a 16th century peasant revolt in Småland, southern Sweden called the Dacke War , fought against the Swedish king Gustav I. It was the most widespread and serious civil war in Swedish history and almost toppled the king.-Background:Gustav Vasa had come to power at the...
during the Dacke War
Dacke War
Dackefejden was a peasant uprising led by Nils Dacke in Småland, Sweden, in 1542 against the rule of Gustav Vasa. Dacke and his followers were dissatisfied with the heavy burden of the taxes, the introduction of lutheranism and the confiscations of the churches property...
, and Dacke offered the couple to become the king and queen of Sweden. They denied the offer.
Svante was often absent on his official missions: he became marschal in 1543 and commander 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...
in 1556, and governor of Livonia and Reval in 1562. During his absence, Märta took the responsibility for Stegeborg and his estates, and her dominance earned her the nickname King Märta, by which she is known in history.
In 1561, king Eric XIV of Sweden
Eric XIV of Sweden
-Family and descendants:Eric XIV had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter he had four daughters:#Margareta Eriksdotter , married 1592 to Olov Simonsson, vicar of Horn....
introduced the new title of count in Sweden at his coronation, and her husband was created one of Sweden's first three counts, making Märta the first countess in Sweden. King Eric, however, feared that the Sture family had desires on the throne, and during his reign, they also became a center of the opposition within the nobility.
The Sture murders
In 1567, Eric imprisoned Märta's husband and sons. Märta sent an appeal for mercy to Karin MånsdotterKarin Månsdotter
Karin Månsdotter was Queen of Sweden, first a mistress and then the spouse of King Eric XIV of Sweden...
, who sent for her and assured her that no harm would come to them, and that she would speak to the king on their behalf. This made Eric hesitate temporarily, but shortly after, he ordered for the murder of the three men all the same. This is known as the Sture Murders. Afterwards, the king ordered for a grand funeral and paid out fines of silver to Märta. In 1568, the nobility under the king's brothers rebelled against king Eric. Märta financed the rebellion with silver.
Her daughter's elopement
Her daughter, Malin (Magdalena), (1539-1610), was in love with her cousin, Erik Gustavsson Stenbock (1538-1602), and wished to marry him. Martha refused because they were cousins In 1573, after ten years had past withouth any change in the matter, Erik convinced prince CharlesCharles 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...
to provide them with 200 men to help them elope. Erik asked Malin to take a trip on the sleigh with him, and when they were seated, the prince's guards came forvard and the couple departed from the estate.
Martha convinced her royal nephew the king
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
to arrest Erik and confiscate his property. He was eventually released and his property was restored to him, after the siblings and spouse of the king as well as his own family, among them his aunt (and Martha's niece) Queen Dowager
Queen 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...
Katarina Stenbock
Katarina Stenbock
Catherine Stenbock was the third and last consort of King Gustav I of Sweden, and Queen consort of Sweden between 1552 and 1560...
, had united in convincing the king to conseed to it, and married Malin in 1574. According to the legend, it took one year of begging from the couples relatives to convince Malin's powerful mother to forgive the couple for defying her authority; the women of the family begged her "crying upon their knees" before she agreed to see her daughter; according to legend, her daughter had to crawl on her knees up to her while pregnant.
Issue
- Sigrid Svantesdotter Sture (1538–1613)
- Magdalena (Malin) Svantesdotter Sture (1539–1610)
- Anna Svantesdotter Sture (1541–1595)
- Sten Svantesson Sture (1542–1542)
- Nils Svantesson StureNils Svantesson StureNils Svantesson Sture was a Swedish diplomat and soldier during the reign of Erik XIV of Sweden...
(1543–1567) - Sten Svantesson Sture (1544–1565)
- Erik Svantesson Sture (1546–1567)
- Margareta Svantesdotter Sture (1547–1617)
- Gustaf Svantesson Sture (1548–1548)
- Brita Svantesdotter Sture (1550–1550)
- Mauritz Svantesson Sture (1552–1592)
- Karl Svantesson Sture (1555–1598)
- Iliana Svantesdotter Sture (1556–1556)
- Iliana Svantesdotter Sture (1557–1557)
- Kristina Svantesdotter Sture (1559–1619)