Ingeborg Tott

Lady Ingeborg Tott (Ingeborg Aagesdotter of the Thott), in her lifetime called "Ingeborg Åkesdotter" (born in the 1440s, dead in Jönköping in 1507), was a Swedish noble, the consort of the Swedish regent Sten Sture the elder from 1467. When her husband became regent in 1470, she became what would now be called "first lady" and functioned as the queen of Sweden for over three decades. The marriage produced no heirs.

Biography

Daughter of the nobleman and knight Axel Åkesson, governor in the castle of Örebro, and Märtha Bengtsdotter, she was first married to the nobleman Sten Bielke before she remarried to Sture. Her uncle was married to princess Magdalena of Sweden, daughter of king Charles and Catherine of Bjurum. Another relative was the infamous Brita Tott. Fru Ingeborg (lady Ingeborg), as she was called, was what one might call a renaissance-personality; highly interested in science, theology and education and known as the patron of such things. She encouraged the foundation of the first secular university in Sweden, the Uppsala Academy and the Uppsala University 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, and benefited the Carmelite convent of Varberg, founded by her father, and she also supported the foundation of the first convent of the Carthusian Order in Sweden, the Carthusian convent of Mariefred, in 1493. In 1498, she financed the printing of Alanus de Rupes famous Latin book about the psalm of the Virgin Mary.

She is described as wise, brave, talented and as her husband's equal and match in these areas; in his absence, she was recommended for her wise rule over fortresses and counties. During her husband's reign, the country was in reality independent, though formally in union with Denmark.

During the Battle of Brunkeberg 1471 she called the poor of Stockholm to the castle of Tre Kronor and fed them in exchange for their prayers for victory, and watched the battle with her ladies-in-waiting, themselves praying for victory from the castle-walls.

In 1483, when her husband was absent in Gotland, a riot broke out on the streets of Stockholm, when the nobleman Sten Kristiansson Oxentstierna murdered a commoner, and the public then 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 husband 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 husband left for Finland, where they held a grand court at Tavastehus Castle. In 1501, a rebellion broke out and her husband again retook his position. After his death in 1503, she withdraw to her estates. In 1504, she was given the fief of Häme Castle in Finland, were she ruled as an independent regent. In 1505, the castellan Folke Gregerinpolka tired to take the castle by force with the support of the council, but Ingeborg was supported by the people and by some of the nobility and his troops had to retreat. Her rule only lasted two more years after this, however, as she died in 1507.

The Princess in the group of sculptures "Sankt Göran och Draken" (Saint George and the Dragon) in the Storkyrkan in Stockholm, which were made in 1471-1475, are considered to bear the features of Ingeborg.

See also

* List of Swedish queens
* Christina Gyllenstierna
* Catherine of Bjurum

Sources

* http://runeberg.org/sqvinnor/0417.html sv icon
* Ohlmarks, Åke, "Alla Sveriges drottningar". sv icon
* http://www.fort.fi/svenska/kohteet_hameenlinna.html
* http://historiska-personer.nu/min-s/p14064cea.html

External links

* http://www.hame.fi/default.asp?docId=23068