Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Maps
- REFORMING THE NORTH
- Introduction
- 1 The North
- Part I Lord of the Northern World, 1513–1523
- 2 Preliminary
- 3 Christian II's Other Kingdom
- 4 A Conquest
- 5 Hubris
- 6 Insurrection
- 7 The King's Fall
- Part II Successors, 1523–1533
- Part III Civil War, 1533–1536
- Part IV The Settlement, 1536–1545
- 21 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
2 - Preliminary
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 February 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Maps
- REFORMING THE NORTH
- Introduction
- 1 The North
- Part I Lord of the Northern World, 1513–1523
- 2 Preliminary
- 3 Christian II's Other Kingdom
- 4 A Conquest
- 5 Hubris
- 6 Insurrection
- 7 The King's Fall
- Part II Successors, 1523–1533
- Part III Civil War, 1533–1536
- Part IV The Settlement, 1536–1545
- 21 Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
In Denmark and in Sweden the successions in the early years of the sixteenth century were, as usual, stormy and dangerous. The second of Sweden's Sture regents collapsed and died suddenly in January 1512. Lord Svante's death set off a tug of war between his nineteen-year-old son, Sten Svantesson, and the council of the realm, led by the venerable archbishop, Jakob Ulfsson. A year later King Hans of Denmark died at Aalborg. His death sent Danish councillors scurrying, hoping to prevent the succession of Hans's son Christian. In both kingdoms nobles and prelates expressed the traditional outrage at a long train of abuses and usurpations. The rulers, by contrast, had left their heirs what they hoped were the means to insure a continued consolidation of power.
In Sweden the Sture faithful present at Lord Svante's death invested the fortress of Västerås and warned Stockholm to hold the castle for Svante's son, Sten. Sten Svantesson held the fortress at Örebro, and he quickly assured himself of the support of other crown fortresses – a violation of the council's right to hold the fortresses during an interregnum. The powerful Gyllenstiernas came out for young Sten after he married Kristina Gyllenstierna that spring. The lesser nobility, who had been pushed aside and ignored by council lords, supported the young lord, as did most commoners.
Shortly after the regent's death the council lords assembled in nearby Arboga to discuss the succession.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Reforming the NorthThe Kingdoms and Churches of Scandinavia, 1520–1545, pp. 35 - 51Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010