Maiden Abduction from Vreta

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Three abductions of maidens from the Vreta convent was a medieval sequential historical event in Sweden which got legendary fame.


Contents

[edit] Background

Abduction of a maiden seems to be an ancient Germanic tradition, to obtain a wife. Marriages of women were a clan matter at the culture, and decided by the nearest male relative of the lady, often together with tribal elders. A marriage was also a contract of alliance and had man economical repercussions too. A man of a hostile clan was not allowed to wed a lady of their enemies, except in the situation where those parts made a treaty, sealing it by a marriage. On the other hand, a man of a hostile clan may have wanted to marry an heiress from rival clan, in order to impose his own power unto those enemies. And sometimes a young couple just fell in love.

[edit] Abduction of 1210

In around 1210, Helena Sverkersdotter, the only daughter of the deposed king Sverker II of Sweden, was educated at the Vreta convent. Her father fell in battle. Her relatives would not even hear the proposal of young Sune Folkason, son of an earl who had been among Sverker's opponents in that battle (and alsi himself fell). Sune Folkason abducted Helena and took her, according to folklore, to castele of Ymseborg. They married, and two daughters survived from the marriage.

[edit] Abduction of 1244

In around 1244, Benedikte Sunadotter, younger of their daughters, was educated in the Vreta convent. Laurens Pedersson, justiciar of Östergötland, son of Peder Laurensson and, according to some myth, the latter's wife Karin, daughter of a king of the St.Eric dynasty, and anyway one of the leaders of the anti-centralizing Folkunge Party, abducted Benedikte. She however was released, and nothing came of Laurens' desire of marriage. Benedikte was since 1244 sister-in-law of king Eric XI of Sweden, her sister Catherine of Ymseborg being married with him. Reasons speculated for the abduction have included the desire to unite Laurens' alleged St. Eric dynasty blood with Benedikte's Sverker dynasty blood; and apparent designs on the throne. Benedikte soon married high noble Svantepolk Knutsson, Lord of Viby, son of a duke, and had a number of children in the marriage, mostly however daughters (their one son, Knut, did not manage to have own issue).

[edit] Abduction of 1288

In 1288, Ingrid Svantepolksdotter, one of the daughters of Benedikte and Svantepolk, was being educated at Vreta convent. Her father had designed her eventually to marry a Danish nobleman, the future High Justiciar David Thorsteinsen. A Gothenlander, knight Folke Algotsson, one of the numerous sons of the Griphuvud family (whose father was justiciar of Västergötland and who legendarily derived their ancestry from dynasty of Westrogothian earls and justiciars, and mythically from king Algaute of the Geats), planned with some of his brothers the abduction which they then fulfilled. Folke fled with his abducted bride to Norway, and they stayed there after Folke's death - king Magnus III of Sweden was, according to tales, livid about the wilful breach of the safety of women in convents, and factually had one of the participant brothers executed. Ultimately Ingrid returned from Norway, ad became abbess of Vreta; her son Knut Folkason becoming semi-sovereign prince of Blekinge and Lister before his death, when king Magnus IV, the new overlord of Scanian provinces, settled old inheritances there in favor of his own "creatures".

Poetry blossomed thanks to material those abductions gave.