Barbro Stigsdotter (1472-1528), was a
Swedish noble. She is famous for her part in the ''
Vasasagan'' (Vasa Saga), the traditional national legend about the accession to the throne of King
Gustav Vasa of Sweden
Gustav I, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known as Gustav Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560, previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksfö ...
.
Barbro Stigsdotter was the daughter of Stig Hansson, a
Vogt
During the Middle Ages, an (sometimes given as modern English: advocate; German: ; French: ) was an office-holder who was legally delegated to perform some of the secular responsibilities of a major feudal lord, or for an institution such as ...
of the mine
Jönshyttan in
Tuna
A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max le ...
, and married the noble
Arent Persson of
Ornäs
Ornäs is a locality situated in Borlänge Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden with 1,068 inhabitants in 2010. History
In November of 1520, Gustav Vasa was hiding in the Ornässtugan when he was chased by the Danish military.
Ornäs has a popu ...
.
According to the chronicle of
Peder Swart
Peter is a common masculine given name. It is derived directly from Greek , ''Petros'' (an invented, masculine form of Greek ''petra,'' the word for "rock" or "stone"), which itself was a translation of Aramaic ''Kefa'' ("stone, rock"), the new na ...
, Gustav Vasa, who was hunted by the Danes, passed her home as a guest during his flight from the Danes in 1520. Her spouse was to have planned to have him taken prisoner and delivered to the Danes. Barbro Stigsdotter, however, warned Gustav Vasa, which made it possible for him to escape capture. As this eventually lead to Sweden becoming independent from the Danes with Vasa as its monarch, her act of loyalty made her a national heroine in the chronicle. There is another document that claims that it was not her spouse, but her father, whom she defied by thwarting his plans of delivering Vasa to the Danes. Except for the uncertainty on this detail, the account of her saving Gustav Vasa on this occasion is regarded to be genuine and accurate.
In the national
National Portrait Gallery (Sweden)
The National Portrait Gallery ( sv, Statens porträttsamling) is a museum and portrait gallery located at Gripsholm Castle at Mariefred in Södermanland County, Sweden. It contains a collection of portraits of prominent Swedes.
History
The collec ...
of
Gripsholm
Gripsholm Castle ( sv, Gripsholms slott) is a castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, Sweden. It is located by lake Mälaren in south central Sweden, in the municipality of Strängnäs, about 60 km west of Stockholm. Since Gustav Vasa, Grips ...
, which was opened in the 1822, her portrait was featured among six of the most famous Swedish women in history along with
Bridget of Sweden
Bridget of Sweden (c. 1303 – 23 July 1373) born as Birgitta Birgersdotter, also Birgitta of Vadstena, or Saint Birgitta ( sv, heliga Birgitta), was a mystic and a saint, and she was also the founder of the Bridgettines nuns and monks after ...
,
Sophia Rosenhane
Sophia Eleonora Rosenhane, as married Jennings, (29 August 1757 – 21 August 1837) was a Swedish patron and noblewoman. At the national portrait gallery at Gripsholm Castle, her portrait was featured amongst six of the most famous Swedish women ...
,
Hedvig Charlotta Nordenflycht
Hedvig Charlotta Nordenflycht (Stockholm, Sweden, 28 November 1718 – Stockholm, Sweden, 29 June 1763) was a Swedish poet, feminist and salon hostess.
Biography
She was the youngest of five children of the wealthy official Anders Anders ...
,
Sophia Elisabet Brenner
Sophia Elisabet Brenner, née Weber (29 April 1659 – 14 September 1730), was a Swedish writer, poet, feminist and salon hostess.
Biography
Sophia Elisabet Brenner was born to the builder Niklas Weber, who was a German immigrant, and Kristina ...
and
Vendela Skytte
Vendela Skytte (or Wendela Skytte) (8 December 1608 – 18 August 1629) was a Swedish noblewoman, salonist and writer, poet and Lady of Letters. During her lifetime, she became an ideal and role model for a learned female scholar.
Biography
V ...
.
[A.L. Stjerneld (anonym), Gripsholmgalleriet (Stockholm 1833)]
References
Barbro Stigsdotter, urn:sbl:19056, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (art av S. Samuelsson.), hämtad 2014-12-28.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stigsdotter, Barbro
Swedish rebels
1472 births
1528 deaths
16th-century Swedish people
Swedish nobility
People of the Swedish War of Liberation
15th-century Swedish people
15th-century Swedish women
16th-century Swedish women
16th-century rebels