Benedict, Duke Of Halland
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Bengt Algotsson (also Benedictus; d. 1360) was a medieval Swedish lord. He was the
Duke of Finland Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ...
and
Halland Halland () is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden (''landskap''), on the western coast of Götaland, southern Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Skåne, Scania and the sea of Kattegat. Until 1645 and the Second Treaty of Br ...
, as well as the Viceroy of
Scania Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...
in 1350s.


Ancestry

Bengt Algotsson's grandfather from the paternal side, Brynolf Bengtsson, was likely a son of , a lawman in
Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Vä ...
. Through his grandmother Ingegärd, daughter of Svantepolk Knutsson, he was descended from both the Danish and Swedish royal houses. His coat of arms was a standing lion; thus, the family has in some later reconstructions been called ''Lejon''. This may also mean they were kin with the Folkunge, his line's ancestress belonging to those siblings of Boberg family who were nephews and nieces of Birger Jarl.


Career

Bengt Algotsson participated in
Magnus Eriksson's second crusade to Novgorod Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...
in 1350, and was knighted after it. From 1352 he is known to have had a seat in the kingdom's Privy Council. In about 1353, Bengt was created
Duke of Finland Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ...
and Halland by the King Magnus. The title of Halland came from his descent from Duke Canute of Reval whose male line, which had held Halland as compensation for Reval and Laland, had gone extinct some fifty years earlier. Previous holders of the duchy of Halland had been the king's own father Duke Eric, his mother Duchess Ingeborg, and Ingeborg's second husband Knut Porse, as well as king's half-brothers. According to tradition preserved in
Vadstena Abbey 250px, Aerial view The Abbey Pax Mariae (), more commonly referred to as Vadstena Abbey, is situated on Lake Vättern in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Stockholm and is a monastery of nuns within the Bridgettine Order. It was active from 134 ...
, Bishop Hemmingus of Åbo would have prevented the appointment of Bengt as the Duke of Finland. However, Bengt's sigil from 1355 includes the phrase , indicating that the possible resistance had been overcome by that time. Bengt was also appointed Viceroy of
Scania Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...
, the newly acquired group of mostly Danish provinces. Most probably, the chief reasons the king took these steps were to stop the spiritual and secular ''
frälse The Swedish nobility (, or , ) has historically been a legally or socially privileged class in Sweden, and part of the so-called ''frälse'' (a derivation from Old Swedish meaning ''free neck''). The archaic term for nobility, ''frälse'', also ...
'', to gain yet more power at royal expense, and Hanseatic power in Nordic commerce. The Viceroy confiscated many of the properties of the Archdiocese of Lund upon the death of Archbishop Peder Jensen in 1355. Hanseatic privileges were also curbed in Skanish ports. Duke Bengt was married to Ingeborg Ulvsdotter of Tofta, a member of the Sparre family. She was much older than he, possibly already a widow. Ingeborg was the daughter of Ulf Abjörnsson, justiciar of Tiohärad, the younger half-sister of Lord Karl Ulfsson of Tofta, maternal niece of Erengisle, Earl of Orkney, and the aunt of the future Margaret Sparre of Tofta, mother of Karl Knutsson (Bonde) and ancestress of
Gustav Vasa Gustav Eriksson Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), also known as Gustav I, was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560. He was previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm (''Reichsverweser#Sweden, Riksföreståndare'') fr ...
. However, Bengt repudiated his wife sometime in 1356, making his wife's relatives his enemies. A civil war started at about the same time: leaders of Swedish nobility used the king's eldest son
Erik The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Nor ...
as claimant and cited the favorite's exceptional privileges as an insult to the younger king. In 1356 a revolt started, nominally against Duke Bengt, but actually to weaken the king and his centralizing grip. In 1357, Bengt was exiled and Scania as well as several other Swedish and Finnish provinces were given to the young king Erik who ruled the kingdom together with his father. Duke Bengt's elder brother was exiled to Norway with his wife
Märta Ulfsdotter Margareta "Märta" Ulfsdotter, in Norway known as ''Merete Ulvsdatter'' (1319-1371), was a Swedish noble and lady in waiting. She was the daughter of Saint Bridget of Sweden and the head lady in waiting of Margaret I, Queen of Denmark. Life She ...
, a daughter of St. Bridget of Sweden. According to tradition Bengt Algotsson was besieged in
Rönneholm Castle Rönneholm Castle () is located in Eslöv Municipality, Scania, Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the w ...
in Scania and killed by his brother-in-law Karl Ulfsson and Magnus Nilsson Röde.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benedict, Duke Of Halland 14th-century births 1360 deaths 14th-century Finnish people 14th-century Swedish nobility Dukes of Halland