Ragnhild Grågås (died 1510) was a 15th century resident of
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
.
She was the person after whom
Gåsgränd
Gåsgränd ( Swedish: "Goose Alley") is an alley in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden. Connecting the streets Västerlånggatan, Stora Nygatan
Stora Nygatan is a street in Gamla stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Swede ...
in
Gamla stan
Gamla Stan (, "The Old Town"), until 1980 officially Staden mellan broarna ("The Town between the Bridges"), is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla Stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen. Gamla Stan includes the surrounding islets ...
was named.
History
Grågås was the centre of a court case. On 23 June 1477, she and her daughter were accused by Sigrid, the wife of Jens Bok, of having had sexual intercourse with her husband. This was regarded as indirect
incest
Incest ( ) is sexual intercourse, sex between kinship, close relatives, for example a brother, sister, or parent. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by lineag ...
according to contemporary law and was a serious crime punishable by death. The court, however, dismissed the charges, as Grågås and her daughter had already previously been accused of the same crime, and already been acquitted of it. Instead, Sigrid was sentenced to banishment from the capital for
slander
Defamation is a communication that injures a third party's reputation and causes a legally redressable injury. The precise legal definition of defamation varies from country to country. It is not necessarily restricted to making wikt:asserti ...
. The sentence was revoked after Grågås and her daughter asked for mercy for Sigrid.
Grågås's will is known from 1513, and she is regarded to have died a few years prior. Grågås's spouse owned property at Gåsgränd, which she later came to own herself. The case against Grågås apparently attracted a lot of attention in contemporary Stockholm, and the location was already called Gåsgränd prior her death.
[ ]
See also
*
Gåstorget
References
Other Sources
*Lisbet Scheutz (2001 (2003) nuytgåva). Berömda och glömda stockholmskvinnor: sju stadsvandringar: 155 kvinnoporträtt. Stockholm: MBM. Libris 8392583
Ragnhild Grågås var en ärbar kvinna
15th-century Swedish people
1510 deaths
Year of birth unknown
15th-century Swedish women
16th-century Swedish people
16th-century Swedish women
{{Sweden-bio-stub