Ebba Eriksdotter Vasa
| Ebba Eriksdotter Vasa | |
|---|---|
| Spouse(s) | Erik Abrahamsson Leijonhufvud |
| Noble family | House of Vasa |
| Father | Erik Karlsson Vasa |
| Mother | Anna Karlsdotter (Vinstorpa) |
| Died |
21 November 1549 Vreta Abbey |
Ebba Eriksdotter Vasa (died 21 November 1549) was a Swedish noble. She was the mother of Queen Margaret Leijonhufvud and King Märta and mother-in-law of King Gustav Vasa.
Life
Ebba was the daughter of nobleman Erik Karlsson (Vasa) and noblewoman Anna Karlsdotter (Vinstorpa). Her father was a cousin of Erik Johansson Vasa, the father of King Gustav Vasa. She was married to riksråd Erik Abrahamsson Leijonhufvud on 18 January 1512 in Söderköping. In 1520, her spouse was executed during the Stockholm Bloodbath.
In 1536, her daughter Margaret became queen, and Ebba became the mother-in-law of the king. As such, she and her family was given a role to play in the ceremonial court life. During the first years of her daughter's marriage, Ebba had an influential position in the Swedish royal court: it was said that the king did not dare to oppose her. Her influence was not described as political, however. As the in-laws of the monarch, she and her family were given a higher position at court: at the baptism of her granddaughter princess Cecilia in 1540, for example, she participated in the procession directly after her daughter the queen, who was escorted by her eldest son and the king, while she herself was escroted by two male members of the aristocracy.[1] During the royal couple's trips around the country, Ebba, alongside Christina Gyllenstierna, was frequently given the responsibility for the royal children, such as for example in 1540, when they were left in her care in Örebro Castle, while the king and queen visited Älvsborg.[2] While in her care, they were often attended to by the cunning woman Brigitta Lars Anderssons.[3]
Ebba was a stern Catholic, and in 1536 the king gave her Vreta Abbey in Östergötland, which was given her protection during the Swedish Reformation. Eventually Ebba withdrew to Vreta Abbey, where she died of the plague in 1549.
- Issue
- Abraham Eriksson Leijonhufvud (1512–1556), riksråd
- Birgitta "Brita" Eriksdotter Leijonhufvud (1514–1572), mother of Queen Catherine Stenbock.
- Anna Leijonhufvud
- Margaret Leijonhufvud (1516–1551), Queen
- Anna Leijonhufvud, gift Bielke (1517–1540)
- Sten Eriksson Leijonhufvud (1518–1568), chamberlain
- Martha Leijonhufvud (1520–1584), known as "King Martha"
References
- ↑ Karin Tegenborg Falkdalen (2010). Vasadöttrarna (utgåva 2). Falun: Historiska Media. ISBN 978-91-85873-87-6
- ↑ Karin Tegenborg Falkdalen (2010). Vasadöttrarna (utgåva 2). Falun: Historiska Media. ISBN 978-91-85873-87-6
- ↑ Wilhelmina Stålberg (in Swedish): Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor (Notes on Swedish women)
- Signum svenska kulturhistoria: Renässansen (2005)
- Karin Tegenborg Falkdalen (2010). Vasadöttrarna (utgåva 2). Falun: Historiska Media. ISBN 978-91-85873-87-6