Tordenstjerne (noble family)

Tordenstjerne, also spelled Tordenstierne, was a Norwegian noble family.

General history

Nils Sveinsson was on the 20th of July 1505 ennobled under the name Tordenstjerne (lit. Thunder Star) for his braveness in the capture of Vennersborg. He achieved as well the title squire (Norwegian: væpner). It is said that he firstly was married to the Swedish noblewoman Eline Henriksdotter Måneskjold av Rise from Sweden, but that the marriage was childless. Thereafter he married Ingeborg Torsteinsdotter, who was the daughter of Torstein Asseresson on the farm Saue. Their children were squire Kristoffer Nilsson Tordenstjerne til Solum, squire Laurits Nilsson Tordenstjerne til Steinshorn, and squire Jon Nilsson Tordenstjerne til Gullaug.

Jon Nilsson Tordenstjerne til Gullaug († allegedly in 1592) was followed by his son, Audun Jonsson Tordenstjerne til Gullaug. In 1626, his son Jon Audunsson Tordenstjerne til Gullaug († between 1648 and 1661) is mentioned. His son was Audun Jonsson Tordenstjerne til Gullaug, his grandson was Niels Audensen Tordenstierne til Gullaug, and his great-grandson was Auden Nielsen Tordenstierne.

On the 5th of February 1734, Niels Audensen Tordenstierne's noble status was confirmed by the King. In the same year, his son was born. Auden Nielsen Tordenstierne grew up and went to Copenhagen, where he in 1753 became a secretary in the Danish chancery. He received the title court junker (Norwegian: hoffjunker) shortly afterwards.

It is told that after a while, he became half-witted. After his stays in Copenhagen and Paris, be got ill and returned to his seat farm Gullaug. He isolated himself in two rooms in one end of the house, the Red Chamber and the Blue Chamber. They were small and dark rooms into which the daylight hardly could reach because of the leaden windows. Tordenstierne never appeared in daytime, and in the evening and the night, he wandered in his garden and along the beach wearing a dark cloak and a dark mask before his face. He was accompanied by his servant, who was «a negro». The last Thunder Star died on the 21st of February 1771.

When the main building at Gullaug was rebuilt in 1843–44, there were found some letters and documents within the wall. They revealed that Tordenstierne had been in love with a farmer daughter. He had to give up his love because of his parents' dislike and his estate's demands.

Coat of arms

Description: A divided shield, whereof the first field in silver and the second field in black, whereover is placed a five-pointed star whereof the three upper points are black and the two lower points are silver. On the helm a five-pointed star in ditto tinctures between two buffalo horns divided in black and silver, vice versa, respectively.

See also

Literature and sources

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