Gert Cantor (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1567) was a Dutch musician active in Sweden. Born in the Netherlands, his original Dutch name was Gerrit van Wou, grandson of the famed clockmaker

Geert van Wou Geert van Wou (1440, Hintham—December 1527, Kampen) was a well-known Dutch bellfounder. He is best known today for the Maria Gloriosa (1497) of Erfurt Cathedral. The son of a bellfounder, he is considered one of the most important bellfounders o ...

.Fehrmann, C.N. (1961). Twee kleinzonen van de Kamper klokgieter Geert van Wou. In: Kamper Almanak, Frans Walkate archief, Kampen. He was engaged as a court musician at the royal court of king

Eric XIV of Sweden Eric XIV ( sv, Erik XIV; 13 December 153326 February 1577) was King of Sweden from 1560 until he was deposed in 1569. Eric XIV was the eldest son of Gustav I (1496–1560) and Catherine of Saxe-Lauenburg (1513–1535). He was also ruler of E ...

. He was employed in the household of Eric already during Eric's tenure as a Crown Prince in Kalmar, and was appointed as a musician and a singer to the

Kungliga Hovkapellet Kungliga Hovkapellet (, "The Royal Court Orchestra") is a Swedish orchestra, originally part of the Royal Court in Sweden's capital Stockholm. Its existence was first recorded in 1526. Since 1773 it is part of the Royal Swedish Opera's company. ...

when Eric became king in 1560. He often performed during the festivities, concerts, banquets and balls at court. He was also known as a personal favorite and confidant of king Eric, and noted to have performed several personal services in the intimate private life of the king.Sture Arnell (1951). Karin Månsdotter. Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand. ISBN Aside from his position as a court musician, Gert Cantor ad his wife Karin also managed an

inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...

, which was often frequented by the guests of the royal court; the envoy of the Holy Roman Emperor

Jakob von Beczek Jakob may refer to: People * Jakob (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jakob (surname), including a list of people with the name Other * Jakob (band), a New Zealand band, and the title of their 1999 EP * Max Jakob Memorial Aw ...

, for example, was known to use the inn for his lodgings. Cantor is known in history for being the person who introduced Eric XIV to his future lover and queen,

Karin Månsdotter Karin Månsdotter (in English Catherine; 6 November 1550 – 13 September 1612) was first a mistress of King Eric XIV of Sweden and then briefly queen as his wife. Early life Karin was born in Stockholm to a soldier and later prison guard n ...

, who was employed as a serving girl in his inn. In reality, it would not have been Cantor himself but his wife Karin who managed the inn, employed Karin Månsdotter, and introduced her to the king. A sign of this was the fact than when Karin Månsdotter became the king's lover, he sent a silver belt to Gert Cantor's wife Karin as a sign of his gratitude to her for introducing him to Karin Månsdotter. Gert Cantor's wife Karin are also noted several times in the list of the members of Karin Månsdotter's household during her tenure as the king's mistress. On 21 June 1567, a heated argument and a violent scene took place between Gert Cantor and Eric XIV, during which the latter was reportedly close to strike him down with his sword or dagger. When the king sent his guards to arrest Cantor the following day, Cantor had already left his quarters, the court and presumably Sweden.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cantor, Gert Musicians of the Habsburg Netherlands 16th-century Swedish people Swedish courtiers 16th-century singers Royal favourites