Görwel Christina Carlsdotter Gyllenstierna (1646–1708) was a Swedish noblewoman, duellist and landowner. Görwel was the daughter of Lieutenant Colonel Carl Nilsson Gyllenstierna of Fågelvik and Hässelby (1621–1650) and Sidonia Mannersköld (1620–1656). She was famous among her contemporaries for her great learning as well as for her interest and skill in sports normally reserved for males. She was referred to as "A

Minerva Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...

and an

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in one" and was a student of not only

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

, theology,

natural science Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

and other subjects but also active within hunting,

fencing Fencing is a combat sport that features sword fighting. It consists of three primary disciplines: Foil (fencing), foil, épée, and Sabre (fencing), sabre (also spelled ''saber''), each with its own blade and set of rules. Most competitive fe ...

and other "

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ly practises" rather than "feminine tasks", something which attracted a lot of attention. She made herself widely known when in 1661 she challenged Lieutenant Colonel David Kohl to a

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...

for marrying her cousin Görwel Nilsdotter Gyllenstierna against the consent of her family. Görwel Christina married Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Schulman (1644–1677) in 1670. After his death, she managed his estate Leonardsbergs gård during the minority of her son.

References

* Wilhelmina Stålberg: ''Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor'' (Notes on Swedish women)

* Nordisk tidskrift för bok- och biblioteksväsen / Årgång VIII. 1921 /
Leonardsberg – Hällristningar
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gyllenstierna, Gorwel 1646 births 1708 deaths Swedish noblewomen 17th-century Swedish nobility 17th-century Swedish landowners Female duellists People from the Swedish Empire Swedish duellists 17th-century women landowners