Ingrid Ylva
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Ingrid Ylva ( – –1255) was a Swedish
noblewoman A noblewoman is a female member of the nobility. Noblewomen form a disparate group, which has evolved over time. Ennoblement of women has traditionally been a rare occurrence; the majority of noblewomen were linked to the nobility by either their ...
, the wife of Magnus Minnesköld of
Bjälbo Bjälbo is a small village in Mjölby Municipality, Östergötland, Sweden. The medieval House of Bjälbo had a church and a manor house at Bjälbo. Magnus Minnesköld was probably born here, and in around 1210 his son Birger Magnusson. Today ...
and the mother of
regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...
Birger Jarl Birger Jarl or Birger Magnusson (21 October 1266) was a Swedish statesman and regent, ''Swedish jarls, jarl'', and a member of the House of Bjälbo, who played a pivotal role in consolidating Sweden after the civil wars between the House of Eri ...
. The exact years of her birth and death are unclear; a traditional year quoted for her death is 26 October 1252; it is also considered, though, that this was the date of her burial, and that she had actually died in 1251.


Biography

According to
Olaus Petri Olof Persson, sometimes Petersson (6 January 1493 – 19 April 1552), better known under the Latinisation of names, Latin form of his name, Olaus Petri (or less commonly, Olavus Petri), was a clergyman, writer, judge, and major contributor to the ...
, she was the daughter of Sune Sik. She was married to Magnus Minnesköld of Bjälbo, possibly as his second wife. Several of his sons, born or raised by Ingrid Ylva, would come to hold positions of power when grown: Eskil became
lawspeaker A lawspeaker or lawman ( Swedish: ''lagman'', Old Swedish: ''laghmaþer'' or ''laghman'', Danish: ''lovsigemand'', Norwegian: ''lagmann'', Icelandic: , Faroese: '' løgmaður'', Finnish: ''laamanni'', ) is a unique Scandinavian legal offic ...
in
Västergötland Västergötland (), also known as West Gothland or the Latinized version Westrogothia in older literature, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden (''landskap'' in Swedish), situated in the southwest of Sweden. Vä ...
,
Karl Karl may refer to: People * Karl (given name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Karl der Große, commonly known in English as Charlemagne * Karl of Austria, last Austrian Emperor * Karl (footballer) (born 1993), Karl Cac ...
and both became
bishops of Linköping A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...
and
Birger Birger is a Scandinavian name from Old Norse, ''bjarga'', meaning "to help, to save, to protect". It is widely used in Norway as Birger but also as Børge. The Swedish variant of ''Birger'' would soon evolve into ''Börje'', however, the prior for ...
became Jarl of Sweden, and later had his son elected king. As a widow, in –1210, she most likely managed her estates in
Bjälbo Bjälbo is a small village in Mjölby Municipality, Östergötland, Sweden. The medieval House of Bjälbo had a church and a manor house at Bjälbo. Magnus Minnesköld was probably born here, and in around 1210 his son Birger Magnusson. Today ...
as the head of the family, due to her sons being minors. She attended the church from her favourite place in the church tower, to which she had once donated a
bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be m ...
; according to tradition, she often lived in this tower during insecure times. In 1234, her son
Birger Birger is a Scandinavian name from Old Norse, ''bjarga'', meaning "to help, to save, to protect". It is widely used in Norway as Birger but also as Børge. The Swedish variant of ''Birger'' would soon evolve into ''Börje'', however, the prior for ...
married Princess
Ingeborg Eriksdotter of Sweden Ingeborg Eriksdotter (after 1214 – 17 June 1254) was a Swedish princess, daughter of King Erik Knutsson, eldest sibling of King Erik Eriksson, wife of Birger Jarl, and mother of Kings Valdemar and Magnus Ladulås. Biography Ingeborg was ...
, and in 1250, he became regent and father of the king. It remains unclear if Ingrid Ylva was still alive at this point, though it is believed that she was. However, she does not seem to have played any part at the royal court, and probably preferred to stay within her estates. She is said to have married again, to an unnamed man with whom she had a son, Elof Vingad Pil, while other sources claim she remained unmarried.


Ingrid Ylva in legend

Ingrid Ylva is known in various
legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...
s, and possibly in her time, as a so-called
white witch Jadis is a fictional character and the main antagonist of '' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'' (1950) and '' The Magician's Nephew'' (1955) in C. S. Lewis's series, ''The Chronicles of Narnia''. She is commonly referred to as the White Witc ...
; she was said to be able to master
magic Magic or magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces ** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic * Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...
, which she used for good purposes and for her family's good fortune. A lot of stories were told about her magical skills. One legend said that once, when
Bjälbo Bjälbo is a small village in Mjölby Municipality, Östergötland, Sweden. The medieval House of Bjälbo had a church and a manor house at Bjälbo. Magnus Minnesköld was probably born here, and in around 1210 his son Birger Magnusson. Today ...
was subjected to a surprise attack from the enemies of the family, Ingrid Ylva rushed to the top of the church tower, and, from there, she ripped open a pillow full of feathers which spread across the land and turned into knights in armour. These magical stories were far from slander: in the 13th century, the witch trials were hundreds of years in the future, magic was not illegal and the ability to master magic was considered a great and admirable skill; there was a clear separation between white and black magic; and not even black magic was yet connected to the
Devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...
or punishable by death, as it would become later. Her name was widely known long before her son became regent, and her alleged magical skill was highly admired. She was widely regarded for her ability to foretell the future. Legend claims, that on her deathbed she predicted that her line would succeed to the Swedish throne, as long as her head was held high.Christer Öhman (Swedish): Helgon, bönder och krigare. Berättelser ur den svenska historien (Saints, farmers and warriors. Stories from the history of Sweden) Legend says, that because of this, her son, the regent, buried her standing upright, inside the tower with which she had had such a close relationship.


Notes


References and literature


Runeberg.org
*Jan Guillou: "Häxornas försvarare" (Defender of the witches) *Christer Öhman: "Helgon, bönder och krigare. Berättelser ur den svenska historien" (Saints, peasants and warriors. Stories from the Swedish history) (1994) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ingrid Ylva 1180s births 1250s deaths 13th-century Swedish nobility 12th-century Swedish nobility 13th-century Swedish women 12th-century Swedish women