Uppsala. (New) Uppsala Cathedral.

The New Uppsala

Now Known as "Uppsala"

Old Multi-Deist Uppsala was Finally Replaced as a Spiritual Center

by Christian Bishops and Moved Five Miles Away 

to speed conversions along, and remove the distraction of memory

The Cathedral has changed greatly since the 13th century when it was founded here, with fires, reconstructions, changes in design, ultimately as shown here, Baltic Gothic with strong brick walls.  The Cathedral formally was moved from the area at Gamla Uppsala, Old Uppsala --not the building, the status.  The earlier pre-Christian Kings' Mounds remain at Gamla Uppsala.

Cathedral at Uppsala

Elaborate triptychs, altar carvings in three parts that folded for travel or safekeeping, were also teaching tools for a congregation that could not read, and where the services were in Latin.  This one was made in Brussels, about 1520.  It is the largest Cathedral in Scandinavia.

Triptych 1520, Uppsala Cathedral

Uppsala Cathedral looks like a practical place - no extra plantings, no landscaping, simple and direct.  Up the shallow steps is a ceremonial area with flagpoles.

Uppsala Cathedral, rose window

Old doors.  The strength comes from the diagonal boards, and here, the iron hinges extend across the width, reinforcing the wood.

Uppsala Cathedral, old door.

Frescoes are intact and unrestored.  Here, a female figure. Painted ceilings are common.

Fresco, Uppsala Cathedral

A short life -- King Vasa 1523-1560 see Uppsala Cathedral.

Now we need to get back into this.  There are two kings with Vasa in the name:  Vasa and Gustav Vasa. Which is which?  For Warrior Kings, see the book of that name at Google Book, Warrior Kings of Sweden.  1942.  Gustav Vasa  (page 22 ff) and Vasa.

Vasa (page 53 ff) had life with intrigues, vengeances, and then look for the personal touches -- he would leave an audience chamber to go play with a child.  He had many:  one from the first wife, Catherine, a fragile princess without wealth or power from Germany, and she died in a few years;  then ten from the second, Margaret, from a Swedish noble family; and none then from the third, another Catherine but this was Margaret's niece. All these people in churches in grand burials have lives worth looking up. So do the commoners, if we could find out more.

So which Vasa is this?  The Reformation era Vasa broke with the Catholic Church.

Vasa Chapel, Uppsala Cathedral.  Burial of King Gustav Eriksson Vasa and Two of his Three Wives (The Third died later and is also buried there); or is this King Vasa?

Why does one wife of Vasa hold a sceptre, and not the other?  Priority of the wealthy one? But she was not royalty. The poor one was.

King Gustav Vasa, or is it just Vasa, with sceptre; and one wife with sceptre also? Uppsala Cathedral, Uppsala, Sweden

Identify royalty by gown and crown.  This one, however, we can't find.  Is this the third wife, after her death? Margaret's niece, Catherine?

Uppsala Cathedral: Queen, on her own. Which? Crown, no gilt, elegant fabric shown in stone.

John Gustav Sandberg's work, we think.  Frescoes from a later date, 1830, showing the life of Vasa. 

Frescoes, life of King Gustav Vasa, by John Gustav Sandberg, 1830's.

Patron Saints of the Cathedral:

St. Laurentius of Rome, Saint Lawrence, died in 252 AD; a mistranslation of a word for "martyred" became "roasted" and the tradition therefore is that he was placed on a hot gridiron etc. Patron saint also of chefs, enjoy Wikipedia but independently vet -- see Wikipedia on Lawrence of Rome. He is supposed to have safeguarded the Holy Grail for a time. See also Community of Sweden.  Other patrons:   King Eric of Sweden, and King Olof of Norway.  Why is the head of Laurentius off?

Headless Saint Laurentius, headless since the 13th century? What happened?

Laurentius Petri is a contemporary of Vasa, was a renowned reformer, and an Olof translated scripture into Swedish, see History Learning Site. Names recur.  No answers yet on the head.  And there are several Laurentius historical persons, including an Icelandic bishop in the 1300's.  Enough. Find the list at Wikipedia on Laurentius, the list.

Looking for our notes on this fellow. It can't be another Vasa.  No crown.

We now think it is Emmanuel Swedenborg, 1688-1772, visionary, clairvoyant (it was believed after several uncanny events), intellect, scientist, philosopher, and -- some thought -- a new prophet.  See Swedenborg Study.  But a check on Images for Swedenborg Uppsala shows another closed casket sarcophagus, not a figure on top.

Emmanuel Swedenborg, Uppsala Cathedral?  If not, it is an unhappy, or just sleeping someone else.

Evoking Swedenborg:  Swedenborg awoke from a deep sleep and asked the maid and another person what time it was. They told him, and he sighed, went back to sleep and died. See Study. 

Tower, Uppsala, Sweden

Linkoping. Berg: Burials at Vreta Kloster, Vreta Abbey

Accounts of rulers before the area was converted to Christianity vary. One geneological recreation from the 16th Century put Swedish kings back to Magog son of Jephtha in Old Testament times, see ://wapedia.mobi/en/Monarch_of_Sweden/.  Records improve after the Church arrived, but remain in the dark about pre-Christian rulers, House of Yngling, or House of Munso, or House of Uppsala.  Most that are documented begin with the Kalmar Union 1397-1523.  Rulers are not collected in one place for burial. Two for the older ones seem to be most prominent:  Varnhem Abbey (a ruin of the first structure; and a later cloister) that we did not see; and, here, Vreta Abbey, Vreta Kloster.

Varnhem Klosterkyrch, Cloister Church:  Kings Eric (two of them) and Canute are buried there.

Vreta Kloster Kyrch, Burials of Medieval Royalty, Sweden

Vreta Klosterkyrch, Cloister Church.  Kings Inge the Elder and Inge the Younger are our interest, with speculative surname roots including the -ing floating about (none demonstrable, but all entertaining).

Inge the Elder founded Vreta Abbey sometime between 1099 when the Pope who ordered it began his reign,  and 1105 when King Inge the Elder died.  He and his Queen Helena, and their sons Princes Ragnvald and Sune; and Inge the Younger and his Queen Uhlvild are buried there, so we were told, so we went. Then we found that Inge the Elder is supposed to be at Varnhem, see ://wapedia.mobi/en/Monarch_of_Sweden. Dark inside, hard to tell and we didn't know the issue. This, then, must be Inge the Younger. Have to find our notes.

Burial, King Inge the Younger (sadly, in the dark), Vreta Kloster, Sweden

This is an attempt in the dark to get the inscription.  See the full image by someone else at ://wapedia.mobi/en/File:IngiYoungerSwedenGrave.jpg/  We tracked the cracks and words and compared.  Match! Discount!

Any country's accounts of successions of rulers when based largely on oral tradition or conflicting agendas:  what is legend, what is truth.  Read about King Inge the Elder and King Inge the Younger, and find that one may be the nephew of the other, see The History of Sweden by Anders Fryxell, from 1844 (!) at page 179 before and after, at ://books.google.com/books?id=6B4CAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&dq=King+Inge+the+Younger+history+sweden&source=bl&ots=t64vHslLvP&sig=199mBuRmbUUdxXLJ5_0hQy6uCfI&hl=en&ei=6dkUTerYNsP48AbRyJipDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Burial, King Inge the Younger, closeup, light shed, Vreta Kloster, Berg, Sweden

Other notables royal and not are there also: Philip of Sweden and Magnus the Younger.  Famous nuns and abbesses: Helena of Sweden, widow of King Canute V (Denmark). And stories of young girls being abducted from there, as power families came and went. Is Helena of Sweden buried with Canute at Varnhem?

Click to enlarge. 

Burial, King Magnus Nilsson, Vreta Kloster Kyrch, Berg (Linkoping) Sweden

Swedish Monarch Lineage, House of Stenkill (Kings Inge Elder and Younger, King Magnus notably)

King Magnus Nilsson, burial description, site at Vreta Cloister Church, Sweden

Burial, Prince Sune, son of King Inge the Elder

Inscription detail, Prince Sune, sone of King Inge the Elder, or other relation? Accounts are inconsistent

Burial, Prince Regnvald, son of King Inge the Elder, Vreta Kloster, Sweden

Prince Regnvald, son of King Inge the Elder, coat of arms closeup, Vreta Kloster, Sweden

Click to enlarge and enjoy the sprightly figures dancing at the top.  Is this a list of notables from the Family Munchenberg?  Munchenberg sounds German. Munchkins?

aa

Unknown burial, Vreta Kloster, Sweden.  Note the skull and crossbones

Burial, Arvid Borenius, Vicar,  and wife, Vreta Kloswster, Sweden