Helena of Skövde
Encyclopedia
Saint Helena was a woman of high birth, who lived in the 12th century, and was considered to be the patron saint of Skövde
, Sweden
. Saint Helena decorates the Skövde city arm and is the patron saint of the church in Ränneslöv
.
She was born around 1101. She was of noble family and is generally believed to have been the daughter of the Jarl Guthorm. In adult life, she married and bore children. After the death of her husband, she lived on his farm at Våmb in Skara
. She also gave her belongings to the poor and undertook a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. She returned and settled on the farm where she dedicated herself to spiritual and kind actions. According to legend, it is Helena who built Våmbs Church (Våmbs kyrka) in the Skara diocese at the farm in Våmb. The church in Skövde, now called St. Helena Church (Sankta Helena kyrka), was also largely built because of generous donations from Helena.
Helena had a daughter who had married, and was beaten and abused by her husband. After a time, the servants at Helena's farm united and killed the husband. His relatives blamed Helena for the murder, even though she was on a pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
in Jerusalem at the time. To avenge his death they killed Helena at Götene
while she was on her way to church in 1160.
Helena was canonized in 1165 by the Pope Alexander III
with the sponsorship of Stefan
, the first Archbishop of Uppsala
. Her legend was first written down by Brynolf Algotsson, Bishop of Skara
(1278–1317).
Skövde
Skövde is a locality and the seat of Skövde Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 34 446 inhabitants .Skövde is situated some 150 km northeast of Gothenburg, between Sweden's two largest lakes, Vänern and Vättern. It sits on the eastern slope of a low mountain ridge Billingen ,...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Saint Helena decorates the Skövde city arm and is the patron saint of the church in Ränneslöv
Ränneslöv
Ränneslöv is a locality situated in Laholm Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 425 inhabitants in 2005.- References :...
.
She was born around 1101. She was of noble family and is generally believed to have been the daughter of the Jarl Guthorm. In adult life, she married and bore children. After the death of her husband, she lived on his farm at Våmb in Skara
Skara Municipality
Skara Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Skara.The area of the municipality consists of 16 original local government entities. The municipal reform of 1952 grouped them into four new entities...
. She also gave her belongings to the poor and undertook a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. She returned and settled on the farm where she dedicated herself to spiritual and kind actions. According to legend, it is Helena who built Våmbs Church (Våmbs kyrka) in the Skara diocese at the farm in Våmb. The church in Skövde, now called St. Helena Church (Sankta Helena kyrka), was also largely built because of generous donations from Helena.
Helena had a daughter who had married, and was beaten and abused by her husband. After a time, the servants at Helena's farm united and killed the husband. His relatives blamed Helena for the murder, even though she was on a pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christians, is a church within the walled Old City of Jerusalem. It is a few steps away from the Muristan....
in Jerusalem at the time. To avenge his death they killed Helena at Götene
Götene
Götene is a locality and the seat of Götene Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 4,727 inhabitants in 2005.- References :*...
while she was on her way to church in 1160.
Helena was canonized in 1165 by the Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III
Pope Alexander III , born Rolando of Siena, was Pope from 1159 to 1181. He is noted in history for laying the foundation stone for the Notre Dame de Paris.-Church career:...
with the sponsorship of Stefan
Stefan (archbishop of Uppsala)
Stefan was created the first Archbishop of Uppsala in Sweden in the year 1164, a post he held until his death.Stefan was a Cistercian monk from Alvastra monastery...
, the first Archbishop of Uppsala
Archbishop of Uppsala
The Archbishop of Uppsala has been the primate in Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church.- Historical overview :...
. Her legend was first written down by Brynolf Algotsson, Bishop of Skara
Diocese of Skara
The Diocese of Skara is a diocese of the Church of Sweden , with its seat at Skara in Västergötland...
(1278–1317).
External links
Other sources
- Pernler, Sven-Erik, S:ta Elin av Skövde: kulten, källorna, kvinnan (Skara: Diocese of Skara historical society. 2007) ISBN 978-91-976688-3-5