Jöran Persson
Encyclopedia
Jöran Persson, alternatively Göran Persson (c. 1530 – September 1568), was King Eric XIV of Sweden
's favorite, most trusted, counsellor and head of the King's network of spies. He was widely seen as a Machiavellian
figure, and of holding too much influence over Eric. On both occasions that the King was removed from power Persson was quickly arrested by the nobility; the second time he was executed shortly after his arrest.
Persson was born in Sala
, the son of a local priest
, in about 1530. During the early 1550s he studied at the University of Wittenberg, where he proved to be a very gifted student and, according to legend, was highly regarded by the eminent theologian
Philipp Melanchthon
, who, on his journey back to Sweden in 1555, sent with him a recommendation letter to King Gustav I
. Upon his return to Sweden he was given an annual pension and employment in the King's service, a year later he became personal secretary to the King and was given a castle in Vyborg
. In 1558 he received another important commission from the king, namely being put in charge of the King's inspectors in Västergötland
in order to establish a register of the estates, which, to the detriment of the Crown, remained loyal to Rome
. To be entrusted with such an important matter showed that Persson, even at this early stage in his career, had made himself known in prominent circles as a man capable of getting difficult tasks done. Following the completion of his mission in Västergötland, Gustav allowed Persson to become personal secretary to his eldest son, Eric.
Persson had established a reputation for possessing a quick mind and a sharp wit, and of being ambitious, bold, and ruthless. It is also known that Persson was very familiar with astrology
, which he believed to guide the lives of men to a certain extent; despite having been raised and educated in the Protestant
tradition, he appears to have been an agnostic
. Following Erik's ascension to the throne in 1560, Persson was raised into the nobility. He took a coat of arms
bearing a design of three bricks, and became the lord of Trögd Hundred; at this point he took the family name
Tegel
. He was married in 1561 to a woman named Anna Andersdotter. The couple had two children: the renowned historian Erik Jöransson Tegel, and his brother Anders Jöransson Tegel who married Brita Månsdotter-Hand (their child, Brita Andersdotter married Georg Petre, descendant of the Baron of Writtle and Katherine Somerset, who was fleeing to Sweden from England because he was a Catholic and Oliver Cromwell
was coming to power).
Persson played an important role in the Konungens nämnd (literally: King's committee, the highest court
in Sweden), where he served simultaneously as a prosecutor and the King's representative. This meant that, as well as prosecuting, he also had some control over sentencing. It is not known how many of the 300 death sentences handed down by the court he had a personal involvement in, however he was regarded by many as the nation's foremost executioner
(it is still a point of contention whether he took orders from the King in such matters, or whether he acted on his own initiative). He became very unpopular among the public, as did his brother, Christiern Persson (d.1567), who was also given a position in the court; they were, among the public, believed to be under the "evil influence" of their mother Anna
, who was widely believed to be a witch who influenced the politics with sorcery
. Persson would go to any length to protect the King's throne and power. The most famous example of this came in the summer of 1563 when he crushed the formative rebellion of the King's half-brother, Duke John of Finland. He ordered that John be imprisoned in his home, Turku Castle
, along with his followers, who were to be executed. Instead of being executed, the Duke was shortly afterwards taken to Vaxholm
to meet with Persson, representing the King, who decided that they should be detained in Gripsholm Castle
, so a close eye could be kept on the Duke and his wife. Persson also saw to it that the couple's detention was harsh, far more so than the King had ordered.
Shortly after the imprisonment of Duke John, the Northern Seven Years' War
began between Sweden and a coalition of Denmark-Norway, Lübeck
and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
. The war, which was particularly bloody, went well for Sweden at sea, but went very badly on land. The war became increasingly unpopular as Swedish towns were damaged and destroyed, and casualties mounted. As the aristocracy's frustration with Eric's reign became increasingly apparent, the King and Persson feared a new rebellion. Eric, who at this stage was beginning to show signs of mental illness
, decided to take action to prevent a rebellion and he invited those he suspected of plotting against him to Svartsjö Castle in May 1567. Those suspected of being a threat to the King were arrested upon their arrival at the castle and they were tried in Uppsala
with Persson leading the prosecutions. All those tried were, unsurprisingly, found guilty and sentenced to death. The last nobleman to arrive at Svartsjö was Nils Svantesson Sture
, a descendent of Christian II
, who had only just returned from a diplomatic mission to Lorraine
. The King had long regarded Sture as the most dangerous nobleman in Sweden; in 1566 he had ordered Sture's execution but ultimately decided against this and publicly humiliated him instead. Sture was arrested on May 22, the following day Eric murdered him in his cell
. Following the murder, Persson managed to convince a council of the nobility, who were unaware of Sture's murder, that those who had been arrested were traitors and that the death penalty was therefore justified; the assent of the nobility meant that the murder and the executions were legal.
The murder of Nils Sture, however, had a huge effect on Eric's health. Within weeks he was removed from the throne on grounds of insanity. The regents elected to rule in place of Eric decided to release John from prison, and decided to arrest Persson for ordering the deaths of the prisoners in Uppsala; it had become apparent by this stage that those executed were not traitors, but victims of the King's increasing paranoia
.
The King recovered from his illness later in the year and was allowed to retake his throne, his first act following this was to release Persson. He did not, however, send his brother back to prison; on the contrary he reconciled with him. John used the first pretext he could find, Eric's marriage to the commoner Karin Månsdotter
, to lead a rebellion against his brother. Almost the entirety of the nobility, wishing to have revenge for Eric's treatment of them, rallied behind John. This rebellion, somewhat conveniently, resulted in the King once again showing signs of insanity
.
In September 1568 Eric was forced to abdicate and was succeeded by his brother, who took the title John III. Following this, Persson was once again arrested. John, who had never forgiven Persson for his treatment whilst imprisoned in Gripsholm, ordered his death following a very hasty trial, which found him guilty of a number of crimes surrounding his role in suppressing the nobility. Persson died very slowly; he was sentenced to the breaking wheel
and severely tortured before being beheaded at some point between 18 September and 21 September 1568. His mother was ordered to be executed with him, but threw herself off the horse on the way to the execution and died.
Eric XIV of Sweden
-Family and descendants:Eric XIV had several relationships before his marriage. With Agda Persdotter he had four daughters:#Margareta Eriksdotter , married 1592 to Olov Simonsson, vicar of Horn....
's favorite, most trusted, counsellor and head of the King's network of spies. He was widely seen as a Machiavellian
Machiavellianism
Machiavellianism is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, "the employment of cunning and duplicity in statecraft or in general conduct", deriving from the Italian Renaissance diplomat and writer Niccolò Machiavelli, who wrote Il Principe and other works...
figure, and of holding too much influence over Eric. On both occasions that the King was removed from power Persson was quickly arrested by the nobility; the second time he was executed shortly after his arrest.
Persson was born in Sala
Sala Municipality
Sala Municipality is a municipality in Västmanland County in central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Sala.The present municipality was created in 1971, when the City of Sala was amalgamated with the rural municipalities Möklinta and Tärna and a part of Västerfärnebo.-Localities:* Kumla...
, the son of a local priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, in about 1530. During the early 1550s he studied at the University of Wittenberg, where he proved to be a very gifted student and, according to legend, was highly regarded by the eminent theologian
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon
Philipp Melanchthon , born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems...
, who, on his journey back to Sweden in 1555, sent with him a recommendation letter to King Gustav I
Gustav I of Sweden
Gustav I of Sweden, born Gustav Eriksson of the Vasa noble family and later known simply as Gustav Vasa , was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death....
. Upon his return to Sweden he was given an annual pension and employment in the King's service, a year later he became personal secretary to the King and was given a castle in Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
. In 1558 he received another important commission from the king, namely being put in charge of the King's inspectors in Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
in order to establish a register of the estates, which, to the detriment of the Crown, remained loyal to Rome
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. To be entrusted with such an important matter showed that Persson, even at this early stage in his career, had made himself known in prominent circles as a man capable of getting difficult tasks done. Following the completion of his mission in Västergötland, Gustav allowed Persson to become personal secretary to his eldest son, Eric.
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
, which he believed to guide the lives of men to a certain extent; despite having been raised and educated in the Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
tradition, he appears to have been an agnostic
Agnosticism
Agnosticism is the view that the truth value of certain claims—especially claims about the existence or non-existence of any deity, but also other religious and metaphysical claims—is unknown or unknowable....
. Following Erik's ascension to the throne in 1560, Persson was raised into the nobility. He took a coat of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
bearing a design of three bricks, and became the lord of Trögd Hundred; at this point he took the family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
Tegel
Tegel
Tegel is a locality in the Berlin borough of Reinickendorf on the shore of Lake Tegel. The Tegel locality, the second largest in area of the 95 Berlin districts, also includes the neighbourhood of Saatwinkel.-History:...
. He was married in 1561 to a woman named Anna Andersdotter. The couple had two children: the renowned historian Erik Jöransson Tegel, and his brother Anders Jöransson Tegel who married Brita Månsdotter-Hand (their child, Brita Andersdotter married Georg Petre, descendant of the Baron of Writtle and Katherine Somerset, who was fleeing to Sweden from England because he was a Catholic and Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
was coming to power).
Persson played an important role in the Konungens nämnd (literally: King's committee, the highest court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
in Sweden), where he served simultaneously as a prosecutor and the King's representative. This meant that, as well as prosecuting, he also had some control over sentencing. It is not known how many of the 300 death sentences handed down by the court he had a personal involvement in, however he was regarded by many as the nation's foremost executioner
Executioner
A judicial executioner is a person who carries out a death sentence ordered by the state or other legal authority, which was known in feudal terminology as high justice.-Scope and job:...
(it is still a point of contention whether he took orders from the King in such matters, or whether he acted on his own initiative). He became very unpopular among the public, as did his brother, Christiern Persson (d.1567), who was also given a position in the court; they were, among the public, believed to be under the "evil influence" of their mother Anna
Anna (d.1568)
Anna Phersönernas moder, , , whose last name is unknown, was the mother of the Swedish statesman Jöran Persson, the powerful adviser of king Eric XIV of Sweden...
, who was widely believed to be a witch who influenced the politics with sorcery
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
. Persson would go to any length to protect the King's throne and power. The most famous example of this came in the summer of 1563 when he crushed the formative rebellion of the King's half-brother, Duke John of Finland. He ordered that John be imprisoned in his home, Turku Castle
Turku Castle
Turku Castle is a monument of Finnish history situated in the city of Turku in Finland. Together with Turku Cathedral, the castle is one of the oldest buildings still in use in Finland. Turku Castle is the largest surviving medieval building in Finland and one of the largest surviving medieval...
, along with his followers, who were to be executed. Instead of being executed, the Duke was shortly afterwards taken to Vaxholm
Vaxholm
Vaxholm is a locality and the seat of Vaxholm Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden. It is located in the Stockholm archipelago. The name Vaxholm comes from Vaxholm Castle, which was constructed in 1549 on an islet with this name on the inlet to Stockholm, for defense purposes, by King Gustav...
to meet with Persson, representing the King, who decided that they should be detained in Gripsholm Castle
Gripsholm Castle
Gripsholm Castle is a castle in Mariefred, Södermanland, in Sweden and is regarded as one of Sweden's finest historical monuments. It is located by lake Mälaren in south central Sweden, in the municipality of Strängnäs, about 60 km west of Stockholm....
, so a close eye could be kept on the Duke and his wife. Persson also saw to it that the couple's detention was harsh, far more so than the King had ordered.
Shortly after the imprisonment of Duke John, the Northern Seven Years' War
Northern Seven Years' War
The Northern Seven Years' War was the war between Kingdom of Sweden and a coalition of Denmark–Norway, Lübeck and the Polish–Lithuanian union, fought between 1563 and 1570...
began between Sweden and a coalition of Denmark-Norway, Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...
. The war, which was particularly bloody, went well for Sweden at sea, but went very badly on land. The war became increasingly unpopular as Swedish towns were damaged and destroyed, and casualties mounted. As the aristocracy's frustration with Eric's reign became increasingly apparent, the King and Persson feared a new rebellion. Eric, who at this stage was beginning to show signs of mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, decided to take action to prevent a rebellion and he invited those he suspected of plotting against him to Svartsjö Castle in May 1567. Those suspected of being a threat to the King were arrested upon their arrival at the castle and they were tried in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
with Persson leading the prosecutions. All those tried were, unsurprisingly, found guilty and sentenced to death. The last nobleman to arrive at Svartsjö was Nils Svantesson Sture
Nils Svantesson Sture
Nils Svantesson Sture was a Swedish diplomat and soldier during the reign of Erik XIV of Sweden...
, a descendent of Christian II
Christian II of Denmark
Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...
, who had only just returned from a diplomatic mission to Lorraine
Lorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
. The King had long regarded Sture as the most dangerous nobleman in Sweden; in 1566 he had ordered Sture's execution but ultimately decided against this and publicly humiliated him instead. Sture was arrested on May 22, the following day Eric murdered him in his cell
Sture Murders
The Sture Murders in Uppsala, Sweden of 24 May 1567 were the murders of five incarcerated Swedish nobles by Erik XIV of Sweden, who at that time was in a state of serious mental disorder, and his guards. The nobles, among them three members of the influential Sture family, had been charged with...
. Following the murder, Persson managed to convince a council of the nobility, who were unaware of Sture's murder, that those who had been arrested were traitors and that the death penalty was therefore justified; the assent of the nobility meant that the murder and the executions were legal.
The murder of Nils Sture, however, had a huge effect on Eric's health. Within weeks he was removed from the throne on grounds of insanity. The regents elected to rule in place of Eric decided to release John from prison, and decided to arrest Persson for ordering the deaths of the prisoners in Uppsala; it had become apparent by this stage that those executed were not traitors, but victims of the King's increasing paranoia
Paranoia
Paranoia [] is a thought process believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of irrationality and delusion. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concerning a perceived threat towards oneself...
.
The King recovered from his illness later in the year and was allowed to retake his throne, his first act following this was to release Persson. He did not, however, send his brother back to prison; on the contrary he reconciled with him. John used the first pretext he could find, Eric's marriage to the commoner Karin Månsdotter
Karin Månsdotter
Karin Månsdotter was Queen of Sweden, first a mistress and then the spouse of King Eric XIV of Sweden...
, to lead a rebellion against his brother. Almost the entirety of the nobility, wishing to have revenge for Eric's treatment of them, rallied behind John. This rebellion, somewhat conveniently, resulted in the King once again showing signs of insanity
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
.
In September 1568 Eric was forced to abdicate and was succeeded by his brother, who took the title John III. Following this, Persson was once again arrested. John, who had never forgiven Persson for his treatment whilst imprisoned in Gripsholm, ordered his death following a very hasty trial, which found him guilty of a number of crimes surrounding his role in suppressing the nobility. Persson died very slowly; he was sentenced to the breaking wheel
Breaking wheel
The breaking wheel, also known as the Catherine wheel or simply the wheel, was a torture device used for capital punishment in the Middle Ages and early modern times for public execution by bludgeoning to death...
and severely tortured before being beheaded at some point between 18 September and 21 September 1568. His mother was ordered to be executed with him, but threw herself off the horse on the way to the execution and died.