Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - VI. Steno Sturé the Elder. King John. Suanto Sturé. Steno Sturé the Younger, and Christian the Tyrant. A.D. 1470—1520
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7-2 Ratlle of Rrunkeberg. King Christian wounded. HISTORY OF THE SWEDES. His defeat. J Internal tranquillity. t [ a. n. t1471.
rose proportionally 1. Christian called him "a lad
who being about to be chastised with the rod, hid
himself in the woods ;" his soldiers vaunted of the
shames they would put upon the burghers of
Stockholm, and their wives. Meanwhile the Sture’s
approached on the north with combined forces for
the relief of the capital, and upon the 11 th
October, 1471, battle was joined at the Brunkeberg.
This was a sandy height then lying without the
town of Stockholm, but now levelled and built over,
though still keeping the name it derived from the
punishment of the inhuman Brunke; it had been
fortified by king Christian " with some new
inventions," as it is expressed. A retrenchment or sconce
(skerina) had been erected there, and planted with
"many great cannon." King Christian himself
took post with the Danish banner on the eminence,
with the intrenchment in his rear, to defend it
against a sally which was apprehended from the
town. A second division of the army was planted
below the hill at the convent of St. Clara ; the
third remained stationary at the ships, which were
moored by the Capuchins’ (now Blase’s) Holm,
then separated from Norrmalm (the North suburb)
by water, across which the Danes had cast a bridge
of poles in order to maintain the communication
with their fleet. Steno Sture, having notified the
cessation of the truce, also divided his army into
three portions, of which one was sent to make a
circuit and fall upon the Danes at their ships, under
the command of Nicholas Sture, who met with so
many obstacles from marshes and woods in one
of the quarters of Norrmalm, now so populous, that
the delay in his arrival almost caused the loss of
the battle. Four times did Steno Sture storm the
Brunkeberg, which was not won until the general
had succeeded, by an attack upon the division of
the Danish army posted beside the convent of
St. Clara, in enticing part of the enemy’s troops
from their station on the hill. Daring this attack
the wooden retrenchment on the mount was set
in flames, having been taken by the burghers in a
sally from the town. The arrival of Nicholas Sture’
decided the victory. Christian, who was himself
wounded, with difficulty escaped to the ships, and
many of the fugitives were drowned, as the burghers
during the fight had sawn through the wooden
bridge. This battle, long celebrated and sung by
the Swedish country people, exhibits many
characteristic features of old manners. Steno Sture’, with
his whole army, heard prayers and made confession
in the morning before going into action. All his
men set badges of straw or green boughs in their
helmets and caps, to distinguish themselves from
those of their countrymen and brethren who fought
in the ranks of the foe. As they marched to the
attack they chanted St. George’s song as their lay
of battle, and to that knightly saint Steno Sture’
afterwards dedicated an image, which may still be
seen in the high chui’ch of Stockholm. The
fiercest conflict was waged around the two chief
banners 2 ; King Christian wounded with his own
hand Canute Fosse, who led the sally from the
town ; Steno Sture was several times surrounded
by the enemy. A poor peasant named Starke
Biorn (the strong bear), ran during the whole
battle before his horse, and cleared a path for him
with a huge broadsword. The consort of the
administrator, with the principal ladies of Stockholm,
viewed the battle from the castle walls, and caused
food and alms to be distributed to the poor of the
town 3.
The battle of Brunkeberg was more important
from its consequences than remarkable from the
forces engaged. The strength of Steno Sture’s
army is stated at about ten thousand men, to which
are to be added thirteen hundred well appointed
horsemen of the town of Stockholm. The infantry
consisted for the most part of peasants, whose chief
arms were still the bow and the northern
battle-axe 4, well known since the days of paganism. In
the camp at Norrmalm king Christian had five
thousand men well-equipped, and provided with an
artillery, which for that day was numerous.
Including that part of the army which remained with
the ships, and the levies raised by the Swedish
lords of Christian’s party, his array was probably
not very unequal in numbers to the other, and
superior in discipline and equipment. On his side
many Swedes perished in the battle, among them
that Trotte Carlson, whose wooden shield coated
with leather hung in the cathedral of Upsala until
the conflagration of 1702. The survivors among the
Swedes who fought on the king’s side fled to the
ships ; the Danes wished to sacrifice them to their
fury and throw them into the sea. To the honour
of king Christian be it said, he prevented this
useless cx-uelty, and caused them to be liberated. He
himself quitted Sweden never to return, and during
the remaining ten years of his life he left it in
peace.
The succeeding years were the happiest that the
kingdom had known for a long time. The leaders
of the opposition were reconciled to the
administrator, who was now allowed to devote himself to
the cares which peace demanded. Heretofore one
half of the burgomasters and councillors in the
towns had been Germans. After the fight of
Brunkeberg, the burgesses and peasants
demanded the alteration of this provision of the
Swedish town-law, else, they declared, they never
would come to the succour and relief of the lords
and councillors of Sweden ; it was accordingly
abolished by a rescript of the administrator and
the council5. Cultivation was now resumed in
many tracts wherein the granges during the
commotions had gone to waste, as appears from the
ordinances issued upon the subject6. To prevent
1 Konung Christian intet af Herr Sten visste,
Ty han for med stora tysste.
King Christian nought of the lord Steno knew,
i’or in great silence on he drew.
The Rhyme Chronicle.
2 (Dalilman (History of Denmark. 3, 231,) states that the
Danebrog, or Danish standard, round which lay five hundred
dead bodies, fell into the enemy’s hands; this was a white
cross upon a red ground, said to have been consecrated by
Pope Honorius for King Waldemar II. upon his crusade
against the Esthonians in 1219. It was again taken by the
Ditmarsers in 1500, and retaken on their subjugation by the
Danes in 1559. T.) A Swedish ballad upon this battle still
exists.
3 A manuscript in the library of Linkoping (of the year
1519), states that sixteen knights, with 614 men, were taken
prisoners, and 2000 slain. Linkbpings Ribliotheks Handl.
i. 90.
4 Called the Swedish poleaxe in some old verses of the
union age.
5 Of October 14, 1470.
6 See the Recess of Calmar, 1-174.
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