64-566: Västerås Cathedral (Swedish: Västerås domkyrka ) is the seat of the Diocese of Västerås in the Province of Västmanland , Sweden. The church building is a five- aisled hall church , with copper-covered roof and a single west tower with side extensions and an obelisk-shaped, copper-clad spire. It is built in the Scandinavian Brick Gothic style. The present church was originally built as
128-545: A Romanesque basilica with a nave and two side aisles in the 13th century and consecrated on 16 August 1271. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. The cathedral has undergone numerous extensions since. The church was expanded eastward under Bishop Lydeke Abelsson in the 1460s. When a chapel in the southwestern corner of the church was added to 1517, the church reached its present size. The outer roof of copper
192-628: A bitter fight with the Bishop of Linköping over which see would become archiepiscopal. The crusade itself is described as a brief and bloodless event that was only performed to bring the "blind and evil heathen people of Finland" under Christian order. The writer of the legend seems to have been especially interested in presenting the bishop as a humble martyr. He has fully ignored his place of death and burial and other "domestic" Finnish interests, which were much more apparent in folk traditions. The legend and folk traditions eventually influenced each other, and
256-512: A coastal area in northern Finland Proper called Kaland , which is also mentioned in conjunction with an unrelated early preacher in Vesilahti , upper Satakunta , whose local name was "Fish of Kaland" ( Kalannin kala , also known as Hunnun herra ). Bishop Mikael Agricola wrote in his Se Wsi Testamenti in 1548, that the earliest Swedish settlers in Finland had come from Gotland to the islets on
320-501: A lone preacher who moved around southwestern Finland more or less on his own. Besides the name, he has only little in common with the Henry in the church vita . Kokemäki is often mentioned in traditions as a place where Henry preached. Kokemäki was later one of the central parishes in Satakunta . This province was first mentioned in historical documents in 1331. The death-lay's version of
384-433: A painful death. The 17th century lay version smugly comments that: Now the bishop is in joy, Lalli in evil torture. The bishop sings with the angels, Performs a joyful hymn. Lalli is skiing down in hell. His left ski slides along. Into the thick smoke of torture. With his staff he strikes about: Demons beset him cruelly. In the swelter of hell They assail his pitiful soul. The 17th century lay version of
448-429: A selection of these miracles. Henry and his crusade to Finland were also a part of the legend of King Eric. The appendix of the early 13th century Västgötalagen , which has a short description of Eric's memorable deeds, also makes no reference to Henry or the crusade. Henry and the crusade do not appear until a version of Eric's legend that dates to 1344. Similarities in the factual content and phraseology regarding
512-433: A sword, and the axe is a more historically likely choice for Henry's murder. Before his death, Henry instructed the coachman to gather his remaining body parts in a cloth tied with blue string, place it in a cart drawn by a stallion. When the stallion broke, he was to replace it with an ox, and when the ox stopped, he was to build a church. This is where Henrik's remains were to be buried. Medieval folk traditions enumerate
576-480: Is Thomas , who is first mentioned in 1234. It is however possible, that Fulco , the Bishop of Estonia mentioned in sources from 1165 and 1171, was the same as Folquinus, a legendary Bishop of Finland at the end of the 12th century, but this remains only a theory. No Bishop or Diocese of Finland is mentioned in a papal letter from 1171 (or 1172) by the seemingly well-informed Pope Alexander III , who otherwise addressed
640-773: Is a diocese within the Church of Sweden . Its Episcopal see is located in Västerås at Västerås Cathedral . The diocese was first established in the 12th century as part of the Roman Catholic church , but was made part of the Church of Sweden as a result of the Protestant Reformation in Sweden . The diocese existed as a Catholic diocese from the 11th to the 16th century. The see was founded at Munktorp , then moved about 1100 to Västerås by
704-521: Is a story written down by Adam of Bremen in his Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum (Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church) from 1075/6 about a certain foreigner called Hericus , who was slain and martyred while preaching among the Sueones . Adam had heard the story from King Sweyn II of Denmark . According to some historians, resemblance to later legend about an English-born Henricus , who
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#1732854637508768-525: Is in general exceptionally good. Henry's Vita is followed by the more local miracula , a list of eleven miracles that various people were said to have experienced sometime after the bishop's death. With the exception of a priest in Skara who suffered a stomach ache after mocking Henry, all miracles seem to have taken place in Finland. The other miracles, which usually occurred following prayer to Bishop Henry, were: Most versions of Henry's legend only include
832-533: Is not depicted as a hero in a story whose true antagonist is Kerttu. The depiction of Henry's death built on an independent tradition that was once in direct competition with that of the legend, which is largely forgotten today. It remains unknown whether the two traditions were built around the same person. The poem, following the traditional Kalevala metre, has survived as several 17th and 18th century literations from various parts of Finland. Some of its elements appear in earlier works, but it hardly dates older than
896-566: Is said to have been an English -born bishop in Uppsala at the time of King Eric the Saint of Sweden in the mid-12th century, ruling the peaceful kingdom with the king in heavenly co-existence. To tackle the perceived threat from the non-Christian Finns , Eric and Henry were forced to do battle with them. After they had conquered Finland, baptized the people and built many churches, the victorious king returned to Sweden while Henry ( Henricus ) remained with
960-482: Is still the organ of 1898. The renovation was seeking to recreate the monumental original sound of the instrument. Today, it contains 65 stops over four manuals and pedals. * = high pressure stops. II/I, III/I, IV/I I 4'/I III/II, IV/II II 16'/II IV/III III 4'/III, III 16'/III (playable from manual I, II and IV) IV 4'/IV, IV 16'/IV I/P, II/P, III/P, IV/P Diocese of V%C3%A4ster%C3%A5s The Diocese of Västerås ( Swedish : Västerås stift )
1024-512: Is supposed to have enraged Lalli so that he immediately grabbed his skis and went in pursuit of the thief, finally chasing Henry down on the ice of Lake Köyliönjärvi in Eura . There he killed him on the spot with an axe. Lalli then proceeded to steal the late holy man's hat, called a mitre , and place it on his own head. When Lalli's mother questioned him about where he found the hat, he attempted to take it off, but with it came his scalp. Lalli then died
1088-522: The First Crusade together with the king, Saint Eric of Sweden, and died as a martyr , becoming the patron saint of the Catholic Church in Finland . However, the authenticity of the accounts of his life and ministry are widely disputed and there are no historical records of his birth, death, or even his existence. Together with his alleged murderer, peasant Lalli , Henry is an important figure in
1152-572: The King of Sweden . Related to the new situation was also the appointment of the king's brother Bengt Birgersson as the Duke of Finland in 1284, which challenged the Bishop's earlier position as the sole authority on all local matters. Johan was followed in Turku by Bishop Magnus (1291–1308), who had been born in Finland. In 1291 a document by the cathedral chapter makes no reference to Henry even though it mentions
1216-420: The vita . There is debate on whether the original poem was constructed by one or more individuals. The writer has however had superficial understanding of the church legends. Both Lalli (Laurentius) and Kerttu (Gertrud) are originally German names, which might indicate that the poem was partly constructed on foreign models, whose influence is visible in other aspects, too. The way Lalli is manipulated to commit
1280-600: The 1160s. Following the situation in Estonia, the Pope personally interfered in the Estonian mission in 1171, ordering assistance for the local Bishop Fulco from Norway. No surviving list of bishops or dioceses under the Archbishop of Uppsala from 1164, 1189, 1192, 1233, 1241 or 1248 contains any reference to Finland, neither factual or propagandist. No claim about a Swedish bishop in Finland
1344-725: The English Cluniac missionary David of Munktorp , who was Bishop of Västerå, and one of the patron saints of Västerås Cathedral . Before 1118 the Diocese of Sigtuna was divided into the Diocese of Uppsala and that of Västerås. In 1134, Henry, Bishop of Sigtuna was transferred to Västerås. Heathenism was not extinct by 1182. Charles (1257–1277) was a great benefactor, and Israel Erlandsson [ Wikidata ] , O.S.B. (1260–1332; bishop, 1309–1332), mined copper in Dalecarlia and wrote "De Vita et Miraculis S. Erici" (Ser. rev. Svec., II, I, 272-276). Otto (1501–1522) completed
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#17328546375081408-474: The Finns, more willing to live the life of a preacher than that of a high bishop. The legend draws to a conclusion as Henry attempted to give a canonical punishment to a murderer. The accused man became enraged and killed the bishop, who was thus considered to be a martyr. The legend strongly emphasizes that Henry was a Bishop of Uppsala, not a Bishop of Finland which became a conventional claim later on, also by
1472-801: The Västerås Cathedral. Peder Sunnanväder (1522–1523), formerly chancellor to Sten Sture the Elder , was executed for alleged treason in 1527. The last Catholic bishop, Petrus Magni (1524–1534), is supposed to have been consecrated 1 May 1524 in Rome . In 1527 a Diet was held at Västerås which Protestantized the Church of Sweden and separated it from the Holy See in Rome. Petrus Magni consecrated various bishops in 1528 and 1531 under protest. Though subjected latterly to humiliating tutelage by King Gustav I of Sweden , he retained
1536-424: The bishop's death was different from the vita. The bishop's killer was called Lalli . Lalli's wife Kerttu falsely claimed to him that upon leaving the manor, their ungrateful guest Henry, travelling around on his own in the middle of winter, had without permission or recompense, through violence, taken food, cake from the oven and beer from the cellar, for himself and hay for his horse, and left nothing but ashes. This
1600-402: The bishop's veneration began in the latter half of the 14th century, well after Henry had received his official status as a local saint, and 200 years after his alleged death. A small granary in the nearby Kokemäki , claimed to have been the bishop's place of rest the night before his death, could not be dated earlier than the late 15th century in dendrochronological examinations. However,
1664-455: The cathedral and election of the new bishop many times. A papal letter by Pope Nicholas IV from 1292 has the Virgin Mary as the sole patrona in Turku. The first mention of Bishop Henry in historical sources is from 1298, when he is mentioned along with king Eric in a document from a provincial synod of Uppsala in Telge. This document, although mentioned many times as a source over the centuries,
1728-472: The church gradually adopted many additional details to its saint bishop. Among the many folk traditions about Henry, the most prominent is the folk poem "The Death-lay of Bishop Henry" ( Piispa Henrikin surmavirsi ). The poem almost completely ignores Henry's life and ministry and concentrates on his death. According to the poem, Henry had grown up in "Cabbage Land" ( Kaalimaa ), which has puzzled Finnish historians for centuries. The name might be connected to
1792-409: The church itself. He stayed in Finland out of pity, but was never appointed as a bishop there. The legend does not state whether there had been bishops in Finland before his time or what happened after his death; it does not even mention his burial in Finland. The vita is so void of any concrete information about Finland that it could have been created anywhere. The Latin is scholastic and the grammar
1856-465: The coast of Kaland, being harassed by Finns and seeking help from their relatives in Sweden. It has also been suggested that the name might be related to Gaelic , which would presumably have referred to the bishop's Scottish origins, though the legend gives him as a native Englishman. Folk traditions have no information on the crusade whatsoever. King Eric is briefly mentioned in the death-lay's preface as Henry's concerned "brother". Henry appears as
1920-461: The common events indicate that either one of the legends has acted as the model for the other. Henry's legend is commonly considered to have been written during the 1280s or 1290s at the latest, for the consecration of the Cathedral of Turku in 1300, when his alleged remains were translated there from Nousiainen , a parish not far from Turku . Yet, even as late as in the 1470s, the crusade legend
1984-470: The crime and what happens to him later seem to be taken from a medieval Judas fable. Extensive borrowing from unrelated Finnish legends from the pre-Christian era has taken place as well, leaving quite little original material left at all. Based on finds from medieval church ruins in the tiny island of Kirkkokari ("Church Rock", previously known as the "Island of Saint Henry") in Lake Köyliönjärvi,
Västerås Cathedral - Misplaced Pages Continue
2048-425: The early history of Finland . His feast is celebrated by the majority Lutheran Church of Finland , as well as by the Catholic Church of Finland . He is commemorated in the liturgical calendars of several Lutheran and Anglican churches. The legend of Bishop Henry's life, or his Vita , was written 150 years after his time, at the end of the 13th century, and contains little concrete information about him. He
2112-503: The feast day is first mentioned in 1335, and is known to have been marked in the liturgical calendar from the early 15th century onwards. Another memorial was held on 18 June ( kesäheikki , "Summer Henry") which was the day of the translation of his relics to the Cathedral of Turku. Gaudeamus omnes ("Let all rejoice"), a Gregorian introit for the Mass in honor of Henry has survived within
2176-475: The folk traditions, especially during the 15th century. Today, the legend of Henry is challenged by some historians to the point of being labelled as pure imagination. Completely invented saints were not exceptional in Europe, and there is no direct evidence of either the crusade or Henry. The bishop's alleged violent death however, is no reason to doubt his potential existence, as many bishops were murdered during
2240-522: The highest totum duplex veneration in Uppsala nor was he made a patronus of the church there, which status he had both in Turku and Nousiainen. At the end of the Roman Catholic era in Sweden, Henry was well established as a local saint. The dioceses in Sweden and elsewhere venerating Henry were as follows, categorized by his local ranking: Henry seems to have been known in northern Germany , but he
2304-413: The late 14th or early 15th century Graduale Aboense . According to legend, establishment of the church of Finland was entirely the work of the saint-king Eric of Sweden, assisted by the bishop from the most important diocese in the country. The first half of the legend describes how the king and the bishop ruled Sweden like 'two great lights' with feelings of 'internal love' toward each other, emphasizing
2368-416: The later Pope Adrian IV , and appointed as the Bishop of Uppsala by him. Even though legenda nova states 1150 as the year of the crusade, it is certain from other sources that Nicholas really was in Sweden in 1153. It is not known whether this was just an inference by the writer, based on the fact that also Nicholas was an Englishman. However, there is no information about anyone called as Henry accompanying
2432-474: The legate in any source describing the visit, nor him appointing a new bishop in Uppsala. Another claim by legenda nova was that Henry was translated to Turku cathedral already in 1154, which certainly was false since the cathedral was built only in the 1290s. In the late 16th century, Bishop Paulus Juusten claimed that Henry had been the Bishop of Uppsala for two years before the crusade. Based on these postulates, early 20th-century historians assembled 1155 as
2496-404: The name, the chronicle knows that he was martyred and buried in Finland in the Cathedral of Turku . Latest research dates the chronicle to the early 15th century when Henry's legend was already established in the kingdom, leaving only little significance to its testimony. A late 15th century legenda nova claimed that Henry had come to Sweden in the retinue of papal legate Nicholas Breakspear,
2560-472: The organ is by us thoroughly approved". From the inspection report of 8 March 1898 The above praise was written by Gustaf Hägg and August Lagergren, responsible for inspecting the great organ built by Åkerman & Lund in Stockholm and still used today. Originally, the organ had 40 stops over three manuals and pedals. This was the first large organ in Sweden to be built with tubular pneumatic action. The organ
2624-452: The peaceful coexistence of the secular and ecclesiastical rule during a happy era when 'predatory wolves' could not hit their 'poisonous teeth against the innocent'. The reality was quite different – Eric's predecessor, Eric himself and two of his successors were all murdered almost within a decade, one of the bloodiest times for the Swedish royalty. In the 1150s, the Bishop of Uppsala was also in
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2688-466: The pestilences and misfortunes which befell Lalli after his slaying of the bishop. His hair and scalp are said to have fallen out as he took off the bishop's cap, taken as a trophy. Removing the bishop's ring from his finger, just bones remained. Eventually he ran into a lake and drowned himself. Basically the death-lay is a simple story of a short-tempered man who falls victim of his "bad-mouthed wife's" sharp tongue. The poem has no pity for Lalli, and he
2752-478: The poem's claim that Henry was buried in Nousiainen was already held to be true around 1300, when his alleged bones were translated from Nousiainen to the Cathedral of Turku. A mid-15th century Chronicon episcoporum Finlandensium also confirmed Köyliö as the place of his death. Neither place is mentioned in the vita in any way. The church seems to have gradually complemented its own legends by adopting elements from
2816-559: The reign of King Eric (about 1156–1160). Early phases of the diocese remain obscure up to the point of Stefan , who was appointed as the archbishop in 1164. A certain Henry is mentioned in Incerti scriptoris Sueci chronicon primorum in ecclesia Upsalensi archiepiscoporum , a chronicle of Uppsala archbishops, before Coppmannus and Stefan, but after Sverinius (probably mentioned in German sources in 1141/2 as " Siwardus " ), Nicolaus and Sweno. Besides
2880-569: The saint's newly built church. He is apparently the same Bishop Henry who died at the Battle of Fotevik in 1134, fighting along with the Danes after being banished from Sweden. Known from the Chronicon Roskildense written soon after his death and from Saxo Grammaticus ' Gesta Danorum from the early 13th century, he had fled to Denmark from Sigtuna , the see of the early Uppland bishops before it
2944-502: The seal of the Bishop of Turku is not until 1299. The first mention of Henry of Uppsala being the patron saint of Turku cathedral is not until 14 August 1320, when he is mentioned as the second patron of the cathedral after Virgin Mary. When he is later addressed by Pope Boniface IX as the patronus of the Cathedral of Turku along with the Virgin Mary , and referred to as a saint, it was in
3008-464: The see until his death. The Dalecarlians rose repeatedly in defence of their religion, but were overcome by the cunning and violence of Gustav I. The cathedral of Västerås and the parish church of Mora were the only important churches in the diocese. At Västerås there was a Dominican convent (founded 1234) and a Hospital of the Holy Spirit (founded 1345). Munktorp Abbey [ Wikidata ]
3072-567: The situation of the church in Finland. The Pope mentions that there were preachers, presumably from Sweden, working in Finland and was worried about their bad treatment by the Finns. The Pope had earlier in 1165 authorized the first missionary Bishop of Estonia to be appointed, and was a close acquaintance of both Eskil , the Archbishop of Lund , and Stefan , the Archbishop of Uppsala, who both had spent time with him in France where he had been exiled in
3136-442: The start of the war against Novgorod. Sources do not support the popular assumption that Henry's cult developed in Nousiainen and gradually spread among ordinary people before official adoption. In 1232, the church in Nousiainen was consecrated only to the Virgin Mary, and it was not until 1452 that Henry was mentioned as the patronus of Nousiainen. Despite the high-profile start of Henry's cultus , it took more than 100 years for
3200-418: The tale was intended to be performed during the annual pilgrimage along Henrik's final route. In some versions of the poem, considered older, Lalli's weapon was a sword. The axe was the murder weapon of Saint Olaf, who was very popular in Finland and may have influenced Henry's legend. However, since Lalli is not portrayed as a member of the upper class, it is unlikely that he possessed an expensive weapon like
3264-481: The turmoils of the 12th and 13th centuries, although most were not elevated to sainthood. Saxo Grammaticus said of the Battle of Fotevik in 1134 that never had so many bishops been killed at the same time. Notable bishops that died violently included the Archbishop of Uppsala in 1187, Bishop of Estonia in 1219 and Bishop of Linköping in 1220. There is no historical record of a Bishop of Uppsala called Henry during
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#17328546375083328-493: The veneration of Saint Henry to gain widespread acceptance throughout Sweden. As of 1344 there were no relics of the bishop in the Cathedral of Uppsala . According to one biographer, Henry's veneration was rare outside the Diocese of Turku throughout the 14th century. Vadstena Abbey near Linköping seems to have played a key role in establishment of Henry's legend elsewhere in Sweden in the early 15th century. Henry never received
3392-413: The year 1391. Some sources claim that Henry was canonized in 1158, but this information has been traced to a late publication by Johannes Vastovius in 1623 and is generally regarded as a fabrication. Thus, Henry's veneration as a saint and his relation to King Eric seem to have emerged in the historical record at the same time in the mid-1290s with strong support from the church. This correlates with
3456-402: The year of the crusade and 1156 as the year of Henry's death. Historians from different centuries have also suggested various other years from 1150 to 1158. Contradicting these claims, the medieval Annales Suecici Medii Aevi and the 13th century legend of Saint Botvid mention some Henry as the Bishop of Uppsala ( Henricus scilicet Upsalensis ) in 1129, participating in the consecration of
3520-442: Was a medieval English clergyman . He came to Sweden with Cardinal Nicholas Breakspeare in 1153 and was most likely designated to be the new Archbishop of Uppsala , but the independent church province of Sweden could only be established in 1164 after the civil war, and Henry would have been sent to organize the Church in Finland, where Christians had already existed for two centuries. According to legend, he entered Finland during
3584-485: Was allegedly slain and martyred in Finland, is too striking to be a coincidence. No historical source remains that would confirm the existence of a bishop named Henry in Finland. However, papal letters mentioning an unidentified Bishop of Finland in 1209, 1221, 1229 and 1232 have survived. Some copies of another papal letter from 1232 call the bishop as "N.", but the letter "N" may originally have also been something resembling it. The first certainly known Bishop of Finland
3648-452: Was also one of the first in Sweden to have high pressure stops – five of them, no less. The impressive organ façade was designed by Agi Lindegren. During its long service, the organ has been enlarged a number of times, most recently in 1998 by the English company Harrison & Harrison Ltd. and in 2009 by the Swedish firm Åkerman & Lund orgelbyggeri AB. However, the basis of the instrument
3712-450: Was bishop at Västerås from 1619 until his death. The cathedral houses the sarcophagus of Eric XIV of Sweden who was King of Sweden from 1560 until 1568. "Organ builders P. L. Åkerman & Lunds Orgelfabriks Aktiebolag have completed in a praiseworthy manner the contract and the provisions of the estimate therein cited concerning the building of this organ, one of the most significant in our land and in more than one respect unique, whereby
3776-669: Was extinct before 1318. The Cistercian Abbey of Husby [ Wikidata ] (Gudsberga kloster, Mons Domini) in Dalecarlia, founded in 1477, and colonized from Alvastra Abbey in 1486, lasted until 1544. [REDACTED] This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). " Ancient See of Westeraas ". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company. The entry cites: Henry, Bishop of Sigtuna Henry ( Finnish : Henrik ; Swedish : Henrik ; Latin : Henricus ; died c. 20 January 1156 )
3840-582: Was ignored in the Chronica regni Gothorum , a chronicle of the history of Sweden, written by Ericus Olai, the Canon of the Uppsala cathedral . Noteworthy in the development of the legend is that the first canonically elected Bishop of Turku , Johan (1286–1289) of Polish origin, was elected as the Archbishop of Uppsala in 1289, after three years in office in Turku. The Swedish bishops of Finland before him, Bero , Ragvald and Kettil, had apparently been selected by
3904-472: Was laid during the 17th century. The present Baroque spire from 1694 was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger (1654–1728). The spire is built of oak, without iron beams or nails, and lined with copper. During the 1500s, 1600s and 1700s, there were also many fixtures that changed the interior. The organ was built in 1940 by Marcussen & Sön and is an electropneumatic organ. Johannes Rudbeckius (1581–1646),
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#17328546375083968-539: Was largely ignored elsewhere in the Roman Catholic world. In the Bishopric of Turku, the annual feast day of Henry was 20 January ( talviheikki , "Winter Henry"), according to traditions the day of his death. Elsewhere his memorial was held already on 19 January, since more prominent saints were already commemorated on 20 January. After the Reformation , Henry's day was moved to the 19th in Finland as well. The existence of
4032-407: Was moved a few kilometers to its later location in Uppsala sometime before 1164. He is ignored in all Swedish bishop chronicles, unless he is the same Henry who was later redated to the 1150s. That would make the claim about him coming to Finland with King Eric a late innovation, where memory about a killed bishop in Uppsala sometime in the 12th century was reused in a new context. Noteworthy also,
4096-531: Was not correctly dated until 1910. The legend itself is also first referred in a letter by the Archbishop of Uppsala in 1298, where Eric and Henry are mentioned together as martyrs who needed to be prayed to for the sake of the situation in Karelia , associating their alleged crusade to Finland with the new expeditions against Novgorod . The war between Novgorod and Sweden for the control of Karelia had started in 1293. The first certain appearance of Henry's image in
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