Rosenkrantz, Niels Stygge - biskop

Niels Styggesen Rosenkrantz, bishop in the period 1486-1519

Died: 1533

The gravestone is placed next to Jacob Friis' stone in the north wall of Børglum Monastery. The inscription is also in Latin, but in rhyme: "Hic sunt in fossa / nicolai presulis ossa / stoggonis vetra / que(m) christus ducat ad etra / anno domini mcd" (Here lies under the stones / Niels Stygges old bene, / whom Christ left in peace.) The year is 14... So the stone was made before Niels Stygg's death and like so many others never finished.

Locations in Sæby

• Sæby Church

Relations

• Stygge Krumpen

Biografi i relation til Sæby

Niels Stygge Rosenkrantz, biskop i Børglum, oplod 1519 stiftet til sin søstersøn Stygge Krumpen som coadjutor og blev selv atter forlenet med Børglum kloster som provst.

Skibykrøniken giver en skildring af Rosenkrantzs verdslige sindelag og uværdige levned: da han blev biskop aflagde han alt munkevæsen og alt åndsliv; hele sit liv lige til sin alderdom tilbragte han med spil og leg, kåde løjer, kort og terninger og med at dreje pile hvad der morede ham meget; ellers var han aldrig glad uden når han var omgivet af adelige bolersker (kvinde, der står i ulovligt kærlighedsforhold til en eller flere mænd/elskerinde) eller af spasmagere, gøglere og smigrere.

Han blev endog en gang for vanærende doms skyld udstødt af rigsrådet og blev først med nød og næppe optaget igen efter at have måttet betale en stor bøde (en sag hvis sande sammenhæng for øvrigt er ukendt).

Skibykrøniken skildrer ham desuden som en mand der kun benyttede bispeværdigheden til at berige sig.

Rosenkrantz hørte 1513 til det parti som søgte at hindre Christian IIs tronbestigelse, og blev senere en af hovedmændene i oprøret mod Christian II.

Året før sin død fik han af Frederik I løfte om atter at blive biskop af Børglum når Stygge Krumpen døde.

Sæby Kirke Altertavle

På højre sidefløj ses Niels Stygge Rosenkrantz' våbenskjold og man mener at den ældre mand er ham.

Biography in relation to Sæby

Niels Stygge Rosenkrantz, bishop of Børglum, in 1519 gave up the diocese to his nephew Stygge Krumpen as coadjutor and was himself again entrusted with Børglum monastery as provost.

Skibykrøniken gives a depiction of Rosenkrantz's worldly mind and unworthy life: when he became bishop he gave up all monasticism and all spiritual life; all his life until his old age he spent in games and play, in foolish tricks, cards and dice and in turning darts which amused him very much; otherwise he was never happy except when he was surrounded by noble bowers (woman who is in an illicit love relationship with one or more men/lovers) or by spasmongers, jesters and flatterers.

He was even once expelled from the Council for dishonourable conduct and was only just admitted again after having had to pay a large fine (a case whose true context is unknown).

The chronicle also portrays him as a man who only used his episcopacy to enrich himself.

In 1513 Rosenkrantz belonged to the party that sought to prevent Christian II's accession to the throne, and later became one of the main men in the rebellion against Christian II.

The year before his death, he was promised by Frederik I to become bishop of Børglum again when Stygge Krumpen died.

Sæby Church Altarpiece

On the right wing is the coat of arms of Niels Stygge Rosenkrantz and it is believed that the elderly man is him.