Skeel, Ingeborg

Biografi

Ingeborg Skeel (ca. 1545 – 17.10.1604)

Hendes forældre var godsejer Niels Skeel (1480-1561) og Karen Globsdatter Krabbe (-1586). Hun havde to søskende:

• • Hans Skeel (1530 - 1565) faldt ved Svarterå, begravet i Viborg Domkirke.

  • Dorthe Skeel (1547 - 1578) døde i barselsseng.

Bryllup

Ingeborg Skeel blev i en meget ung alder – kun 15-17 år i kongens nærværelse gift 31. august 1560 hjemme på Nygård med den cirka 30 år ældre godsejer og lensmand Otte Eriksen Banner (1515-1585) til Asdal, Bangsbo og Gårdbogård. Tilstede var kong Frederik den 2. – en konge glad for fester og alkohol og som døde i 1588 - af druk formentlig.

Året efter brylluppet – i 1561 - døde faderen Niels Skeel

Uddannelse

Ingeborgs uddannelse har formentlig været at lære katekismus, bønner, salmer og biblen. undervisning i læsning, skrivning, regning og husførelse. Måske også medicin og kosmetik. Praktiske fag som husholdning, bage, brygge, spinde, brodere, væve og sy.

Bekendtskab med kong Frederik d. 2.

Som nævnt deltog kongen i Ingeborgs bryllup og Skeel-Krabbe-Banner er ofte gæster til kongelige barnedåb (pigebørn) og specielt i 1577 da Christian den 4. skulle døbes. Da Otte Banner var lensmand skulle han også ledsage kongen på rejser. Dårlige transportmuligheder/veje. 12 dagsrejser fra Skagen til Hamburg.

I 1564 får Otte Banner af kongen ordre på at levere 50 læs træ til fyrlampen som kongen kort forinden havde beordret rejst på Skagen. Østvendsyssel var præget af skove (til svinehold), dyrevildt som hjort, rådyr, vildsvin m.fl., men kun for adlen. Krybskytteri blev straffet med døden.

Skagen er på dette tidspunkt den største by i Vendsyssel.

Overtagelse af Voergård

Ved reformen i 1536 overtog kronen al ejendom og gods fra den katolske kirke. Disse godser ønskede kong Frederik den 2. at samle til bedre stordrift, hvorfor der foretoges en del mageskifter mellem adelen og kronen. Således foretages i 1578 mageskifte mellem Frederik den 2. og Karen Krabbe (enke efter Niels Skeel), Otte Banner og Ingeborg Skeel. Kronen overtager Nygaard og overdrager Voergård, hvor Ingeborg Skeel optræder som ejer og hvor hun fik fri birkeret til området.

Da Ingeborg Skeels mand Otte Banner dør i 1585, fortsætter hun med at drive godset alene.

Gavebreve (Deed of gifts)

I 1583 udsendte Ingeborg Skeel et gave brev til de fattige i Sæby, hvor hun lover årlig levering af smør, byg, rug, flæsk og oksekød, samt brænde og kontanter. Hun havde ladet bygge et fattighus (hospital) i Sæby og oprettet et gavebrevet med årlige donationer af fødevarer, brændsel til de fattige, og penge til præsten for at prædike for dem.

Gavebrevet skulle være gældende for hende selv og arvingerne!

Ligeledes opretter hun i 1604 (fire dage før hendes død) et gavebrev på 2.000 daler, hvoraf rente 100 daler skulle uddeles med 50 % til Aalborg skole og 50 % til fattige.

Begge blev afvist og omstødt af arvingerne (fætre og kusiner)!

Plejebørn

Ingeborg Skeel havde ingen børn selv, men i renæssancen var det almindeligt at adlen tog sig af andre adelsfolks børns opdragelse.

I 1588 fulgte Christence Dyre, 19 år gammel med fru Ingeborg til Voergård, hvor hun blev til sit giftermål fem år senere.

I Ingeborg Skeels sidste leveår blev hun plejemor for to små adelsdøtre, den seks måneder gamle Ingeborg Kruse i 1601 og den kun 18 uger gamle Johanne Kås i 1602 efter moderens død. Begge piger blev på slottet til Ingeborg Skeels død i 1604.

Til ihukommelse af hende selv og manden donerede hun et kapel til Voer Kirke, og prædikestole til 3 kirker i området (Asdal 1578, Albæk 1579 og Voer i 1604). Også kirkeklokker finansierede hun til Albæk kirke. Hun fik bygget et kæmpe epitafium (7 meter højt og 5 meter bredt i bunden) i Voer Kirke.

Gaver:

• • Asdal kirke: ny prædikestol i 1578

  • Albæk kirke: ny prædikestol i 1579 og ny kirkeklokke i 1594

  • Voer Kirke: 1579 restaurering og tårnlignende kapel med epitafium, og i 1604 en ny prædikestol.

  • Fattighus i Sæby omkring 1585

  • Gavebrev i forbindelse med fattighuset

  • Gavebrev 2.000 Daler i 1604

Handel, teglværker og glasværker

Handel

Ingeborg Skeel drev købmandsskab med handel med humle, stål, tjære, lærred, tysk øl m.v. Hvilket var til gene for købmændene i Aalborg. Adlen kunne køb øl til eget forbrug uden at betale afgift som andre skulle, men med de mængder Ingeborg Skeel købte, havde hun enten en meget stor tørst, eller også solgte hun det tyske øl videre.

Tegl

Teglværket nord for Voer Kirke blev af stor betydning for Ingeborg Skeel og Voergård. Tegl og mursten til Voergård, men også til andre bygningsværker, herunder til Christian Den 4.s opførelse af Koldinghus.

Ejendomme ejede Ingeborg Skeel også i flere byer.

Glas

Mens glas i begyndelsen af det 16. årh. var en stor sjældenhed (trækrus), blev brugen af både glasruder og drikkeglas mere og mere almindeligt i løbet af århundredet.

Til drikkegilder (fester) var det skik og brug at kaste med glassene – allerbedst hvis man kunne kaste glasset gennem ruden og dermed knuse begge dele. Ved royale fester var brug af 4000 glas ikke uset. Til Chr.4.s kroning var bestilt 35.000 glas!

Gæsten som smadrede ruderne, sørgede dog for at isætte nye – med eget navn og våbenskjold til ihukommelse af ham.

Glasproduktionen tog hårdt på de omkringliggende skove (sandflugt) (ligesom brændsel til fyrlamperne)

Lensmand

Som lensmand var det Ingeborg Skeels opgave at påse, at bønderne under lenet overholdt de gældende love (eget birketing), at de ikke blev udsat for overgreb (beskyttelse) og at skov og gods var i god stand. Samtidig fik hun indtægter fra fæstebønderne i form at landgilde (penge og naturalier) og hoveri (arbejde)

Tre ledende medarbejdere på Voergaard:

• • Slotsskriver – den vigtigste medhjælp. daglig administration, regnskaber og kontrol med ind- og udbetalinger.

  • Ridefogeden – inddrivelse af den faste årlige afgift fra fæstebønderne

  • Slotsfogeden – som stod for opsynet med herregårdens bygninger og besætning.

En del underordnede som staldmester med staldkarle, portner og tjenestefolk, ladegårdsfogeden som ledede de landbrugsmæssige arbejder og stod for overiet og skovfogeden, som skulle påse at ingen forgreb sig på vildt eller træ – krybskytteri straffedes med døden.

Birkeret

Birk var oprindeligt betegnelsen for en mindre retskreds. Der fandtes både kongelige og som her adelige birker. Ordet birk tilsvarer det tyske Bezirk (= område).

Lensherren fik jurisdiktionsmyndigheden på godsets område. Dog måtte han ikke selv være dommer, men det var ham, der ansatte og aflønnede birkedommer, så han har nok haft afgørende indflydelse på sagsforløbene.

Fangekældre

Fangekælderen i østhusets kælder har en fangeniche. En fange kunne anbringes fastspændt med bøjle om hals og liv, armene udstrakt til hver side og fødderne lænkede til en ring i gulvet.

Rosedonten i den nordlige kælder – en dyster fangekælder under nordfløjen med adgang via en snæver kanal. Dårlig luft og intet lys kombineret med en overtro om spøgelser derinde, gjorde ophold her til en forfærdelig oplevelse.

Ingeborg Skeels Voergård

Ingeborg Skeel udvider i perioden 1588-1591 Voergård med en fantastisk renæssancefløj som udgør fronten af slottet i dag. Det menes at Ingeborg Skeel brugte den hollandske bygherre Philip Brandin til byggeriet, ligesom hun havde brugt ham til epitafet i Voer Kirke.

Det, der især gør hendes værk (renæssancefløjen) til kunst og ikke blog gedigent håndværk er den overdådigt udsmykkede sandstensportal, som øjet uvilkårligt drages imod.

Den er nok for stor, idet den går ganske tæt på stuevinduerne. En gave fra Frederik den 2. og bærer hans og dronning Sophies sammenslyngede navnetræk FS (Frederik og Sophie, ikke Fredericus Secundus) Måske var porten tiltænkt et andet projekt?

Herunder ægteparret Banner-Skeels fire anevåben: Banner, Skeel, Rosenkrantz og Krabbe.

Relief med Otte Banner med sværd og marskalstav og Ingeborg Skeel med to grydeskeer.

Middelalderens verdensorden med Himmel, Jord og Helvede trappevis under hinanden.

Kilde: Voergaard af P. Christensen, udgivet af Historisk Samfund for Hjørring amt, 1930

Fru Ingeborg Skeels hus havde det til fælles med andre samtidige herreborge og med middelalderens skumle fæstninger, at det var indrettet på at rumme den for os ubegribelige modsætning mellem den festlige riddersal øverst oppe og det skumle fangehul i dybet. I øverste stokværk glædedes man ved fulde bægre, spil og dans, i stueetagen levede man sit rolige dagligliv, men nedenunder sad fangen og led sine frygtelige kvaler i det gyselige kælderrum.

Myter om Ingeborg Skeel

• • at hun var grådig og nærig, og altid arbejdede, selv på vej til kirke

    • Næppe, da der kun er få hundrede meter fra Voergaard til Voer Kirke

  • at hun skubbede bygherren Brandin i voldgraven,

    • Det har hun sikkert ikke gjort, han dør formentlig først i 1594 - seks år efter færdiggørelsen af Østfløjen

  • at hun via en kanal kunne lytte til fangerne i Rosedonten og straffede dem yderligere hvis de talte ilde om hende

    • Ja, ja, der er da en kanal, men kunne hun hører noget?

  • at hun lokkede skibe til forlis og slog besætningen ihjel og stjal ladningerne som strandingsgods.

    • En forteelse som medførte dødsstraf, næppe. I øvrigt var der sikkert også rigeligt strandinger og forlis.

  • at ægteskabet mellem Banner og Skeel var barnløst kunne naturligvis efter almuens mening ikke have naturlige årsager, og derfor vidste man at fortælle, at hun havde født en søn, som hun dog siden havde ladet piske ihjel.

    • Uhadada, slemme mor!

  • at man beskyldte Ingeborg Skeel for at have ladet fingrene klippe af en pige, der gik og plukke aks af kornet.

  • at en dreng som pillede rugkerner af hendes korn, blev straffet med at få begge hænder hugget af.

    • Nok har vi haft den slags straffe, men her er nok tale om en kraftig overdrivelse

  • at Ingeborg Skeel teede sig som var hun i ledtog med Den Onde selv.

    • Ja, en kvinde som driver en herregård, må da absolut være i ledtog med Satan

  • at hun tævede en adoptivdatter ihjel fordi hun mistænkte hende for at være gravid, hvilket hun ikke var – blodpletten i tårnværelset.

  • at præsten Jens Ufødt, som var klog på spøgelser, manede Ingeborg Skeels genfærd ned i den sumpede morads ”Pulsen” i nærheden af Voergård, men hver nytårsaften rykker hun et hanefjed på Voergård, og når hun når frem vil slotte brænde ned eller styrte sammen.

    • Ja, ja, hvad ville et slot være uden et spøgelse og mystiske blodpletter.

Alle myter som giver et dårligt indtryk af Ingeborg Skeel, og som formentlig ikke har bund i nogen virkelighed overhovedet, men alene skyldes almuens opfattelse af en entreprenør og forretningsorienteret kvinde.

P. Christensen skriver i "Voergaard", 1930:

Sandsynligvis har den mægtige adelsfrue, hvis karakter vi intet pålideligt ved om, også i sind og tankegang været præget af de store modsætninger i tidens kultur. Hun var ven med kongen og med biskop og præster, der priser hendes fromhed og gavmildhed, men folkelige sagn afmaler hende ond og nedrig som den slemme selv.

Begge opfattelser kan være lige rigtige. Den ene stammer fra Riddersalen og Kirken, den anden fra Vagtstuen og Rosedonten!

Signet ringen

Ingeborg Skeels signet ring blev fundet den 7. oktober 1948 under brolægningen på vindebroenaf brolægger Richard Hansen i forbindelse med restaureringsarbejde. Den er formentlig guld, vejer cirka 20 gram og er forsynet med sten eller glas med Skeel'ernes våbenmærke og navnet Ingborg Schel (Ingeborg Skeel)

Den er formentlig tabt imellem 1590-1604, da Ingeborg dør. Den kan også være blevet gemt, mener en lokalhistoriker C. Klitgaard (Aalborg Stiftidende 7. oktober 1948).

Ringen er formentlig det man kalder en pseudo ring, idet indgraveringen ikke er spejlvendt og dermed giver den ikke det korrekte aftryk, hvis brugt i laksegl.

Biography

Ingeborg Skeel (ca. 1545 - 17.10.1604)

Her parents were landowner Niels Skeel (1480-1561) and Karen Globsdatter Krabbe (-1586). She had two siblings:

Hans Skeel (1530 - 1565) fell at Svarterå, buried in Viborg Cathedral.

Dorthe Skeel (1547 - 1578) died in childbirth.

Wedding

Ingeborg Skeel was married at a very young age - only 15-17 years in the presence of the king - on 31 August 1560 at home on Nygård to the approximately 30 years older landowner and lord Otte Eriksen Banner (1515-1585) of Asdal, Bangsbo and Gårdbogård. In attendance was King Frederik II - a king fond of parties and alcohol and who died in 1588 - presumably of drunkenness.

The year after the wedding - in 1561 - the father Niels Skeel died

Education

Ingeborg's education was probably learning catechism, prayers, hymns and the Bible. Instruction in reading, writing, arithmetic and housekeeping. Perhaps also medicine and cosmetics. Practical subjects such as housekeeping, baking, brewing, spinning, embroidering, weaving and sewing.

Acquaintance with King Frederik II.

As mentioned, the King attended Ingeborg's wedding and Skeel-Krabbe-Banner are often guests at royal christenings (of girls) and especially in 1577 when Christian IV was to be baptised. When Otte Banner was a bailiff, he also had to accompany the king on journeys. Poor transport/roads. 12-day journey from Skagen to Hamburg.

In 1564, Otte Banner was ordered by the king to deliver 50 loads of wood for the lighthouse that the king had ordered to be erected at Skagen shortly before. East Sweden was characterised by forests (for pigs), game such as deer, roe deer, wild boar and others, but only for the nobility. Poaching was punishable by death.

Skagen is at this time the largest town in Vendsyssel.

Takeover of Voergård

At the reformation in 1536, the Crown took over all property and estates from the Catholic Church. King Frederik II wanted to consolidate these estates for better management, which is why there were a number of transfers of property between the nobility and the Crown. In 1578, for example, a change of ownership was made between Frederik II and Karen Krabbe (widow of Niels Skeel), Otte Banner and Ingeborg Skeel. The Crown takes over Nygaard and transfers Voergård, where Ingeborg Skeel appears as owner and where she was given free birch rights to the area.

When Ingeborg Skeel's husband Otte Banner dies in 1585, she continues to run the estate alone.

Deed of gifts

In 1583, Ingeborg Skeel issued a letter of gift to the poor of Sæby, promising an annual supply of butter, barley, rye, pork and beef, as well as firewood and cash. She had had a poorhouse (hospital) built in Sæby and created a gift letter with annual donations of food, fuel for the poor, and money for the priest to preach to them.

The gift letter was to be valid for herself and her heirs!

Likewise, in 1604 (four days before her death) she created a deed of gift for 2,000 daler, of which the interest of 100 daler was to be distributed with 50% to Aalborg School and 50% to the poor.

Both were rejected and reversed by the heirs (cousins)!

Foster children

Ingeborg Skeel had no children of her own, but in the Renaissance it was common for nobles to take care of other nobles' children.

In 1588 Christence Dyre, aged 19, accompanied Mrs Ingeborg to Voergård, where she remained until her marriage five years later.

In the last years of Ingeborg Skeel's life she became foster mother to two little noble daughters, the six-month-old Ingeborg Kruse in 1601 and the only 18-week-old Johanne Kås in 1602 after her mother's death. Both girls remained at the castle until Ingeborg Skeel's death in 1604.

In memory of herself and her husband, she donated a chapel to Voer Church, and pulpits to 3 churches in the area (Asdal 1578, Albæk 1579 and Voer in 1604). She also financed church bells for Albæk Church. She had a huge epitaph (7 metres high and 5 metres wide at the bottom) built in Voer Church.

Gifts:

• Asdal Church: new pulpit in 1578

• Albæk church: new pulpit in 1579 and new church bell in 1594

• Voer Church: 1579 restoration and tower-like chapel with epitaph, and in 1604 a new pulpit.

• Poorhouse in Sæby around 1585

• Deed of gift in connection with the poorhouse

• Gift letter 2,000 Daler in 1604

Trade, brickworks and glassworks

Trade

Ingeborg Skeel ran a merchant business trading in hops, steel, tar, canvas, German beer etc. This was a nuisance for the merchants in Aalborg. The nobility could buy beer for their own consumption without paying tax as others had to, but with the quantities Ingeborg Skeel bought, she either had a very big thirst, or she sold the German beer on.

Bricks

The brickyard north of Voer Church was of great importance to Ingeborg Skeel and Voergård. Bricks and tiles for Voergård, but also for other buildings, including Christian IV's construction of Koldinghus.

Ingeborg Skeel also owned property in several towns.

Glass

While glass was a rarity in the early 16th century (wooden jars), the use of both glass panes and drinking glasses became more common over the century.

At drinking parties, it was customary to throw the glasses - the best if you could throw the glass through the pane and thus break both. At royal feasts, the use of 4000 glasses was not uncommon. For the coronation of Chr.4. 35.000 glasses were ordered!

However, the guest who broke the glass made sure to put in new ones - with his own name and coat of arms to commemorate him.

Glass production took its toll on the surrounding forests (sand drift) (as did fuel for the lamps)

Tenant-in-Chief

As lord bailiff, Ingeborg Skeel's task was to ensure that the peasants under the lordship complied with the laws in force (own bailiwick), that they were not subjected to abuse (protection) and that the forest and estate were in good condition. At the same time, she received income from the peasants in the form of land fees (money and in kind) and court fees (labour).

Three senior employees at Voergaard:

• Castle clerk - the most important employee. daily administration, accounts and control of incoming and outgoing payments.

• The bailiff - collecting the fixed annual fee from the tenant farmers

• The castle bailiff - who was responsible for the supervision of the manor's buildings and crew.

A number of subordinates such as the stable master with grooms, gatekeepers and servants, the barn keeper who managed the agricultural work and was responsible for the overiet and the forest keeper, who had to ensure that no one attacked game or wood - poaching was punishable by death.

Birkeret

Birch was originally the name of a small jurisdiction. There were both royal and, as here, noble birches. The word birk corresponds to the German Bezirk (= area).

The lord of the manor was given jurisdiction over the area of the manor. However, he was not allowed to be a judge himself, but he was the one who hired and paid the birk judges, so he probably had a decisive influence on the proceedings.

Dungeons

The dungeon in the basement of the east house has a dungeon oak. A prisoner could be strapped in with a shackle around his neck and waist, arms stretched out to either side and feet chained to a ring in the floor.

The rose cellar in the north cellar - a gloomy dungeon under the north wing with access via a narrow channel. Bad air and no light, combined with a superstition about ghosts inside, made staying here a terrible experience.

Ingeborg Skeels Voergård

In the period 1588-1591, Ingeborg Skeel extended Voergård with a magnificent Renaissance wing that forms the front of the castle today. It is believed that Ingeborg Skeel used the Dutch builder Philip Brandin for the construction, just as she had used him for the epitaph in Voer Church.

What particularly makes her work (the Renaissance wing) art and not blog solid craftsmanship is the lavishly decorated sandstone portal towards which the eye is inevitably drawn.

It is probably too large, as it runs quite close to the living room windows. A gift from Frederick II, it bears the intertwined name FS (Frederick and Sophie, not Fredericus Secundus) of him and Queen Sophie.

Including the four coats of arms of the Banner-Skeel couple: Banner, Skeel, Rosenkrantz and Krabbe.

Relief with Eight Banner with sword and marshal's staff and Ingeborg Skeel with two spoons.

Medieval world order with Heaven, Earth and Hell stacked one below the other.

Source: Voergaard by P. Christensen, published by the Historical Society for Hjørring county, 1930

Mrs Ingeborg Skeel's house had in common with other contemporary manor houses and with the shadowy fortresses of the Middle Ages, that it was designed to accommodate the contrast, incomprehensible to us, between the festive knight's hall at the top and the shadowy dungeon in the depths. The upper storey was a place of drunken revelry, games and dancing, the ground floor was a place of quiet daily life, but downstairs the prisoner suffered his terrible torments in the horrors of the cellar.

Myths about Ingeborg Skeel

• that she was greedy and stingy, and always working, even on her way to church

  • Hardly, as it is only a few hundred metres from Voergaard to Voer Church

• that she pushed the builder Brandin into the moat,

  • She probably didn't. He probably died in 1594, six years after the east wing was completed.

• that she could listen via a channel to the prisoners in Rosedonten and punished them further if they spoke ill of her

  • Yes, yes, there is a channel, but could she hear anything?

• that she lured ships to wreck and killed the crew and stole the cargoes as beached goods.

  • A crime that carried the death penalty, hardly. Besides, there were probably plenty of beachings and shipwrecks.

• The fact that the marriage between Banner and Skeel was childless could not, of course, in the opinion of the common people, have natural causes, and therefore it was known to tell that she had given birth to a son, whom, however, she had since had flogged to death.

  • Uhadada, bad mother!

• that Ingeborg Skeel was accused of having had the fingers of a girl cut off when she went to pluck ears of corn.

• That a boy who plucked rye kernels from her grain was punished by having both hands chopped off.

  • We may have had such punishments, but this is probably a gross exaggeration

• that Ingeborg Skeel behaved as if she were in league with the Evil One himself.

  • Yes, a woman who runs a manor must be in league with Satan.

• that she beat an adopted daughter to death because she suspected her of being pregnant, which she was not - the bloodstain in the tower room.

• that the priest Jens Ufødt, who was wise to ghosts, summoned Ingeborg Skeel's ghost down into the swampy morass "Pulsen" near Voergård, but every New Year's Eve she moves a rooster's feather at Voergård, and when she arrives castles will burn down or collapse.

  • Yes, well, what would a castle be without a ghost and mysterious bloodstains.

All myths that give a bad impression of Ingeborg Skeel, and which probably have no basis in reality at all, but are solely due to the public's perception of an entrepreneur and business-oriented woman.

P. Christensen writes in "Voergaard", 1930:

Probably the powerful noblewoman, about whose character we know nothing reliable, was also influenced in mind and thought by the great contradictions in the culture of the time. She was a friend of the king and of bishops and priests who praised her piety and generosity, but popular legend depicts her as evil and vile, as the bad one herself.

Both views can be equally correct. One comes from the Knights' Hall and the Church, the other from the Guards' Hall and the Rose Garden!

The signet ring

Ingeborg Skeel's signet ring was found on 7 October 1948 during paving work on the drawbridge by paving contractor Richard Hansen. It is probably gold, weighs about 20 grams and is set with stone or glass with the Skeels' coat of arms and the name Ingborg Schel (Ingeborg Skeel)

It was probably lost between 1590 and 1604, when Ingeborg died. It may also have been hidden, according to a local historian C. Klitgaard (Aalborg Stiftidende 7 October 1948).

The ring is probably what is called a pseudo ring, as the engraving is not mirror-inverted and thus does not give the correct impression if used in salmon seals.