This page intentionally left blank REFORMING THE NORTH The Kingdoms and Churches of Scandinavia, 1520–1545 The turbulence of the Protestant Reformation marks a turning point in European history, but the Scandinavian contribution to this rev- olution is not well known outside the Northern world. Reforming the North focuses on twenty-five years (1520–1545 a.d.)ofthishis- tory, during which Scandinavians terminated the medieval Union of Kalmar, toppled the Catholic Church, ended the commercial domi- nance of the German Hanse, and laid the foundations for centralized states on the ruins of old institutions and organizations. This book traces the chaotic and often violent transfer of resources and author- ity from the decentralized structures of medieval societies to the early modern states and their territorial churches. Religious reform is regarded as an essential element in the process – in the context of social unrest, political conflict, and long-term changes in finance, trade, and warfare. Reforming the North offers a broad perspective on this turbulent period and on the implications of the Protestant Reformation for Northern history. James L. Larson is Professor Emeritus of Scandinavian Languages at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on the lan- guages, literature, and history of northern Europe, with an emphasis on early modern history and culture. His interests in science, religion, and culture are unified by a concern with the process of seculariza- tion in Western culture. Larson has published several books, including Reason and Experience, a study of Linnaean classification; Interpreting Nature: The Science of Living Form from Linnaeus to Kant, a history of eighteenth-century life sciences; and Renaissance of the Goths, a trans- lation of a study of the last Catholic archbishops of Sweden in the sixteenth century. He has also published papers in Eighteenth-Century Studies, Isis, Janus,theJournal of the History of Biology,theJournal of the History of Ideas, Scandinavian Studies,andScandinavica. REFORMING THE NORTH The Kingdoms and Churches of Scandinavia, 1520–1545 james l. larson University of California, Berkeley CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Dubai, Tokyo Cambridge University Press The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York www.cambridge.org Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521765145 © James L. Larson 2010 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provision of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published in print format 2010 ISBN-13 978-0-511-67561-4 eBook (NetLibrary) ISBN-13 978-0-521-76514-5 Hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of urls for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Contents Acknowledgments page vii Abbreviations viii Maps x Introduction 1 1 The North 6 Part I Lord of the Northern World, 1513–1523 2 Preliminary 35 3 Christian II’s Other Kingdom 52 4 A Conquest 65 5 Hubris 89 6 Insurrection 103 7 The King’s Fall 117 Part II Successors, 1523–1533 8 The New Men 139 9 Brushfires 174 10 Reform by Indirection 195 11 Reform by Decree 227 12 The Return of the King 267 Part III Civil War, 1533–1536 13 A Republic of Nobles 295 14 Reactions 317 15 The War of All Against All 339 16 The Fall of Copenhagen 366 Part IV The Settlement, 1536–1545 17 ANewOrder 393 18 Under the Crown of Denmark Eternally 422 v vi Contents 19 Dilemmas of a Very Early Modern State 438 20 Supremacy and Its Discontents 460 21 Conclusion 490 Bibliography 507 Index 523 Acknowledgments The acknowledgments properly begin in Copenhagen, with the Danish Institute for Study (DIS) Abroad. The director, Anders Uhrskov, offered his institution as a base of operations fifteen years ago, and I have profited from his generosity many times since. Two members of the staff at DIS have been helpful above and beyond the call of duty. Janis Granger, the registrar, has helped me repeat- edly with her hospitality and her knowledge of Danish practicalities. Peter Hyldekjær, the librarian, has guided me through the labyrinth of libraries and bookstores in Copenhagen and provided me with a complete file of essential facsimiles. Without his help this book could not have been written. In Sweden I am indebted to three libraries, Uppsala University Library, the royal library in Stockholm, and the library of the Swedish Riksdag. The Riksdag library allowed access to its collections with no more than a glance at my passport, a welcome change from the security-obsessed limitations of American libraries. In Berkeley I want to thank Tom and Katherine Brady for bring- ing my manuscript to the attention of Cambridge. Diana Wear has taken responsibility for preparing the final electronic version of this manuscript for submission. This is not the first time she has provided this technologically challenged academic with a life preserver. There ought to be a medal. Finally, I thank the readers of Cambridge University Press for their time and attention during the busiest part of the academic year. vii Abbreviations Allen. – C. F.Allen, De tre nordiske Rigers Historie under Hans, Christiern den Anden, Frederik den Første, Gustaf Vasa, Grevefeiden,I–Vi7 dele. København, 1864–1872. Br og Aktst. – Breve og Aktstykker til Oplysning af Christian den Andens og Frederik den Førstes Historie, udg. Allen. København, 1854. BSH. – Bidrag till Skandinaviens historia ur utlandska¨ arkiver,I–V,utg. Styffe. Stockholm, 1859–84. DN. – Diplomatarium Norvegicum, I–XXII. Christiania/Oslo, 1849– 1995. 1. Old. – C. Paludan Muller,¨ De første konger af den Oldenborgske Slægt. Kjøbenhavn 1874 (reprint 1971). Fr I’s Registranter. – Kong Frederik den Førstes danske Registranter, udg. Erslev & Mollerup. Kjøbenhavn, 1879. Grevefeidens Aktst. – Aktstykker till Nordens Historie, Grevefeidens Tid, udg. Paludan Muller,¨ I–II, Odense, 1852–1853. Grevens Feide. – C. Paludan Muller,¨ Grevens Feide skildret efter trykte og utrykte Kilder, I–II, København, 1853–1854. GR. – Konung Gustaf den forstes¨ registratur, utg. Granlund et al, I– XXIX. Stockholm, 1861–1916. I(1861) 1521–1524. III (1865) 1526. II (1864) 1525.IV(1868) 1527 etc. H.H. – Historiska Handlingar, utg. Kungl. Samfundet for¨ utgifvande af handskrifter rorande¨ Skandinaviens historia. 1–22. Stockholm, 1861– 1890. HSH. – Handlingar rorande¨ Skandinaviens historia, Band 13–18,utg. Kungl. Samf. for¨ utgifvande af handskrifter rorande¨ Skandinaviens historie. Stockholm, 1828–1833. viii Abbreviations ix Hanserecesse.–Hanserecesse. 3. Abth, 1–9; 4. Abth, 1477–1530, 1531– 1535, hrsg. Schafter, Techen, & Wentz. Leipzig, Munchen,¨ Weimar, 1870–1941. Hist Aktst.–Historiske Aktstykker til Danmarks og Christian II’s Historie, fornemmelig fra Aarene 1523–1532, udg. Reedtz. København, 1830– 1831. Huitfeldt Ch II, Fr 1, Ch III. – Arild Huitfeldt, Danmark Rigis Krønike, angaaende den Høylofflige Oldenborgiske Stamme. København, 1595– 1597 (reprint 1975–1977) KLNM. – Kulturhistorisk leksikon for nordisk middelalder, 1–22, udg. Rona, København, 1956–1978. NRJ. – Norske Regnskaber og Jordebøger fra det. 16de. Aarhundrede.I–IV. Ed. Huitfeldt-Kaas et al. Christiania/Oslo 1857–1983. NRR. – Norske Ri_gs-Registranter 1523–1660. 1–XII. Christiania 1861– 1891. Petri. – Olavus Petri, Samlede Skrifter, I–IV, udg. Hesselman, forord¨ Hjarne.¨ Uppsala, 1914–1917. Skibykrøniken. – Poul Helgesen, Skibykrøniken, overs. & udg. Heise. København, 1890–1891. SRA. – Svenska Riksdagsakter jamte¨ andra handlingar som hora¨ till Statsforfattningens¨ historia under tidehvarfet 1521–1718.Afd.I,1. delen, utg. Hildebrand & Alin, I, 1521–1544. Stockholm, 1887. ST. – Sveriges traktater med frammande¨ makter jemte andra dit horande¨ handlingar, III, IV, 1409–1520, 1521–1571, utg. Rydberg. Stockholm, 1888, 1895. Swart. – Peder Swart, Konung Gustaf I.s Kronika¨ ,utg.Eden,´ Stock- holm, 1912. WA. – Martin Luther, Werke. Kritische Gesamtausgabe,Bd1ff, Weimar, 1883ff. 0 100 200 300 400 500 km 0 100 200 300 miles Vardøhus N Austraat Frosta Trondheim JAMTLAND DOVRE NORWAY FINLAND Bergen DALARNA Hamar Viborg ROMERIKE Åbo Oslo Akershus SWEDEN ÅLAND Västerås Uppsala Tönsberg Arboga Narva Stavanger Stockholm Reval VIKEN Örebro Strängnäs Vadstena Skara Linköping Marstrand Baahus ÖSTER- Børglum VÄSTER- GÖTLAND GÖTLAND Visby Visborg Aalborg HALLAND Växjö GOTLAND Riga Viborg Halmstad SMÅLAND Kalmar Aarhus DENMARK BLEKINGE ÖLAND JYLLAND SKAANE Ribe Copenhagen FYN SJÆLLAND SCHLESWIG BORNHOLM HOLSTEIN RÜGEN Danzig Lübeck The North, 1500. N Børglum VENDSYSSEL Varberg Aalborg KATTEGAT Viborg Randers Aarhus JYLLAND Horsens Vejle Roskilde Kolding Middlefart SJÆLLAND Ribe Odense Ringsted FYN Haderslev Nyborg Korsör SCHLESWIG Svendborg Sønderborg Flensburg Schleswig Rendsburg HOLSTEIN Rostock Lübeck Denmark and the Duchies, 1500. SWEDEN Kalmar Halmstad Helsingborg Helsingør Landskrona Lund SKAANE Copenhagen Malmø BORNHOLM THE BALTIC RÜGEN 0 25 50 75 100 125 km 0 25 50 75 miles REFORMING THE NORTH The Kingdoms and Churches of Scandinavia, 1520–1545 Introduction At the beginning of the sixteenth century the kingdoms of Scandi- navia continued to function within their medieval framework. Social and