Sweden: Woman of My Choice
This is an impressive statue of Kristina Cylledtierna. So the story goes that after her husband died she took power in Sweden and refused to abdicate until her sons were of age. She stood her ground and the people of Sweden loved her. She stood fast when Christian II was attempting to take over and during the siege could be found going up and down the lines, encouraging the troops. She was greatly respected as a woman leader. Eventually Christian the 2nd does manage to gain a foothold and she is taken to Denmark as a political prisoner where she had to experience a rough ordeal. Her Nephew manages to rebuff Christian II,regain power, and consolidate it. When Kristina was finally released, he was scared her return would cause a political power struggle so he married her off.
She is important because she was a woman who was a leader, who stood her ground, and who gained the respect of so many. This was not common during her time! Personally, I feel like this adds to the background of Sweden that helped it to really become a highly gender equal community. By having and recognizing these kind women in their history, they are recognizing that women can do well in positions of power. Historically she was also highly important in Sweden becoming more unified because her legitimacy and popularity allowed her nephew, one of the last nobles standing, to rally against Christian II and consolidate and concentrate Sweden's power. Most importantly she also herself was key in leading her country for a time!
She has been commemorated by this statue that I honestly really like. The statue is so cool because her stance so powerful, solid, and unmoving. This relates to her standing against Christian II. She also has a sharp and determined face that gives off an intelligent air. These are the aspects that stand out because her clothing is really simple and does not detract from the true message. The represented her very well in this piece. You can tell that she was not merely a decorative woman but one with influence and might! So maybe she could use some more things named after her, but because they did well with this one I'll give it to them.
Great post. She definitely faced some obstacles! The Danish forces were militarily superior and well-equipped, making it extremely difficult for Kristina and her supporters to defend against the invasion. However, things have gotten better for leaders. Advances in technology have improved communication and coordination, which can aid in organizing political movements and defenses. Modern leaders have access to tools and resources that were unimaginable in Kristina’s time.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Anna! I think Kristina faced many obstacles mainly because of her gender and also because of her leadership in Sweden. It must have been hard for her to lead the resistance as a woman and then also the king felt threatened by her and had her held as a prisoner of war for a long time! It is hard to have someone so influential be against you!
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ReplyDeleteLove this. Christina definitely faced a lot of obstacles throughout her life and her attempts to rule over Sweden. Gustav was a huge obstacle to her after he came into power and made it difficult for her to regain her position. It also was probably difficult for her at times being a woman in power, because so many people feel threatened by that. This definitely still exists today because there are many people who criticize women in powerful positions and find every reason to knock them down.
ReplyDeleteSuper great post, Anna! As you mentioned, Christina overcame a lot of obstacles. She was one of the first women in power, and that put a lot of pressure on her to set a precedent for future women. And even though she made a difference, we still see these issues today. We often hold women in powerful positions (and even on a day-to-day basis) to a higher standard than men. So, unfortunately the issues are still around, but Christina still made a huge leap for women in this way.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Anna! Christina II stands as almost an allegorical woman who shines a light on a bloody history of Sweden and resistance against people who wanted to conquer different areas of Sweden. Christina II is very similar to a Betsy Ross figure where people recognize the name and know a story or two associated with her but she never had much political authority. Like many other historical figures Christina II suffered much more for her country than she was able to influence it, and she is remembered for her suffering.
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