Benedicta of Bjelbo (Swedish: Bengta Sunesdotter; died 1261) was a Swedish noblewoman and a central figure in the incident known as the Maiden Abduction from Vreta, wherein she, like her mother, Princess Helen of Sweden before her, and her daughter, Ingrid Svantepolksdotter after her, was abducted from Vreta Abbey (Vreta kloster) by the man she later married. Her abduction was the subject of the folksong "Bridal Abduction of Young Lars" (Junker Lars klosterrov).[1] [2]
Benedicta was the daughter of Princess Helen and Sune Folkesson. She was the sister of Queen Catherine of Sweden. Benedicta was placed in Vreta Abbey for her education. In 1244, she was abducted by Lars Petersson, Justiciar of Östergötland, with whom she traveled to Norway. One theory is that Lars was a grandson of a king of the St. Eric dynasty and wished to unite that dynasty with Benedicta's Sverker dynasty. He may also have had designs on the throne. Benedicta lived with Lars in Norway for several years. After his death, she returned to Sweden and married high nobleman Svantepolk Knutsson, Lord of Viby, with whom she had several daughters, among them Ingrid and a son, Canute, who died childless.[3] [4] [5] [6]