Dalla cronaca in rima al dramma storico. Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson e la riscrittura di un’identità

This paper examines the figure of Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson in Swedish literature, from the late Middle Ages to the 20th century. Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (1390 - 1436) was a Swedish nobleman from Dalarna County, who played a prominent role in Swedish history during the Kalmar Union. The Union ended in 1523, after a long process of decay which had started in 1434, when Engelbrekt led a revolt against the Danish king Erik of Pomerania. Engelbrekt was assassinated in 1434. Soon after his death, he was celebrated as a hero in a rhymed chronicle, which was commissioned to narrate the events of the time. The chronicle contributed to create the myth of Engelbrekt, henceforth hailed as a hero and saint. In the following centuries, the enthusiasm about Engelbrekt died down, and he was almost forgotten. His popularity revived only in the 19th century, when he was romantically celebrated as a national hero and a symbol of Swedish identity. Engelbrekt became the inspiring motif of numerous literary works, such as the pièce Engelbrekt (1901) by August Strindberg, which emphasizes the crucial role of this character for the definition of the identity of the Swedish nation.