Magnus Heinason facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Magnus Heinason
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| Born | 1545 Nes or Oyndarfjørður?, Faroe Islands
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| Died | 18 January 1589 (aged 44) |
| Spouse(s) | Sophia Axeldatter Gyhnterberg, (Norwegian) |
| Parent(s) | Heine Havreki, Gyri Arnbjørnsdatter, |
Magnus Heinason (also known as Mogens Heinesøn) was a brave sailor and trader from the Faroe Islands. He was born around 1545 and died on January 18, 1589. He became a hero for his country.
Magnus worked for William the Silent and his son Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange for ten years. He was a privateer, which means he was a private ship owner allowed by a government to attack enemy ships during wartime. He fought against the Spanish in the Dutch Revolt. Later, King Frederick II of Denmark and Norway gave Magnus special rights to trade in the Faroe Islands. He also got permission to capture or sink pirate ships and English merchant ships.
Magnus built the first forts in Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands. But just one year later, he was arrested. He was sent to Copenhagen because Christoffer Walkendorf, a powerful Danish official, ordered it. This happened after King Frederick II died suddenly.
Magnus Heinason was put on trial and executed on January 18, 1589. However, his wife, Sofie von Günsterberg, and his friend Hans Lindenov fought against this. They took the case to a meeting of nobles. On August 6, 1590, Magnus's death sentence was declared wrong. He was cleared of all charges after his death. Valkendorf lost his job and had to pay money to Magnus's family. Magnus Heinason's body was moved and buried with honor.
Contents
Family Life and Early Adventures
Magnus Heinason was the son of Heine Havreki. His father was a Norwegian priest who moved to the Faroe Islands. Heine Havreki helped bring the Lutheran Reformation to the islands. Magnus's mother was Gyri Arnbjørnsdatter, from a rich Norwegian family.
His father often traveled by sea between the islands for his work. Magnus went with him on these trips. Even as a young boy, Magnus learned how to sail small boats. This experience helped him a lot later in life. As a grown man, he would do many famous things in these same waters.
Magnus was engaged three times and married twice. He had a son named Rasmus Magnussen around 1560 with a Faroese woman. Rasmus lived to be 110 years old! Magnus also had a daughter, Elsebeth Magnusdatter, with his wife Sophie Axeldatter Gynhterberg.
Becoming a Seaman
When Magnus was about 17 or 18, his family moved to Bergen, Norway. Here, Magnus could follow his dream of becoming a seaman. He became the captain of a trade ship that sailed between Bergen and the Faroe Islands. This was the same route his father had sailed.
On his third trip, pirates attacked his ship. We don't know exactly what happened. But when he returned to Bergen, people made fun of him for giving up without a fight. Magnus was very upset. He promised himself he would get revenge. He left Norway and went to the Netherlands. There, he joined the Navy.
Magnus returned about ten years later. He had received praise for his bravery in sea battles. He had fought against the Spanish in the Dutch Revolt. This war helped the Dutch people become free from Spanish rule.
Returning to Denmark and the Trade Monopoly
Magnus came back to Denmark with good recommendations from Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange. This helped him when he talked with the Danish King, Frederick II. Magnus probably wanted to go back to his old job as a captain. This time, he owned his own ship.
However, the king's treasurer, Christoffer Valkendorff, had changed things. He had stopped the old way of letting private traders have special rights. Instead, the government now controlled all trade to and from the Faroe Islands. This government monopoly started in 1578, the year Magnus returned.
Magnus went to the king to try and get back his trading rights. The king didn't want to give up his new monopoly. Magnus then said that some people in the Faroes owed him money. He needed a special pass to travel there and collect it. The king agreed, but made Magnus promise not to trade any goods. If he got goods instead of money, he had to give them to the king. Magnus agreed.
When Magnus got to the Faroe Islands, he had a different plan. He talked to farmers and important people, including his half-brother Jógvan Heinason, who was a high judge. Magnus convinced them to protest against the government's trade monopoly.
The people of the Faroe Islands asked the king for a change. They wanted a supervisor to manage the trade, or at least a man of their choice to command a ship. This ship would bring important goods like timber and wheat, which were hard to get under the monopoly.
The Faroese people told the king they wanted Magnus Heinason to command the ships. The king turned the decision over to Christoffer Valkendorff. But while Valkendorff was busy with numbers, Magnus became good friends with King Frederick II. No matter what Valkendorff said, the king gave Magnus command of the ships and the trade rights. Valkendorff's plan for a trade monopoly on the Faroe Islands disappeared.
Fighting Pirates in Tórshavn
In the summer of 1579, a Scottish pirate named Klerck attacked Tórshavn. Magnus found out about this when he landed there. The pirates had stolen many of the king's taxes and private goods. Magnus himself lost goods that he planned to sell.
Magnus went to Denmark to tell the king. He wanted the king to cover the loss of the goods. The king agreed to pay for half the loss, and Magnus had to pay the rest. Magnus wasn't happy with this. He asked the king if he could arm his merchant ships with cannons. This way, he could fight pirates or capture them for trial.
Because Magnus had served bravely in the Dutch navy, King Frederick II agreed. The king also wanted to protect his own trade routes. So, Magnus received special permission, called letters of marque. This allowed him to stop and take any foreign ship that sailed north along the coast of Norway. However, he could not attack ships that were traveling "rightfully."
Conflict with Valkendorff and His Fate
Christoffer Valkendorff was still trying to get Magnus into trouble. In 1581, Magnus was accused of illegal trading in Norway. The situation became so dangerous that Magnus fled to Holland. He again served the Prince of Orange.
Two years later, he returned to King Frederick II. The king forgave Magnus for the old accusations. He even gave Magnus the island of Egholm as a special gift. But Valkendorff did not give up. He used accusations from the English, who said Magnus had illegally boarded an English ship while serving in the Netherlands.
Magnus fled again, but he was caught and arrested in Norway. While this was happening, the king died suddenly. Valkendorff used this chance to quickly put Magnus on trial. The trial was unfair. Two days later, on January 18, 1589, Magnus Heinason was executed in Copenhagen. Valkendorff had finally gotten rid of his enemy.
Magnus is Cleared of All Charges
Because the trial was unfair, the case was reopened the next year. This happened thanks to nobleman Hans Lindenov and Magnus's widow, Sofia. Magnus Heinason was cleared of all charges. His body was moved and given an honorable burial at Ørslev Kloster. Christopher Valkendorf lost all his important jobs.
Today, Magnus Heinason is seen as a hero in the Faroe Islands. There is a memorial to him at Jægerspris Castle in Denmark, alongside other famous people from Danish history.
See also
- Sikuijivitteq (Mogens Heinesen Fjord)
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