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Magnus was the only of Gustav Vasa's sons – except for Karl and Sten, who died in infancy – that didn't become king of Sweden. In 1555, he was made Duke of Ostrogothia, Kinda and Ydre, Dalsland, Sundbo härad in Närke, Kåkind, Valla, and the major part of Vadsbo härad in Västergötland. As Duke of Ostrogothia, he lived permanently at Vadstena Castle in Vadstena.
Magnus suffered from a severe mental illness.[1]: 322 The illness showed its first signs in 1563, and eventually became permanent. In 1574, the responsibility of his fiefs were taken over by his brother King John III, who managed them as his guardian because of his mental condition. A smaller part of them was granted to his other brother, Charles.
Many ballads and stories were inspired by Magnus and his alleged interest in mythological creatures such as fairies.
There are many stories about the "Mad Duke", for instance about how he saw a mermaid in the castle moat and threw himself out of a window, nearly drowning himself. There is no proof that this event ever took place, but the story might have evolved from an incident in 1563 when he fell in the moat, during the construction of the castle drawbridge. Geijer and Afzelius note that the alleged mermaid incident appears to have found its way into the ballad "Hertig Magnus och Hafsfrun" ("Herr Mannelig").[2]
Issue
Magnus was never married. He had three confirmed and acknowledged children outside of marriage.
1Also prince of Norway 2Also prince of Poland and Lithuania 3Lost his title due to an unequal marriage 4Not Swedish prince by birth, but created prince of Sweden
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