Blacksta church is in Södermanland
County of Sweden, between Flen and Nyköping. |
This is the graveyard
at Blacksta church. |
Blacksta church was built in the
1100's and has not changed appreciably over the centuries. |
Many churches in Sweden do not
have a bell tower, so the church bell is placed in a wooden tower
built next to the church. The tower was built in 1732 by Soldier
Anders Grytman. |
Gilberte Wiklund holds the massive
key used to open the door of the church. |
Gilberte stands at the lectern
inside Balcksta church. The Sabelskjöld coat-of-arms can
be seen on the right. |
  
Three things that one notices right
away in the sanctuary of Blacksta church are the two coats-of-arms
and the pulpit. The pulpit was placed in the church after a restoration
that occurred in 1754. |
  
Some of the treasures housed in
the sacristy vault include a very old christening or communion
spoon and a pair of tin candlesticks donated to the church by
the Sableskjöld family in 1663. |
  
The three sides of each of the
candlesticks show the respective coats-of-arms of the Sabelskjöld
and Rosenstråle families and a shield indicating the date
of the candlesticks. These candlesticks are a rare and little
known artifact from the old Sabelskjöld family. |
The Sabelskjöld gravestone
from about 1663 as it appears today. It was placed into the wall
at the back of the sanctuary after it was taken up from the floor
many years ago. The actual gravesite of Carl and Ingeborg Sabelskjöld
is somewhere near the door of the sacristy. |
Gilberte Wiklund stands by the
old Sabelskjöld gravestone. She is not descended from the
Sabelskjölds, but finds their history very interesting.
For more about the stone Click Here. |
Here is some detail of the stone
showing the coats-of-arms of the Sabelskjöld and Rosenstråle
families. |
The inscription on the stone honoring
Carl Sabelskjöld.
Click Here to read the inscription. |
Carl Jönsson Sabelskjöld
was likely born in 1590 in Nyköping Castle, but the farm
called Ekenäs was the country home of this Swedish hero.
Ekenäs is just a mile or two west of Blacksta church. This
is the mill at Ekenäs as it appears today. |
The current house at Ekenäs.
None of the buildings from the 1600's survive today. |
Another view of the mill at Ekenäs
as it appears today. |