Born: 1643 (Ålems, Mönsterås, Kalmar County, Sweden)
Died: 1677
Biography:
Christina Anna Skytte (9 November 1643 – 21 January 1677) was a Swedish baroness and pirate. She was born in the parish of Ålems at Mönsterås in Kalmar County, Sweden, to parents Anna Bielkenstjerna and Jacob Skytte af Duderhof, who served as governor of Östergötland. Her grandfather was the Swedish governor Johan Skytte, and her aunt was the salonist and poet Vendela Skytte.
From 1657 onward, Christina Anna’s brother, Gustav Skytte, secretly managed a pirate ship, plundering ships in the Baltic Sea. Christina Anna and her fiancé, Gustaf Drake, also joined in this activity and became Gustav’s partners. They were not passive participants in their brother’s enterprise; in fact, they reportedly had one of their partners killed when he wanted to withdraw from the business.
In 1662, Christina Anna and Gustaf Drake attacked a Dutch merchant ship, murdering its crew and sinking the ship between Øland and Bornholm. However, their actions were exposed when the shipwreck washed up on the beach of Øland that same year. Rumors began to circulate in the capital, pointing to Christina Anna and Gustaf as the culprits. The Dutch envoy in Stockholm demanded action from the Swedish authorities.
To avoid arrest, Christina Anna and Gustaf Drake married in 1662 and fled to Denmark. Sadly, Gustav Skytte, Christina Anna’s brother, was unable to escape and was arrested, put on trial, and ultimately executed for piracy in April 1663. At the time of her brother’s arrest, Christina Anna was only 18 years old. Due to being a married woman, she was not personally prosecuted, but her spouse, Gustaf Drake, was charged in his absence and had his property confiscated.
In 1668, Christina Anna and Gustaf Drake returned to Sweden, where Gustaf was tried in Gothenburg but eventually pardoned. The couple then settled at Edeby gård in the parish of Ripsa at Nyköping in Södermanland.
Although Christina Anna’s life was marked by piracy and controversy, her story has captured the imaginations of many. She was even featured in Viktor Rydberg’s 1857 novel The Freebooter of the Baltic (Fribytaren på Östersjön), further cementing her place in popular culture.