# Disa > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Disa > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Disa.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disa > Source revision: 1350433480 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Heroine of a Swedish legendary saga This article is about the legendary heroine. For other uses, see [Disa (disambiguation)](/source/Disa_(disambiguation)). Queen Disa as imagined by Johan Sylvius in the 1680s **Disa** is the heroine of a Swedish legendary saga, which was documented by [Olaus Magnus](/source/Olaus_Magnus), in 1555. It is believed to be from the Middle Ages, but includes Old Norse themes. It was elaborated by [Johannes Messenius](/source/Johannes_Messenius) in his drama *Disa*, which was the first historic play in the [Swedish language](/source/Swedish_language), and was played at the [Disting](/source/Disting) of 1611. It was also presented in an exaggerated version by [Olaus Rudbeck](/source/Olaus_Rudbeck) in his *[Atlantica](/source/Atlantica)* (1685–89) ## Synopsis Illustration from [Johannes Messenius](/source/Johannes_Messenius)'s play *Disa* In a time when the god-king [Freyr](/source/Freyr) (or king Sigtrud) ruled in [Sweden](/source/Sweden), there was a famine. The long peace during Freyr's reign had greatly increased Sweden's population until the lands could no longer support it sufficiently. The king and the chieftains decided that the population had to be culled by killing all the elderly, sickly and handicapped, and by sacrificing them to [Odin](/source/Odin). Disa, the daughter of the chieftain Sigsten of [Venngarn](/source/Venngarn_Castle) in [Uppland](/source/Uppland), was upset by this cruel solution. She talked mockingly to the king and chieftains about their *wisdom* and claimed to have wiser words of advice. In order to test her wits, Freyr asked her to visit him but she could not do so by foot, by horse, in a wagon, nor in a boat. She could not visit him either dressed or undressed. The time must not be within a year nor within a month, and neither during daytime nor nighttime, and neither when the moon was waxing nor waning. (Compare the story of [Kráka](/source/Kr%C3%A1ka), who was issued a similar test by her [future husband](/source/Ragnar_Lodbrok).) Disa passed the test by harnessing two young men to a sled. By the sled, she had a billygoat and she had one leg over the goat and the other leg in the sled. For clothes she had a net, and she arrived during full moon at dusk to the king on the third day after [Yule](/source/Yule), all months had 30 days and the last month was to an end and also the year. The [democide](/source/Democide) was cancelled, and according to the behest of the new queen Disa, there was a drawing of lots so that a part of the population was to leave Sweden (then restricted to [Svealand](/source/Svealand)), for the northern regions that were later called [Norrland](/source/Norrland), where they were to settle and cultivate the land. Disa's wisdom was so highly valued that many disputes were relegated to her at the Midwinter [blót](/source/Bl%C3%B3t) at the [Temple at Uppsala](/source/Temple_at_Uppsala), which from this time was called the [Disablot](/source/Disablot) and the [Disting](/source/Disting). ## Disa as a source of inspiration The saga has been treated by [Johan Celsius](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johan_Celsius&action=edit&redlink=1) in the prose drama *Disa* (1687), which was an adaptation of Messenius' stage play in verse. Later it was adapted by [Johan Gabriel Oxenstierna](/source/Johan_Gabriel_Oxenstierna) in the poetic letter *Disa* (1795), and in the fourth song of the poem *Skördarne* (1796). In the so-called *Disasal* on the second floor of [Venngarn Castle](/source/Venngarn_Castle), there are eight large paintings depicting scenes from Disa's saga. They were previously believed to be works of [David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl](/source/David_Kl%C3%B6cker_Ehrenstrahl), but according to [August Hahr](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=August_Hahr&action=edit&redlink=1), they are only the work of artisans based on copies of Ehrenstrahl's compositions, which were published as etchings. One of these etchings was the basis of depictions on tapestry which are partly preserved in the [Stockholm Palace](/source/Stockholm_Palace) and [Ulriksdal Palace](/source/Ulriksdal_Palace). Under every painting there are verses providing explanations in Latin and Swedish. In [Pale Fire](/source/Pale_Fire) by [Vladimir Nabokov](/source/Vladimir_Nabokov), the last Zemblan King's wife is named Disa, and titled Duchess of Payn.[1] ## Inspiration for name of orchid Genus *Disa* Botanist [Peter Jonas Bergius](/source/Peter_Jonas_Bergius) named the [*Disa*](/source/Disa_(plant)) genus of orchids in 1767.[2] It has been suggested that the name may have been based on the Disa legend.[3] The dorsal sepal of some *Disa* orchids have a net-like appearance reminiscent of the fishnet in which Disa appears before King Freyhr. ## See also - [Sitones](/source/Sitones) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Nabokov, Vladimir (2000). *Pale Fire* (Rep. ed.). London: Penguin. p. 238. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-141-18526-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-141-18526-2). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Bergius, Peter Jonas (1767). [*Descriptiones plantarum ex Capite Bonae Spei*](https://bibdigital.rjb.csic.es/viewer/13844/?offset=#page=384&viewer=picture&o=search&n=0&q=disa). Retrieved 21 April 2024. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Pettersson, Börge (1985). ["The Etymology of the Generic Name Disa Bergius (Orchidaceae)"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1221213). *Taxon*. **34** (3): 457–461. v t e Nordic folklore Beings Askafroa Bøyg Bysen Changeling Church grim Cyprianus Deildegast Di sma undar jordi Draugr Dwarf Elf Erlking Fossegrim Gjenganger Helhest Kraken Lindworm Mare Marmennill Myling Nisse Nis Puk Neck Pixie Rå Bergsrå Hulder Sjörå Skogsrå Sea serpent Selma Storsjöodjuret Skrømt Troll Troll cat Valravn Vardøger Vargr Vittra Vörðr Wight Will-o'-the-wisp Ysätters-Kajsa People Amleth Askeladden Blenda Disa Feng Påskkärring Origins Norse mythology Old Norse religion Danish folklore Finnish mythology *This article contains content from the*Owl Edition*of [Nordisk familjebok](/source/Nordisk_familjebok), a Swedish encyclopedia published between 1904 and 1926, now in the [public domain](/source/Public_domain).* Authority control databases VIAF GND --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Disa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disa) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disa?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.