Jens Andersen Beldenak

Jens Andersen Beldenak (died 1537), called the Bald, was a Danish bishop. He was born in the village of Brøndum, the Limfjord, and died 20 January 1537. Historians generally considered him a controversial figure due to his being a contrarian in addition to a quarrelsome character. Aside from his position in the church, he was an important figure in the court of King Christian II due to his legal expertise. Particularly, Beldenak was credited for transforming Sweden from electoral to a hereditary kingdom.

King Christian II hired him often on diplomatic missions and in 1503 he was the envoy to the peace meeting in Lübeck, where he exceeded his instructions by promising compensation to Lübeck for mobilizing ships during the war. Partly because of this action the king accused him in 1517, who demanded a large indemnity, and he was followed several years in prison. He however managed to regain the king's confidence and traveled to Sweden 1520-1521. He could, through their legal knowledge, the single Privy Council in the Grey Friar's Abbey in Stockholm, to recognize the King Christian's succession to the crown of Sweden. During this period, he instructed the council lords regarding the provisions of the Swedish law for royal elections. The existing rule - based on St. Erik's law - mandated that the king should be elected by the council in case the dead king had several sons.