Benedicta of Bjelbo (Swedish: Bengta Sunesdotter; died 1261) was a Swedish noblewoman and a central figure in the incident known as the Maiden Abduction from Vreta, wherein she, like her mother, Princess Helen of Sweden before her, and her daughter, Ingrid Svantepolksdotter after her, was abducted from Vreta Abbey (Vreta kloster) by the man she later married.
[1] [2] Benedicta was the daughter of Princess Helen and Sune Folkesson.
In 1244, she was abducted by Lars Petersson, Justiciar of Östergötland, with whom she traveled to Norway.
Benedicta lived with Lars in Norway for several years.
After his death, she returned to Sweden and married high nobleman Svantepolk Knutsson, Lord of Viby, with whom she had several daughters, among them Ingrid and a son, Canute, who died childless.