In the last years of the fourteenth century there lived in Strengnäs,
the well-known bishop, Konrad Rugga, or Bishop Cort, as he was called
by the people. Holding his office at a time when the glory of Papacy
was at its height, it is natural that his power was great and influence
unusual. Yet tradition has not been content with this, but has
magnified his endowments to the almost supernatural.
In order to maintain discipline and order in his bishopric he was wont
to travel from place to place in his diocese, always visiting in these
journeys the convent of Riseberga.
During one of these official tours he purchased in Tangerosa, three
small farms, and made of them a large domain, which he improved and
called Trystorp—three farms—but from Riseberga to Trystorp it is a long
distance, and as the Bishop was not unskilled in constructing
underground ways—he having already completed one such under the Mälar
from Strengnäs to his residence, Tynnelsö—he tunneled a passage from
the monastery to Trystorp under Logsjö. For the public he built a road
above ground, which is the same that now leads to Trystorp around the
north shore of Logsjö.
Over a stream, or at that time a little river, which, just below
Riseberga, runs from the south in a northerly course, he built a
substantial bridge of sandstone. The bridge is even to-day called
Rugga’s bridge or more commonly Ruggebro.
Not long after the death of Bishop Cort the Papal power was forced to
yield in Sweden to the doctrines of Luther and Riseberga to share the
fate of other convents in the land.
It was now determined to move one of the bells of the convent to
Edsberg, where it was to call the people together to hear the new
message of truth. But the Bishop’s powerful spirit seemed even now to
be present on earth, for when they who bore the bell reached the middle
of Ruggebro, the burden was overthrown by an unseen hand into the
creek, where it disappeared.
Many have since seen the bell, and one and another have even succeeded
in raising it half way out of the water, but it has always escaped and
sunk back into the creek bed, scoffing at the weakness of the covetous
laborers.