recruits and German landsknecht mercenaries to attack Småland. This time larger forces were deployed, and Dacke's forces were attacked from two directions – from Östergötland and Västergötland. The uprising was defeated, and Dacke was wounded but managed to flee. Aftermath The king's revenge on the instigators of the rebellion was hard. The leaders that were caught were executed together with the priests who had supported Dacke. Peasants who had supported the rebellion were deported to Finland, where they had to serve in the army, and the counties where the rebellion had taken place had to pay a large fine to the king. Dacke himself was caught and killed in August 1543 when trying to escape the country. According to legend, his body was taken to Kalmar, where his head was publicly displayed wearing a crown of copper, as a warning to others. Unrest in Ydre continued well after the death of Dacke and ended only after Gustav Vasa sent a force of 400 men to pacify the hundred. The rebellion was the most serious threat to the rule of Gustav Vasa, but after having defeated it he managed to consolidate his power, concentrating more and more power in the hands of the monarch. Idiom In the Swedish language, the idiom "[something] hasn't happened since the Dacke War" is used to mean "[something] hasn't happened for a long time". This expression is especially common in the southern parts of Sweden but is also used elsewhere. See also Early Vasa era History of Sweden References Dacke War, Encyclopædia Britannica OpenLibrary Conflicts in 1542 Rebellions in Sweden Popular revolt in late-medieval Europe Wars involving Sweden 1542 in Sweden 1542 in Europe Peasant revolts Feuds 16th-century rebellions Swedish Reformation Catholic rebellions Gustav I of Sweden