Valdemar I of Denmark

Valdemar the Great
King of Denmark
Reign	1157–1182
Born	14 January 1131
Died	12 May 1182[aged 51]
Buried	Skt. Bendts Church, Ringsted
Predecessor	Sweyn III
Successor	Canute VI
Consort	Sofia of Minsk
Father	Canute Lavard
Mother	Ingeborg of Kiev

Valdemar I of Denmark (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182), also known as Valdemar the Great, was King of Denmark from 1157 until 1182.

He was the son of Canute Lavard, a chivalrous and popular Danish prince, who was the eldest son of Eric I of Denmark. Valdemar's father was murdered by Magnus the Strong days before the birth of Valdemar; his mother, Ingeborg of Kiev, daughter of Mstislav I of Kiev and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden, named him after her grandfather, Vladimir Monomakh of Kiev.

As an heir to the throne, and with his rivals quickly gaining power, he was raised in the court of Asser Rig of Fjenneslev, together with Asser's sons, Absalon and Esbern Snare, who would become his trusted friends and ministers.

In 1146, when Valdemar was fifteen years old, King Erik III Lamb abdicated and a civil war erupted. The pretenders to the throne were: Sweyn III Grathe, son of Eric II Emune, son of Eric I. Canute V, son of Magnus the Strong who was the son of King Niels, who was the brother of Erik I. Valdemar himself held Jutland, at least Schleswig, as his possession. The civil war lasted the better part of ten years.

In 1157, the three agreed to part the country in three among themselves. Sweyn hosted a great banquet for Canute, Absalon, and Valdemar during which he planned to dispose of all of them. Canute was killed, but Absalon and Valdemar escaped. Valdemar returned to Jutland. Sweyn quickly launched an invasion, only to be defeated by Valdemar in the Battle of Grathe Heath. He was killed during flight, supposedly by a group of peasants who stumbled upon him as he was fleeing from the battlefield. Valdemar, having outlived all his rival pretenders, became the sole King of Denmark.

In 1158 Absalon was elected Bishop of Roskilde, and Valdemar made him his chief friend and advisor. He reorganized and rebuilt war-torn Denmark. At Absalon's instigation he declared war upon the Wends who were raiding the Danish coasts. They inhabited Pomerania and the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea. In 1168 the Wendish capital, Arkona, was taken, and the Wends became Christians and subject to Danish suzerainty. Danish influence reached into Pomerania.

Valdemar's reign saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its zenith under his second son Valdemar II.

[edit] Issue

Valdemar married Sofia of Minsk (c. 1141–1198), half-sister of Canute V of Denmark and daughter of Dowager Queen Rikissa of Sweden from her marriage with Volodar of Minsk (Vladimir or Volodar Glebovich of the Rurikids, died 1167), ruling Prince of Principality of Minsk, and they had the following children:

• Sophie, (1159 –1208), married Siegfried III, Count of Orlamünde
• King Canute VI of Denmark (1163–1202)
• Maria, nun at Roskilde (born c. 1165)
• Margareta, nun at Roskilde (born c. 1167)
• King Valdemar II of Denmark (1170–1241)
• Ingeborg (1175–1236), married King Philip II of France
• Helen (c.1177-1233), married William of Lüneburg
• Rikissa of Denmark (c. 1180-1220), married King Eric X of Sweden

His widow Sofia married then Louis III, Landgrave of Thuringia.

Illegitimate with Tove:

• Christopher (1150–1173), Valdemar's eldest son, Duke of Jutland (dux Iuciae^[1]) ca. 1170–1173

[edit] External links

• Find-A-Grave profile for Valdemar I the Great
• http://www.kingsofdenmark.dk/king19.htm

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Esben Albrectsen, "Das Abel-Geschlecht und die Schauenburger als Herzöge von Schleswig", Marion Hartwig and Frauke Witte (trls.), in: Die Fürsten des Landes: Herzöge und Grafen von Schleswig, Holstein und Lauenburg [De slevigske hertuger; German], Carsten Porskrog Rasmussen (ed.) on behalf of the Gesellschaft für Schleswig-Holsteinische Geschichte, Neumünster: Wachholtz, 2008, pp. 52-71, here p. 52. ISBN 978-3-529-02606-5

Valdemar the Great House of Estridsen Born: 1131 Died: 1182
Regnal titles
Preceded by Eric Lamb	King of Denmark 1146–1182 with Sweyn Grathe (1146–1157) & Canute V (1146–1157)	Succeeded by Canute VI
Vacant Title last held by Magnus	Duke in Southern Jutland titled there: Duke of Denmark ca. 1152–1154	Vacant Title next held by Christopher

Ancestors of Valdemar I of Denmark

16. Ulf Thorgilsson               8. Sweyn II of Denmark                       17. Estrid Margarete Svendsdatter               4. Eric I of Denmark                             18. Sveinn Hákonarson               9. Gunhild Sveinsdotter                       19. Holmfrid of Sweden               2. Canute Lavard                                   20. Ulf Galicienfahrer, Jarl in Denmark               10. Thrugot Ulfsson Fagerskind                       21. Bodil Hakonsdotter               5. Boedil Thurgotsdatter                             22. Vagn Ageson               11. Thorgunna Vagnsdatter                       23. Ingeborg Thorkilsdatter               1. Valdemar I of Denmark                                         24. Vsevolod I of Kiev               12. Vladimir II Monomakh                       25. Anastasia Monomachina               6. Mstislav I of Kiev                             26. Harold Godwinson               13. Gytha of Wessex                       27. Edith Swanneck               3. Ingeborg of Kiev                                   28. Stenkil               14. Inge I of Sweden                       29. Saint Ingamoder Emundsdotter of Sweden               7. Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden                             30. Sigtorn or Prince Ingvar of Sweden               15. Helena

v • d • e Monarchs of Denmark Early monarchs c.916–1412 (Harthacnut) · Gorm the Old · Harald Bluetooth · Sweyn Forkbeard1 · Harald II · Cnut the Great1 · Harthacanute1 · Magnus the Good  · Sweyn II · Harald III · Canute the Saint · Olaf I · Eric Evergood · Niels · Eric the Memorable · Eric Lamb · Sweyn Grathe / Canute V / Valdemar the Great · Canute VI · Valdemar the Victorious · Eric Plough-tax · Abel · Christopher I · Eric Klipping · Eric Menved · Christopher II · Valdemar III · Christopher II · Interregnum · Valdemar Atterdag · Olaf II · Margaret I2 Palatinate-Neumarkt 1397–1448 Eric of Pomerania2 · Christopher of Bavaria2 Oldenburg 1448–1863 Christian I2 · John2 · Christian II2 · Frederick I · Christian III · Frederick II · Christian IV · Frederick III · Christian V · Frederick IV · Christian VI · Frederick V · Christian VII · Frederick VI · Christian VIII · Frederick VII Schleswig-Holstein- Sonderburg-Glücksburg since 1863 Christian IX · Frederick VIII · Christian X3 · Frederick IX · Margrethe II Italics indicates Danish monarchs who were also monarchs of Norway. 1 Also monarch of England.  2 Also monarch of Sweden.  3 Also monarch of Iceland.