Sunday, March 21, 2010

Oluf Hunger, - 1095 -, ~ Ingegerd Haraldsdatter


Kilde:
Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Carl Fr. Bricka
Project Runeberg
(1887-1905)

Oluf Hunger, -1095, king, was an illegitimate son
of Svend Estridsen and was probably jarl under his
brother Knud den Hellige. He was however in
opposition to his brother; when Knud had gathered
a mighty fleet for an expedition to England, but was
delayed at the southern border of Denmark, the ship
crews got angry and sent via Oluf a message to Knud
to ask him to come or appoint another leader of the
fleet.Oluf did his job eloquently, but Knud got
furious and let via his brother Erik (Ejegod) Oluf
put in irons; he dared not keep him imprisoned in
Denmark and sent him to his father-in-law, count
Robert Friser in Flandern (1085).

The popular rising against Knud meant that Oluf
became king; he had suffered from Knud's capricious
ways, so he was an obvious leader of the reaction
against his supremacy; furthermore was Oluf the
eldest living of the Svend's sons at that time.In
order to free his brother Niels went to Flandern
as a hostage - and then Oluf came home and was
elected king, while Erik took flight to Sweden.
(1086) Knud's laws were abandoned , the influence
of the royal power and the clerical power were
limited, and the magnates were proud again.The
connection to the Gregorian church party was
probably also given up and they joined the emporial
opposite pope Wibert; it is later said that a
"Wibertine" raged in Denmark and this can hardly
refer to anything else than the time of Oluf. It
was understandable that they opposed to the hated
Knud's efforts, but it was however unfortunate that
they turned their back to the European cultural
development. Bishop Svend of Roskilde portended the
punishment from Heaven and went on a pilgrimage.

And it happened that a several years long famine
harrassed the western Europe, it came to Denmark
and was especially vicious here.In these conditions
the public life was paralysed, the Wends harrased
in the Danish waters, and when Skjalm Hvide's
brother Aute was a victim of the Wendic expeditions,
Skjalm had to revenge his brother's kill himself
while king oluf was inefective. The national
disasters damaged the king and gave him the sad
byname Hunger (Famine). The Roskilde Chronicle,
which author was an adherent of the magnates'
power and an opponent of the strong royal power,
said that Oluf had deserved a better fate, he had
been out in some very difficult conditions. The
dissatisfaction in the country initiated a new
political reversal; still in Oluf's lifetime Knud
den Hellige's bones were shrined (April 1095), and
when Oluf died shortly after (18. August 1095), Erik
Ejegod became king and took up Knud's work.

Oluf was married to Ingegerd, a daughter of the
Norwegian king Harald Hardrada.

Ræder, Danmark und. Svend Estridsen og hans Sønner.
A. D. Jørgensen, Den nord. Kirkes Grundlæggelse.
H. Olrik, Konge og Præstestand I.


Kilde:
Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Carl Fr. Bricka
Project Runeberg
(1887-1905) 
 
translation grethe bachmann  ©copyright 
 

Knud 4. den Hellige, ab. 1040-1086 ~ Edel of Flandern




Knud 4. den hellige, o.1040-1086, King of Denmark,
was the second eldest and most outstanding of Svend
Estridsen's (illegitimate )sons. His sparkling eyes
revealed an enthusiastic and passionate character,
and he early showed to be a keen warrior. Svend
Estridsen therefore sent him on two expeditions to
England, hoping that he would drive out William the
Conqueror. On the first expedition (1069-70) Knud
shared the leadership with his brother Harald and
his paternal uncle Asbjørn Jarl;for a time they were
successful, but later they got into trouble; Asbjørn
took bribes from the English king, and the fleet had
to go back, which probably made Knud furious. On the
second England-expedition, where Jarl Hakon Iversen
took part, Knud ravaged York in 1075, but achieved
nothing. He won fame in his battles to the east against
the Sembers and the Estonians; the Scald Kalv Maanesen
praised him as victor over 10 kings.

After Svend Estridsen's death (1076)Knud could not
control his lust for power, and at the king-election at
Isøre he ruthlessly tried to force his older brother
Harald from his right to the throne, but the people chose
unanimously the mild Harald (Hen), and the proud Knud
had to - like Ælnoth says - go away from his brother's
anger. He spent his exile-years in Sweden. A contemporary
papal letter blamed the Norwegian king Olaf Kyrre that
he supported Harald Hen's rebellious brothers and in
spite of the legend about Knud as a saint it is tempting
to imagine him among these brothers.

At the death of Harald Hen (1080) Knud achieved the
supremacy in Denmark, and his short rule became one of
the strangest periods in the Danish history. He was bold
and violent, he was over-ambitious and he pursued an aim,
but he was also ruthless when he wanted to keep things in
order in the country. The power of the magnates was
clipped and their violations of the law were punished
harshly. But also the common man had to bend under the
authoritative monarchy. Knud acquired a power of
legislation, and although his endeavours partly were
humane and in harmony with the culture of advanced
countries, it could not mitigate the indignation of the
Danes, who saw their inherited rights being offended.
His enthusiasm for the church displeased also the people,
who then was forced to obey the clergymen's demands.
Knud's work in this area is however a kind of grandiose.
He gave the priesthood a higher position in society
and attempted to sort it out from the laymen, and he
ordered the church festivals and the Lents stricly
respected. For his part the proud king followed the
precepts of the church, took care of widows and orphants,
fast strictly and let himself be flogged by his curates
- his piety also showed his passionate character.

Most of all he was generous to the churches, especially
in Roskilde, Dalby, Odense and Viborg and Lund's bishop
church, since he with a large gift (1085) established a
charter  with a school; possibly he wanted like his
father to make Lund into a Nordic archbishopric, but
this goal was not achieved in his lifetime. His eagerness
and enthusiasm for the church was also a means to
strengthen the monarchy, the growing authority of the
priesthood forced them to support the king who increased
their power, and thus Knud also worked for his own cause.

Knud's ambitions kept his old war fever alive.In a great
England-expedition he wanted to drive out William the
Conqueror and wipe out the memory of the former bad luck
of the Danes. In the spring 1085 a great fleet gathered
in "Vestervigen" in the western part of Limfjorden in
order to go from there to England; Knud's brother-in-law
Olaf Kyrre sent Norwegian ships for assistance and Knud
expected to get support from the militantly count Robert
Friser of Flandern, whose daughter Edel Knud had married.
But Knud hesitated in Schleswig in order to keep an eye
on the German emperor Henrik IV, whose rival-king he had
given shelter recently. During the perpetually wait the
army's supply almost had come to an end, and the
expedition would now happen so late that it was
impossible to come home in time for harvesting.  After
an army Thing the king's brother Oluf (Hunger) was sent
down to him in order to ask him to begin the expedition
or send home the army,but Knud treated Oluf as a traitor
and sent him in chains to Flandern. Soon after he had
to conform to the army's wish and for harvesting reasons
send the army back home. When Knud saw his proud
conquering-plans destroyed, he wanted to use his utmost
power inside the border of the country, he became more
and more hard and ruthless to his subjects than before.
He probably knew that his bailiffs tormented both rich
and poor people with lawsuits and when they collected
fines it was said that they took three times as much
as before. And now people's patience was exhausted.

Knud went on a visit to Vendsyssel and put up at the
king's estate Børglum, but the "Vendelboer" rebelled
against him, and his attempts to address them was in
vain. Knud took flight south to bishop Henrik's farm
Biskopstorp (Bejstrup), while most of his men went to
the king's estate Aggersborg at Limfjorden. Now the
rebellion spread quickly and the king's estates were
ravaged, bishop Henrik rode to meet the flocks to
mediate, but was met with rage, and when he rode back
to tell the king, Knud took flight across Limfjorden
and then to the city Viborg. The "Vendelboer" surprised
and ravaged Aggersborg and persued Knud. The revolt
spread to all Jutland, and from Schleswig the king had
to flee to Funen. But also here was revolt. The chief
of the rebellion was Piper, who treacherously came to
Odense castle and first made Knud feel secure and then
hasten a surprise attack on the king.

In the last minute Knud succeeded in with his brother
Benedict and his men to get into the Albani-church.(in
Odense). Knud offered in vain reconciliation.The rebels
tried to set the wooden church on fire, and when they
failed, a terrible fight began at the church door. Many
attackers were killed, among others Piper died from his
wounds, but also the king and his men were wounded and
had to go back. Kneeling in front of the altar Knud
confessed and prepared for death, but the enemy threw
spears and stones through the small church windows and
Knud was seriously wounded. His brother had already
been killed and his 17 men were slain, he himself was
dying, when the enemies forced their way into the
church and killed him in a raw beating-up.(10 July 1086).

The posterity has justified Knud's endeavours, since a
later co-operation between a strong monarchy and a strong
priesthood gave Denmark power and success. But there is
no defense when it comes to the means Knud used - and his
downfall was caused by his own unjust measures. The
priesthood's awe for his memory and more the disasters
of the following period opened way for another reflection;
they began to consider him a saint. His bones were taken
from his grave already in 1095, and an Odense-priest wrote
"Kong Knuds Lidelseshistorie"(King Knud's tale of his
suffferings); but not until the pope had canonized Knud,
the final shelving of his reliquaries was done with a
large celebration (1101), and twenty years later the monk
Ælnoth drew up his strange biography of the Martyr-king.
The skeleton in Knud's shrine is a witness of his tall
and strong body, but at the same time a witness about the
rough treatment he suffered at his death.

He was married to Edel(Adele) of Flandern and they had the
daughters Ingerid and Cæcilia and the son Carl, who became
count of Flandern and had a fate similar to his father's.

Script, rer. Dan. III.
Danske Helgeners Levned, ved H. Olrik.
A. D. Jørgensen, Den nord. Kirkes Grundlæggelse.
H. Olrik, Konge og Præstestand i den danske Middelalder I.
Hist. Tidsskr. 6. R. IV.


Kilde:
Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Carl Fr. Bricka
Project Runeberg
(1887-1905)

Edel/Adela of Flandern

Edel (Adela), --1115, queen, was a daughter of count
Robert of Flandern,(called the "Friser"/"Frison")
and Gertrude. Edel was married ab. 1082 to Knud den
Hellige and had with him 3 children. After her
husband was killed in Albani church in Odense
10. July 1086, she stealed at night into the church
to bring his body to Flandern, but she already saw
the first miracles at the grave and gave up her
intention. She then fled with her son Carl (the
Dane) to her father in Flandern, while her husband's
faithfull brother Erik probably took her two
daughters with him to Sweden; they were married in
Sweden, Cæcilia to the Jarl from Gotland, Jarl
Erik, and Ingerd to Folke who was the ancestor of
the Folkunger.

Edel stayed in Flandern for 5 years, where she won
praise for her piety and charity. Escorted by her
brother Robert (2.le Croisé)she went in 1092
through France to Apulia in order to marry duke
Roger (1. Bursa). Roger had inherited Apulia from
his father Robert Guiscard in 1085; the brilliant
exploits which his relatives - i.e. his brother
the crusader Boemund and his paternal uncle Roger,
the conqueror of Sicily - carried out, put him and
his duchy aside; according to the legends Sigurd
Jorsalfarer called Roger king on his visit in 1110.
At his death he left Apulia to his and Edel's son,
(Guillaume).2 earlier born sons, Ludvig and Guiscard
had died as infants.

Edel did not forget her first husband while she
lived so far away from Denmark, and when Knud was
declared a saint, she sent valuable gifts to
decorate his shrine. She died in April 1115.

Translated from Johannes C. H. R. Steenstrup's
Danish text: grethe bachmann.


Kilde:
Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Carl Fr. Bricka
Project Runeberg
(1887-1905)
 
translation grethe bachmann  ©copyright 

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Harald III Hen, - 1080 -



Harald Hen (Hein), --1080, King of Denmark. Harald was
an illegitimate son of Svend Estridsen and took part
together with his brother Knud and his father-in-law
Jarl Asbjørn in the expedition to England 1069.After
Svend's death he was elected king at Isøre Thing, after
he had promised the people certain laws. The election
caused unrests and some of his brothers went displeased
to Olaf Kyrre in Norway. The byname Hen, meaning a soft
whetstone often smeared with oil (carried in the belt)
was given to him caused by his somewhat dull and
uncommunicative ,yet good-natured disposition, which
easly accepted that others advised him. Those who
counselled him must however have been clever men, which
is seen in his popular laws - they were later ordered
confirmed by the Danish kings at their election.There
were other better conditions in the country, like the
better system and the coinage.

Harald died 17 april 1080 and was buried in Dalby church
in Skåne - a headstone which the tradition assigned
to Harald, is from a much later period.
Note gb: He was married to Margrethe, a daughter of Asbjørn
Jarl. She was his cousin. Asbjørn was his paternal uncle.
Harald died childless.

Ræder, Svend Estridsen og hans Sønner S. 273 f.
A. D. Jørgensen, Den nord. Kirkes Grundlæggelse S. 746 f.
Olrik, Konge og Præstestand I, 205 f.




Kilde:
Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Carl Fr. Bricka
Project Runeberg
(1887-1905) 
 
translation grethe bachmann  ©copyright 

 

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Svend Estridsen, ab. 1018-1076


Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Carl Fr. Bricka
Project Runeberg
(1887-1905)

Svend Estridsen, o.1018-1076, King, was a son of Jarl
Ulf from the Sprakalegg-family and Estrid, Svend
Tveskjæg's daughter. He was born in England and brought
up there, also after his father became governor in
Denmark.He was partly a hostage of his father's loyalty.
After having served the Swedish king Anund Jacob for
12 years, he went to Denmark and was being appointed
Jarl by Hardeknud(Hardicanute). At Hardeknud's death
in 1042 had Svend - whose attitude and character did
not inspire any respect at that time - had no party
which could help him to gain power. He therefore went
to see king Magnus and was by him appointed Jarl(earl)
in Jutland and swore Magnus fidelity. When a relative
of Svend was murdered by Magnus' brother-in-law,
this woke a suspicion among the Danes against Magnus
and Svend. Svend let himself proclaim king but had
to flee to Sweden.

After Harald Sigurdsson's (Hardrada)homecoming from
the Greek kingdom Svend joined him and they went
on an expedition to Denmark, but without result,
and Harald soon made an alliance with Magnus and
got a share of Norway's kingdom. Both kings
harrassed in Denmark, but Magnus did not like his
ruthless co-regent Harald and began changing his
view on Svend's talents and character. When Magnus
after an unlucky fall with his horse felt death
coming, he inserted Svend as the heir of the
Danish kingdom and thus Svend could unaffected
ascend the Danish throne in 1047.

Harald Hardrada still considered Denmark as a goal
for warfare and predatory expeditions, he never
attempted to conquer the country  though, and
although Svend never retaliated in Norway, Harald
continued his expeditions on the coasts (maybe
with a stop in the time 1050-60).Svend was rarely
successfull in those fights; in a battle at Niså
in 1062 he had a defeat and hardly escaped, but
two years later it ended in peace between the kings.
After Harald Hardrade was killed at Stamfordbridge
and Vilhelm of Normandy had conquered England, Svend
twice sent fleets to England (1069-70 and 1075); he
wanted to take back the country from Vilhelm, but he
achieved nothing.

Alhough Svend never lacked courage, he was successfull in
managing the peaceful conditions of the country. It was
as a founder of a new peaceful Denmark that Svend proved
to be a great king. First of all it was the management of
the church.The division in bishoprics was carried through,
and churches were built in all parts of the country. Svend
governed the Danish church independently without any
trouble from the archbishop Adalbert of Bremen; first of
all he made it his mission to be on friendly terms with
the popes. Svend had married Anund Jacob's widow Gunhild,
but since she was closely related to him, he divorced her
on the pope's demand. After Svend's death pope Gregor VII
said that he had never met a king, who was such a faithful
and kind son of the Roman Holy See as Svend. Like the
church conditions were taken care of so it seems that Svend
was lucky in creating peace inside the country and
a good and lasting management of the kingdom.

Svend was book-learned and very knowledgeable in clerical
matters; supported by an excellent memory he was
skilled in Denmark's history and Adam of Bremen could
build large parts of his church history on his story-
telling. Svend was a tall, handsome, strong-built man,
he followed his sensuality and lived in a very immoral
way, but at the same time he was a very friendly man,
and nothing is heard or told that he among his subjects
had opponents or enemies. The story about the poor
Icelander Audun's stay by him or his friendship with
bishop Vilhelm only confirms what is obvious in all
narratives about him, that he exceptionally knew to
win both rich and poor and obtain their devotion.

Svend died at the king's castle in Søderup in Schleswig
28 April 1076 (the Danish year books have, probably
wrongly, the year 1074)and was buried in Roskilde
Cathedral. Svend Estridsen was married several times.
One of his wives, Gyda was poisoned by his mistress
Thora, another was the mentioned Gunhild; a third was
Thora, a widow after Harald Hardrada and daughter
of the vasal Thorberg Arnesen. Svend had a son with
Gunhild, named Svend, who died young; his other
marriages were childless, but with various women he
had a large flock of children thus Harald, Knud,
Oluf, Erik, and Niels, who all became kings; besides
Bjørn, Knud, also named Magnus, who was sent to Rome
to be inaugurated king, but died abroad,Svend Crusader
and a third son Svend, Thorgils, Sigurd,who was killed
in the Wend, Benedict, Guttorm, Ømund and Ulf, who
was also named Ubbe. From Svend's daughters was
Ingerid married to king Olaf Kyrre, and Gunhild
who was also called Helene, Sigrid, who was married
to the Abodrit-prince Gotskalk , and Ragnhild.


Ræder, Danmark under Svend Estridsen og hans Sønner.
A. D. Jørgensen, Den nord. Kirkes Grundlæggelse
S. 618 ff. 732 ff.
H. Olrik, Konge- og Præstestand I, 168 ff.



Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Carl Fr. Bricka
Project Runeberg
(1887-1905) 
 
translation grethe bachmann  ©copyright 
 



Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Family Panter






Laurids Jonsen, -1340, Drost, belonged to a family who in their coat of arms had a panter; it is a misunderstanding that he is often "made" an Eberstein.

He is mentioned in the later years of Erik Menved, the first time in 1307, when the king endowed his brother Christoffer with Halland. In the year 1315 he was ridder (knight) and attended in Nyborg the agreement with hertug Erik of Jylland; strangely enough he received the same year a fief-letter from markgrev (Markgraf) Valdemar of Brandenborg on his Danish inherited estate Ærø, although Erik Menved at that time wasn't on friendly terms with Valdemar.

In the following period Laurids Jonsen is often mentioned together with the king, and in 1318 he was one of the four Danes who were made arbitrators in the conflicts with Sweden. After Erik Menved's death he might have been eager to elect Christoffer king, for he was made drost at once when Christoffer became king. Laurids Jonsen Panter kept this high position for a couple of years, but must have fallen into disfavour; he lost the drost-job and maybe also his vasalries.

During these conditions he grasped the first opportunity to turn against Christoffer, and when the king after the sønderjyske hertug Erik's death in 1325 demanded guardianship over his son Valdemar, both Laurids Jonsen and the former marsk Ludvig Albertsen Eberstein joined Valdemar and his maternal uncle grev Gerhard (Gert); on 30. March 1326 the little hertug Valdemar promised to help the two Danish magnates to an agreement with Christoffer and gave them as a security the castles Haderslev in Sønderjylland and Tranekær at Langeland.

Laurids Jonsen got Tranekær as his part and it belonged to him from that time. Thus the fight against Christoffer began, which lead to his banishment and the election of Valdemar as Danish king, who again made Laurids Jonsen a drost. It seems that he did not take much part in the government of the kingdom, on the contrary he saw to hold on to his vasalries , Langeland and Ærø, and Skam Herred at Funen, which came to him as a pawn for a considerable sum of money.

His task was not easy - Gert was now hertug/duke of Sønderjylland and Valdemar became hertug of Sønderjylland again after his short period as king - and both Gert and Valdemar wanted to banish the mighty vasal. In 1331 Laurids Jonsen had to seek an agreement with them, the question about Langeland was referred to arbitration, and it seems that he let grev Gert have Ærø for a pawn of 1000 Mark silver. The arbitration did not happen, but in 1339 hertug Valdemar prepared an attack on Langeland, and grev Gert promised him his assistance. Shortly after on 6. April 1340, Laurids Jonsen died and was buried on the island where he for so long had been, in reality, as an independent prince.

He was married twice, his second wife was a German grevinde (countess) Margrethe Gutzkow, with whom he got the county Strey at Rygen.

From Kr. Erslev

Dansk Biografisk Lexicon.


Tranekær and most of the island Langeland belonged to a sønderjydsk hertugslægt (duke-family from Sønderjylland) which was a descendant of king Abel, and during the 1300s it was pawned to the family Panter. (Laurids Jonsen Panter). During Valdemar Atterdag's attempt to gather the kingdom Tranekær was under siege during two rounds, in the second attempt the king succeeded in conquering the castle which then became a royal estate.


Hvedholm (Funen) east of Horne kirke was once a kongsgård (royal manor) and is mentioned the first time in 1231. Valdemar Sejr was in 1223 taken prisoner by a German graf/greve at Lyø, which belonged to Hvedholm. About 1430 the king and drost Laurids Jonsen Panter exchanged Hvedholm and Langeland. In 1475 Mette Panter inherited Hvedholm and Løgismose. Her son's son Eiler Hardenberg was killed in the expedition to Ditmarsken in 1500.


Løgismose, Funen

listed in class A

Fru Grethe Henriksdatter of Løgismose had to think about her dear departed husbands soul, and since it were the black friars in Odense, who administered the save and the duration of the Purgatory - then Jens Pedersen Panter's fate on the other side was a question of money. Already in 1419, two years after hr. Jens' death the black friars had got a piece of land for their soul masses, but this was not enough. Jens Pedersen Panter had to have an "eternal mass". And his wife Grethe had to get it for him. Grethe Henriksdatter's fight for a generation to keep her estate together, pay her bills and secure her late husbond his salvation is known from economic documents of debt- and pawn-letters, deeds etc. The fight was often hard. Fru Grethe was pressed by seculars and clerics. But she managed it all. "All those I have paid ", she wrote on a bundle of mortgages. In 1441 the eternal mass was established for Jens Pedersen Panter in the black friars' church. The friars demanded 150 mark and five farms of Løgismose as a pawn "because we don't have cash money". But fru Grethe also paid this pawn before she joined her husband.

Per Eilstrup, Kay Nielsen og Holger Rasmussen'Vore gamle herregårde'.


Johanne Andersdatter, –1479, the famous Fru Johanne of Asdal. She was said to be a member of the state council and had an entourage of 24 men. The slægtsbøgerne (family-books) sometimes give her a wrong name Sappi, but she belonged to the mighty family of the 1400s, who was named Panter after their coat of arms; her parents were Anders Nielsen of Asdal and Ide Lydersdatter (Holck). All her brothers died when they were children, and she became the sole heir and had many suitors of whom one hr. Bonde Due of Torp,( a son of rigshofmester hr. Jens Due), according to a folksong bribed her chauffeur, kidnapped her, raped her and married her against her family's will. After his death ab. 1430 she married hr. Niels Eriksen Banner of Vinstrup with whom she became the ancestral mother of the whole later family Banner. She became a widow for the second time in 1447 and her long widowhood, her large family (four children from the first and 14 from the second marriage) and her riches and probably also prominent personal qualities brought her in great esteem among her peers. It is not a historical fact that she was a rigsråd, but she was according to a document from 1462 where she is mentioned before the bishop of Børglum, a høvedsmand (chief) in Vendsyssel. The last member of her famous family Panter she died in 1479 and was buried in Dueholm Kloster, which she had given much estate.
Thiset.
Dansk Biografisk Lexicon


Forfædrelinie V, 19. g.
Johanne Andersdatter Panter of Asdal, born ab. 1395, died in 1476, inherited large riches after her 6 brothers who died infant; she was the last of the family Panter. When the family opposed to her marriage to Bonde Jensen Due of Torp, he kidnapped her, when she went to dress a bride. Bonde Due died ab. 1420, whereafter she in 1422 married hr. Niels Eriksen Banner, who was a bailiff in Nørreherred at Mors; he was the son of hr. Erik Thomsen Banner of Vinstrup at Zealand, a son of Thomas Nielsen Banner.

The family Banner descends according to Saxe from Timme Sjællandsfar who in a fight in England in Knud den Store's period gathered the Danes around a banner with a green beech-branch upon a spear. - Hr. Niels Eriksen Banner became rigsråd and høvedsmand at Skivehus and Aalborghus. When he died in 1447, fru Johanne became høvedsmand at Aalborghus and in Vendsyssel, had an entourage of 24 men, and signed the tribute to Christian I. She was called "an amazingly wise and learned woman". There is a portrait painting of her at Gavnø (Adelsårbogen 1892).

In her old age she lived in her own house at Dueholm Kloster at Mors and was buried with her second husband in the Klosterkirke where still in the 1800s was a pretty stone over her. Both the church and the stone have disappeared, but fru Johannes' posterity is numerous as the sand of the sea (Norsk tidsskrift for Genealogi, 3. bd). In her first marriage she had 4 children, in her second 14.

The line from the daughter Anna Banner, m. to Peder Skram (forfædrelinie I, 6g.) Her daughter of second marriage Karen Nielsdatter Banner, m. to hr. Oluf Olufsen Lunge of Odden (forfædrelinie V 20.g.) Source: Slægtsbog for Sejer Olesen Leth og Ida Nielsdatter, v. P.Filtenborg


Asdal voldsted

Asdal
Asdal sogn, Vennebjerg herred, Hjørring amt. (shortly).

The first known owner of Asdal is Niels Ovesen from the noble family the genealogists according to their shield-mark name Panter. Niel Ovesen owned much property in this this part of the country; besides Asdal he had Skovsgård and Kærsgård in Vennebjerg herred and Knivholt in Horns herred. He was a rich and respected man, he used riddernavn (was a knight) and had his two children married to the Zealand noble family Lunge, which at that time was a prime family.

His daughter Ingeborg Nielsdatter Panter, who was a widow, married ab. 1390 the later rigsråd and hofmester Anders Jacobsen Lunge; his son Anders Nielsen Panter wrote himself of Asdal in 1393 and married Regitze Jacobsdatter Lunge; she soon died, he must be dead 1405 or 1406, but had before that he had married Ide Lydersdatter Holck, who owned Asdal in 1406 and since got married again to hr. Lyder Kabel of Fuglsang, who in 1415 wrote himself of Asdal.

Anders Nielsen Panter and fru Regitze left only one child, a daughter named Johanne. (all their sons died when children) Johanne Andersdatter Panter, who died in 1477 as the last member of the Panter-family, inherited great riches, and in the nobility's family books is told about her that she was a member of rigsrådet. This is a legend, but in 1462-63 she was a royal vasal in Vendsyssel. It was said that her family rejected Bonde Due's proposal to her, but he abducted her. They were married and he gained part of her riches.

When in 1419 there was administration of the estate after old Niels Ovesen Panter, Bonde Due was present on behalf of his wife fru Johanne, and Anders Jacobsen Lunge on behalf of his wife Ingeborg as heirs. Both parts inherited a part of Asdal, but after fru Johanne before 1422 was married again, this time to Niels Eriksen Banner, the manor came into the ownership of the Banner-family and stayed there for the next 200 years as one of the headquarters of the family.
(shortly from Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 10)

Knivholt at Frederikshavn is an old farm which in the late 1300s belonged to her. Niels Ovesen Panter of Asdal and Skovsgård (Vennebjerg herred) and his wife Johanne Andersdatter Stenbrikke (they were Johanne Andersdatter's paternal grandparents. She was probably named after her paternal grandmother). Their son Anders Nielsen Panter of Asdal (+ latest 1406) marrid to Regitze Jacobsdatter Lunge (+ 1405-06) probably inherited Knivholt. In an exchange the farm went to his brother-in-law, rigshofmester hr. Anders Jepsen (or Jacobsen) Lunge of Gunderslevholm (+ latest 1429), who had been married to Ingeborg Nielsdatter Panter ( + earliest 1411). The farm was after this divided among several heirs.



Clausholm slot, Østjylland
The family Panter had in a blue shield a panter, which was chess-patterned in silver and red. In the 1300s the family Panter was in opposition to Valdemar Atterdag. It is known that the king in 1359 conquered Clausholm in East Jutland.

The history about Gårdbogård (at Skagen) goes back to 1335, where it was owned by ridder Henrik Nielsen of the family named Panter after their coat of arms. Henrik Nielsen Panter was one of the most prominent noblemen at that time; he served Erik Menved and Christoffer II, and when grev Gert in 1326 was endowed with Sønderjylland, he participated in sealing the fief-letter. After the king-less time he is mentioned among Valdemar Atterdag's men. In 1345 he is mentioned for the last time and then Gårdbogård was no longer in his possession, since he had exchanged property in Gårdbo to Vrejlev Kloster.

Knivholt at Frederikshavn is an old farm/manor, which in the end of the 1300s belonged to hr. Niels Ovesen Panter of Asdal and Skovgård (Vennebjerg herred) and his wife Johanne Andersdatter Stenbrikke. (They were the grandparents of Johanne Andersdatter Panter. She was probably named after her paternal grandmother). Their son Anders Nielsen Panter of Asdal (+ latest 1406) , who was married to Regitze Jacobsdatter Lunge (+ 1405-06), probably inherited Knivholt. In exchange the farm came to his brother-in-law, rigshofmester hr. Anders Jepsen (or Jacobsen) Lunge of Gunderslevholm (+latest 1429), who had been married to Ingeborg Nielsdatter Panter (+ earliest 1411). The farm was after this shared among several heirs.

Vilsted Castle (Himmerland, near Vitskøl Kloster and Løgstør). In the present Vilsted village's western outskirts was in the early Middle Ages a fortified manor, Vilsted Castle, which belonged to the Panter-family. The manor was in 1407 bought by Margrethe I, who - as a part of her systematic abolition of the fortified castles of the nobility - let it demolish. The castle bank was surrounded by Vilsted sø. Earlier foundation stones and driven-in poles were visible. Today the plan is nothing but grassgrown rises in the meadow.

Svanholm
Krogstrup sogn, Horns herred, Frederiksborg amt.
Ridder Niels Knudsen Manderup wrote himself of Manderup 1346. He belonged to an ancient family, named after the village Manderup in Skibby parish, where must have been a now disappeared main farm. At his death in 1365 Niels Manderup left no sons, and Svanholm went via his daughter Elisabeth's marriage to her husband the væbner Anders Pedersen of the Jutland family Panter, who in 1374-1408 is mentioned as owner of the farm, of which he writes himself from 1383. Neither his or his son the væbner Knud Andersen Panters' work on and with the farm is known. Knud Andersen Panter must be dead in 1445 and replaced by his son Niels Knudsen Panter, who became a knight, but it seems that his economy did not match his social position. Neither he or his brother Bo left any sons, and the sister Kathrine Knudsdatter Panter, who was married to Mikkel Rud of Vedby, inherited a third of the farm, the rest went to relatives.
(short from Danske slotte og herregårde, bd. 1)




photo/translation : grethe bachmann ©copyright



Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Royal Weddings in the Middle Ages

In fairy tales the poor boy gets the princess and half the kingdom - and the poor Cinderella gets the prince, because she is beautiful and good - and they lived happily ever after. In the real world royal weddings happened in quite another way in the Middle Ages. It was about cool calculations based upon dynastic and political interests. It is something else today. The royal families have no active political role, foreign affairs-alliances are sealed by the ministers, not by arranged marriages between children of ruling dynasties. Today an ordinary young woman from a far away country can become crownprincess and once upon a time queen of Denmark, because the crownprince falls in love with her and she with him. A modern romantic fairy tale.

A royal marriage in the Middle Ages was not a private family event, but a politicial act, an expression of an alliance between two families and usually also two countries. The purpose might be to secure the borders of the kingdom, if it was about to give support in fighting enemies or a peace treaty with a marriage agreement, but often it was just about confirming existing alliances. Daughters of princes were important pieces in the diplomatic game, and although the dowry was expensive, it was worth the price to marry off the girl to some ruling princes. She came to her new country both as its first lady and as its most distinguished hostage, her presence had to secure that her family did not offend her new country. She had to say goodbye - maybe forever, to her homeland, her parents and siblings, and she often had to learn a new language and a new culture.

In the Viking Period and the Middle Ages the royal bride was usually very young, maybe still a child, but she was brought up to this fate. She was not just a poor victim - everywhere in society, where estate had to be secured, were arranged marriages a rule. The peasant and the civilian might eventually compromise, but a prince could not. If he did not succed in establishing a suitable match for his daughter, the alternative for her was to live a life as an unmarried woman, either in the house of her relatives or in a kloster. Most girls probably chose the splendor and high position in a marriage to a prince, whom she had possibly/probably never met, and whose country and language were unfamiliar to her. The interest for this young bride was great, and the festivities around her departure from the homeland and her arrival to the new country was a competition between the two parts about representing the most magnificent splendor. Her entourage and her trousseau had to be rich and splendid and thereby bringing lustre to her homeland, and the reception had to show that the bridegroom and her new country awaited her eagerly.

The first medieval royal weddings in the Danish kingdom are only described in folksongs; the first historial information about a wedding in the royal family was in 1406, when Erik of Pommerania, the 24 year old king of the North was married to 12 year old Philippa. She was a daughter of Henry 4. of England, and since much more written medieval documentation have been kept in England than i Denmark, it is known that the little princess was a white bride - the first known white bride in Denmark's history. She was dressed in a long tunic and a cape with a long train in white silk with trimmings of velvet and furs. Henry 4. was the first of the Lancasters on the English throne, and he wanted to demonstrate that he was first among equals. In Philippa's royal luggage were among other things eleven beautiful suits of clothes, of which three in gold brocade, one in red and one in blue velvet. Her entourage was equipped with beautiful clothes too. The bride furthermore brought bed linen and clerical textiles for furnishing a chapel.

In 1445 Christoffer of Bayern was married to 15 year old Dorothea of Brandenburg. The wedding was held in Copenhagen, and it lasted for eight days like a fairy tale wedding. The festivities began with her parents, margrave Johan of Brandenburg and his wife Barbara of Saxony arriving in two gilt waggons and with a large entourage. Outside the city they were recieved by the king, high on horseback, in the lead of 24 men on beautiful white horses. After only 2 1/2 years of marriage Christoffer died and Dorothea was now queen dowager at the age of 18. There were no children, and since she at her wedding had got large land areas, which income went to her, it was obvious that the new king, the 22 year old Christian I, married the queen.

About 100 years later, in 1548, was by Christian 3's queen Dorothea of Saxony-Lauenburg negotiated an agreement with duchess dowager Katharina of Saxony about a marriage between the royal couple's eldest daughter, Anna and the duchess' youngest son August. A queen's finest duty, after having secured the succession, was to arrange suitable matches for her children, and Anna was now almost 16 years and more than marriageable ; the queen herself was only 14 years, when she in 1525 was married to the 22 year old prince Christian. The king and queen resided during those years at Koldinghus. The bethrothal was the first special celebration, for a wedding of a king's daughter was an important event of foreign affairs. On such an occasion kept the foreign countries an eagle eye on the Danish court, and the royal house had to put every ounce of energy into it. The bethrothal was celebrated 11 March 1548. The walls of the banqueting hall at Koldinghus were covered in Flemish cloth and silken-spærlagen ( silken lengths which hang from the ceiling to the floor).

On 12 October the wedding had to be held in Torgau in Saxony. The departure from Denmark started from Kolding and was celebrated with great splendor. Before this letters were issued to the finest nobles of the country, who were instructed to come with family, servants and a number of horses. The caparison of the horses had to be in velvet, and they themselves, their servants and boys had to be dressed in black velvet. Not too many folds, were the instructions, and the sleeves must not be too wide. It had to be pretty and uniform, but not unneccessary extravagant. Furthermore were nine vasals and all the courtiers, who had to accompany the wedding procession to Torgau, asked to participate in the tournament, which had to be held in connection to the wedding celebrations. The king had seen to that the tournament place at Koldinghus was ready for use if the noblemen had to practice before the departure. Some tournament weapons were bought (halberds etc.) but the noblemen had to bring helmet, gloves and armour themselves.

The departure from Kolding was a splendid scene; in front rode the nobleman Peder Oxe and after him followed 13 rows with each three nobles on horseback. Then came the king's halfbrother duke Hans the Elder's stablemaster and pages followed by two horsemen, who rode in front of the wedding carriage, a gold coach with the young princess. Then came the councellors of state, then the queen's gold coach, escorted by stablemaster and two rows of young women of court on horseback. Two new gold coaches, a gift for the bride, each drawn by eight horses. A total of 650 horses were in the procession, which also included a priest, a doctor, a pharmacist, several tailors, writers and barbers, some messengers and people from the treasure silver chamber, from kitchen and cellar , people who were responsible for the gifts and the brought along supplies.

In a waggon were two bird cages with a grey and a green parrot, which were some of the gifts from the royal couple to their dear daughter, who now had to leave her home. In the procession were lute players and trumpet players and finally the artist Jacob Binck, who might have been the one who had organized the whole thing. This magnificent entourage were increased by still more participants - and the purpose was of course to show that the Danish king was not inferior to the princes in the countries where the procession went through on its way to Saxony. 13 years later, when Anna's younger sister, the 15 year old Dorothea had to marry duke Wilhelm of Braunschweig-Lüneburg-Celle, a similar wedding procession went out from Koldinghus. One of four magnificent gold coaches made for the occassion still exists.

The large feast Christian 4. held for his 31-year old son prince Christian in October 1634 surpasses without doubt everything seen before or after at the Danish court. The bride was the 17- year old Magdalena Sibylla, a daughter of prince elector Johann Georg of Saxony and the wedding preparations lasted a year. The feast was named "bilager"; it was a ceremonial act, where the bride and groom after the the wedding ceremony, attended by all the guests were guided to a ceremonial bridal couch by 24 nobles. Here they were partly undressed and brought to bed, whereupon a representative of the prince elector of Saxony formally gave the bride to the prince . Wine and chocolates were served, and after that the newly-weds got up and were dressed for the following wedding reception . Not until the banquet was over at midnight, the young couple was left to themselves, and they were now expected to consummate their marriage without audience.

The wedding ceremony and the large feast banquet took place on 5. October. The finishing tournament was held on the 27. October and each day was a feast. There were riding at the ring, knigths' tournament and fireworks, and ballets and plays were performed, built upon scenes from the classic mythology. The roles were played by nobles, who before the wedding had been instructed in taking dance lessons. A large proccession of triumphal cars with mythologic and historic figures had to pay tribute to the king as a keeper of peace, but it went a little down the drain,because a violent storm the day before had tipped over the splendid triumph arches at Amagertorv. Not until some days later Copenhagen was told that the same storm had broken through the dikes at the west coast of Sønderjylland and thousands of people and animals had been killed in what later was named " the second large man-drowning". On the last day of the festivities was a knights' tournament at Gammeltorv (Old Square ), where people were dressed as heroes from the Nordic mythology . The guests had to see that the Danish antiquity compared with the classic.

Travels were both long and difficult, there were no foreign princes present at the wedding, but all important persons were represented by envoys, and this showed to create insoluble problems. The French envoy considered himself the most important after the German emperor's envoy, but so did the Spanish, and since he would not risc to be placed worse than the Frenchman, he left the party and went away. When the Swedish envoy discovered, where he had to sit during the banquet, he became that offended that he chose to be in his room and have the food brought up. Neither Cristian 4. took part in the banquet. In an attempt (in vain) to avoid diplomatic complications, it was decided that the king had to eat in a room by himself - so that no one was especially favoured by sitting next to him.

Source: Article Vivi Jensen, Brudefærd; SKALK, nr. 2 April 2004.

photo Koldinghus/Rosenborg 2002/2008/translation : grethe bachmann ©copyright

Friday, January 8, 2010

Estrid Svendsdatter from Dansk Kvindebiografisk Leksikon 2003.


Estrid Svendsdatter born bef. 1010, died after 1057, was a Danish princess, daughter of Sweyn Forkbeard and Sigrid Storråde and sister of Cnut the Great. She was married to Ulf Jarl and the mother of Sweyn II Estridsen and Asbjørn Jarl. The dynasty that ruled Denmark in 1047-1412 was named after her. She was known in Denmark as dronning Estrid (queen Estrid), despite the fact that she was neither married to a king nor a queen regnant.
Estrid Svendsdatter from Dansk Kvindebiografisk Leksikon 2003:
Estrid was one of the great woman figures in the transitional period between the pagan Viking period and the Christian Middle Ages. Her mother was said to deny converting to Christianity, while Estrid when a widow saw to that the first stone church was built in Denmark. It was a chaotic period where the kings had enough to do just trying to keep the throne. The most obvious pretenders might suddenly have died or been killed - and this might give high ranked women like Estrid the chance to take power. Especially if they had a promising son - and she had. She also had the title of queen without having been married to a king. The best evidence of her royal importance at that time is the fact that her son Sven took name after her and called himself Estridsen. It was not in her cards that she had to live her life in Denmark. The first part of her life she was a more or less passive tool in an inconstant game about the power in northern Europe. The marriage plans for her meant probably that she alrady as a child had to take residence in her husband-to-be's homeland. She probably reached to stay in such various places like at the Russian rivers, in Normandy, England an finally at Zealand.
Estrid was a daughter of Sweyn Forkbeard who ab. year 1000 conquered Norway and a little later also made an attempt to subject England together with his son Cnut, the later famous king Cnut the Great. When his father died in 1014, Cnut, who was Estrid's half brother, became her guardian. She was very young, maybe only a child, but she was as a daughter of a king and a good card for the ambitious Cnut. Marriage agreements were one of the most important tools to create permanent alliances during the changeable power conditions. A single source claims that Estrid first was married to a young Russian prince, and if so most probably to one of Vladimir the Holy's four sons, who all fell in the civil war after Vladimir's death in 1015. But already ab. two years later Cnut the Great again used Estrid for new alliance purposes. He had succeeded in taking over the power in England, sealing it by marrying the widow Emma after his main opponent, the English king Aethelred. Queen Emma was a sister of duke Richard of Normandy, and Cnut now needed to strengthen the bands to his new brother-in-law. An agreement was made with Richard that Estrid had to marry his son Robert.
Something went wrong. Maybe Estrid was repudiated by Robert or the agreement fell to the ground for some reason before they got married. Robert died young, but he became the father of the later William the Conqueror, who in 1066 definitively brought England out of reach from the Nordic kings.
But one generation earlier Cnut was in solid power in England. And he now gave his half sister to one of his most trusted men, the English Jarl, Ulf. It looks like an attempt from Cnut to create a larger loyality around himself. But in the long run this alliance was a complete flop. Maybe Ulf was no longer loyal to Cnut - who else once after 1023 appointed him to govern in Denmark. Cnut must in any case have been affronted by the behaviour of his brother-in-law, for in 1026, when Ulf joined mass in Roskilde domkirke, he was killed by Cnut's men.
We know nothing of how Estrid took her fate. She lost the father of her sons by the mighty half brother's hand. It is even possible that the killing happened with her acceptance. Ulf's supposed conspiration against Cnut did not mean that Estrid disappeared in the dark. She got large estates in Skåne and Zealand as a compensation. And now being a rich widow she gave estate to Roskilde domkirke and built another church in Roskilde in remembrance of her husband. It was probably the first stone church in denmark. (gb: Estrid replaced the wooden church her father Sweyn Forkbeard had built beside the royal residence with a stone church). Her church-involvement also showed when she saw to that her promising son got a proper education, which at that time was equal to an international church education. This was positively noticed by pope Gregor 7 and others. Another son Asbjørn is not wellknown, other than he made an attempt in vain to conquer England in 1069. As a rich widow Estrid was in a place of her life and in a situation where it was possible for a woman to put power behind her will. She supported Sweyn in his long and difficult fight to gain supremacy over Denmark. This was her best opportunity in order to secure herself continuing influence. But her ambitions had often a hard time. For long periods Denmark was whole or partly under the Norwegian king Magnus' rule. When the place was getting too hot for her son, he went to live with his grandmother's Swedish family. The Swedish king Anund Jacob was Estrid's nephew, and Sweyn often took refuge at his cousin on several occassions.
Considering the circumstances of the Middle Ages Estrid reached a high age. She was born before 1010, and she died not until after 1057. This is known because her gift to Roskilde domkirke was sealed by Vilhelm who was a bishop in the years ab. 1057-73. Estrid was buried in Roskilde domkirke in one of the pillars of the choir. But the archaologists are not sure if it is her skeleton still being there.
John Carmi Parsson (red.): Medieval Queenship, 1993.
Optaget i Dansk kvindebiografisk leksikon 2003/translated January 2010 grethe bachmann
Addition from Magasinet Viking 2004: Two skeletons from burials in Roskilde Domkirke: Sven Estridsen and a woman's bones: It was believed that Sweyn Estridsen's mother was buried in the third of the pillars, the grave inscription said that it was "Margrethe also named Estrid", but a new DNA-test shows that she is not his mother. Much indicates that it is his daughter-in-law, who was buried opposite him. The skeleton is from a young woman. Museum's inspector from Roskilde Domkirkemuseum has published a book about Roskilde Domkirke's history, and her examinations indicate that it is Sweyn Estridsen's daughter-in-law in the grave. She was named Margrethe, and she was married to Sweyn's son Harald Hen. She gave the church some farms in Skåne, and the church showed its gratitude by through many years celebrating mass for her soul on her date of death 9. May. Therefore, says Annette Kruse, there is a good argument for believing that she had deserved to be buried in the church opposite her father-in-law Sweyn Estridsen. (Translated January 2010 from article in Magasinet Viking 2004) 
translation grethe bachmann ©copyright.