Saltensee of Linde

ruins, Søborg slot, foto 2002: gb

 


From
Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
C.F. Bricka
1887-1905


Saltensee, Erik Nielsen, – ab..1379, of  Hørningsholm (now Hørsholm),
Søholm and Linde, called himself only E. N., but had a murtinde
(wall peak) in his coat of arms, a family, which in the family books have
the name Saltensee; with what right is unknown. His father was Niels
Eriksen of Linde, his mother was probably called Cathrine Timmesdatter
of Søholm. He is mentioned from 1361, and it seems that he, at king
Valdemar Atterdag's death, belonged to the party which wanted  the
Mecklenburg hertug Albrecth (Henriksøn) elected king, but since the
hertug died soon after, he probably joined king Oluf, whose coronation
charter 1376-77 he has sealed. He was chief  at skanderborg (castle) in
1377 and was together with other Jutland slotshøvedsmænd (castle
chiefs) summoned to meet at the emporial  tribunal, but the next year he
was chief at Søborg (castle) . Shortly after, before 22. March 1380, he
died after having founded a Vikarie  in  Roskilde cathedral and given
soul gifts elsewhere. He left a childless widow, Ingeborg Pedersdatter
Grubbe, who later married hr. Johan Olufsen Bjørn.

C. Christensen, Hørsholms Hist. S. 4 f.

Thiset.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Staarup Hovedgaard, foto: gb

Saltensee of Linde:  Staarup Hovedgaard


From Blog:
Ancestral Line I, 7th generation:


7. g.:
Jens Kaas of Taarupgård, Volstrup and Votborg at Mors, (ment.1477-1519), m. to Edel Lagesdatter Saltensee of Staarupgård. Her forefathers from her great-grandfather were:
a) Lage Grummesen Saltensee, ment. in Ørum in Fjends herred 1360. Son: b) Hr. Jep Lagesen Saltensee of Staarupgård (ment. 1377-1410), m. to Edel Christiernsdatter Munk from an old family with a Mursnit (brickwork) in their coat of arms, of Koustrup in Thy. Son: c) Lage Jepsen Saltensee of Staarupgård (ment.1401-38), m. to Ide Iversdatter Juel of Daubjergård, from the family Juel with a star in their coat of arms, a daughter of Iver Juel of Øgelstrup and Astrup, (ment. 1421,d. 1468) and first wife Mette Lauridsdatter Hvas of Ormstrup, whose mother was a Strangesen. Iver Juels father was rigsråd Jens Pallesen Juel of Øgelstrup (ment. 1410-28), m. to Karen Christiernsdatter Fasti.

Strange Nielsen Strangesen and Ebbe Strangesen.

 














From:
Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
C.F.Bricka 
1887-1905


Strangesen, Strange Nielsen, –o.1489, Hofmester, (chief at court)
from a family, which probably  is the same as the family Bild, was a son
of Hr. Niels Strangesen of Norringtoft (in Hundborg herred) and Ingeborg
Follertsdatter (Dosenrode). He is mentioned the first time  in 1440 and as
a ridder in 1443. In 1444 he is mentioned as the owner of  Nørholm, a
farm, which he achieved with his wife Anne, daughter of Claus Jonsen
(Lange) and the "evil" Fru Gertrud Mogensdatter Munk. From 1449 and
up till 1489 S.N. is mentioned as a rigsråd, and he is often used in public
occassions; he took part at Gulland in 1449 and in Norway 1450 and
was among those, who capitulated at Stockholm in 1464 - and he took
part in a negotiation-meeting with the Swedes in Lübeck 1469,  in an
arbitration award between the king and his creditors in Schleswig and
Holstein in 1470 and at the Kalmar-meetings 1472,73,74 and 76.

He was a vasal at Ørum, in Thy, in 1467-74, and probably already  in
1449, it seems that the vasalry was pawned to  him, and that he kept it
until his death, since his son Ebbe later had it as a pawn. In the battle at
Brunkebjerg 1471 S.N. was the leader of  "Danebrog", although it is not
quite clear if it was the old Danebrog-banner; it seems like he had to give
the banner into the hands of the Swedes.

In 1480-81 he was the hofmester of the elected  king Hans and played
an important role in his management of Funen. After Christian I's death he
became hofmester of king Hans, who was now the ruler. He was in this
position in 1482-83 and still in 1487, possibly with an interruption in 1484,
but there is no information about his work as a hofmester. He did not keep
this job until his death , since he watched Poul Laxmand being his successor
in 1489 - he died between 15 July 1489 and 13 December 1490, and on
this last date fru Anne is  mentioned as his widow.


Danmarks Adels Aarbog 1888, S. 64 f.; 1897, S. 488 f.
William Christensen.



Strangesen, Ebbe, –1507, Rigsraad, was a son of  Strange Nielsen.
From his parents he inherited a part of Nørholm, and with his wife
Kirstine, who was a daughter of Claus Gertsen Bryske and Grete
Engelbrechtsdatter (Bydelsbak), whom he married 1494, he also
got rights in Kjeldkjær, which he later increased. Furthermore he was
a vasal at Ørum 1497 and still in 1504.

E.S. is mostly known as the killer of Hofmester (chief at court) Poul
Laxmand. Between the two men was a long personal enmity,  which
might have woken up during the failed expedition to Sweden in 1502,
where they both took part. On June 22. in 1502 Poul Laxmand  - who
had returned to  Copenhagen a few days before and had been at the
royal palace to meet and talk with the king - had met E.S. and Bjørn
Andersen Bjørn at Højbro. The two men, who had been drinking
comrades on the travel from Kalmar to Copenhagen, had been eating
and drinking all day, but it was E.S., who attacked Poul Laxmand, while
Bjørn Andersen tried to make peace. He did not draw his sword,  until
Poul Laxmand struck both him and E.S. with his sword.

It was not the king who had instigated the killing. In October was E.S's wife
very concerned about the consequences for her husband, but there seems
to have been  no reason for any concern, since E.S. is mentioned as a rigsråd
in 1502, which he wasn't earlier, and which he might have become as a reward
for the killing. In the following time he is often mentioned as  rigsråd, (like at
Kalmar in 1505), but he never became never a ridder.

He was also a vasal at Hagenskov in 1505, a job, which he kept until his
death in 1507, (latest 7 Febr.) He did not become an old man, some of his
contemporaries considered his early death as a punishment for the killing of
Poul Laxmand . His widow is mentioned in 1517 where she was married

again to Henneke Ahlefeldt Benedictsen.

Danmarks Adels Aarbog 1888, S. 65.
William Christensen.

The Lunge Family

Roskilde domkirke

There are few families with such an outstanding position in the
history of Danish nobility like the "old Lunger".  This was not only
due to their riches and social reputation or their many important men
from 1350 till 1450 - this is also due to that the last female Lunge-
descendants became the ancestresses of several large and respected
Danish families, Bille, Brahe, Krabbe, the new Lunge family and through
these indirectly to all the Danish nobility from the 16th and 17th century.
There was a good reason, why  fru Lisbet Bryske chose the Lunge-family
as the starting-point in her family books, for it is really an exception to meet
a genealogical  table from the 16th century without  the wellknown coat
of arms of the Lunges.

The Lunge family was from the earliest time connected to Sjælland. The male
line died out ab. year 1480, but the name was annected via a  Spindelinje
( female line), a line from the family Dyre. (jvf. D.A.A. 1891. S. 155)

First mentioned member of the Lunge family was Oluf Lunge, (+ bef. 1302)
He issued in 1268 with Oluf Rostok, Oluf Ranesen, Mag. Rane and more
men in Næstved a witness about a pawn -letter for St. Clare kloster in Roskilde;
he was in 1282 the conciliator in a feud between Sorø kloster and hr. Peder
Olufsen of "Tiufstorp"; he had in 1285 authority by the dean in Roskilde, mag.
Rane, to convey a farm in Allinde to St. Clare kloster, which had belonged to
the dean's brother hr. Oluf Rostock; he was in 1287 the bailiff of the bishop of
Roskilde in Bjernede and Fodby, and he conveyed and pawned estate to St.
Clare kloster ; he had in 1288 to convey some estate to the kloster for frøken
Agnes, daughter of king Erik Plovpenning, who calls him his friend; he sealed
in 1290 and witnessed a signature with the civilian Niels Hermansen.
Oluf Lunge was dead in 1302, while his widow still lived.

Their children were:
1. Oluf Olufsen Lunge, born bef. 1302, + after 1321
2. Johannes Olufsen Lunge, + after 1341
3. Margrethe Lunge, + after 1335.


Oluf Olufsen Lunge, Born bef. 1302, + after 1321
married to N.N.
pawned 1302 estate in Ølby and Vidskølle to St.Clare Kloster for a
debt, which he and his mother and brother owed for his two sisters'
admission to the kloster; he sealed in 1316 the witness of a signature
with Oluf Fleming; he got the same year via law the estate in Kjelleklinte,
Saltofte etc. which was pawed to him by Anders Nielsen and hr.
Svenning Truelsen; he was in 1321 the co-issuer of a witness of Sjællands
Landsthing.

Children:
1. Jacob Olufsen Lunge, + betw. 31 May 1384 and 29 June 1387
2. Oluf Olufsen Lunge, + bef. 7 Oct. 1386,
3. Ellene Lunge, + aft. 1383,
4. Olufsdatter Lunge,
5. Cecilie Olufsdatter Lunge,
6. Elsebe Olufsdatter Lunge 

Lunge, Jacob Olufsen, – ab.1385, Rigsraad, was one of king Valdemar's

and Queen Margrethe's most trusted and brilliant men. His ancestors were
probably Patriciens in Roskilde, at least they were connected to this city.
One of them was in 1287 bailiff of the bishop at Bjernede and Fodbygård,
and Jacob Olufsen had the estate of the bishopric in Fodby as a vasalry.
He was connected to Roskilde in many ways. He rented much estate from
St. Clare kloster, and he was closely related to the Gynceke-sons at
Falkendale, who was one of the most respected families in Roskilde, but he
himself was connected to the highest nobility through family ties. The bishop
Niels Jepsen Ulfeldt called him "gener noster". His father Oluf Lunge is
mentioned in the first part of the 14th century  and the last time probably in
1339, and at the same time Jens Olufsen and Oluf Lunge came forward,
rising the Lunge name to the highest esteem.

Already in 1342 Jacob Olufsen is mentioned among king Valdemar's
most trusted men, since he was one of the king's men at the peace-
agreement with king Magnus at Helsingborg, and from that time his
name is met during the next 40 years in most state-documents and
in a number of private documents. The king made him chief at Als,
but the mutual trust among them seemed to be no more than
between the king and the nobility. During the Jutland rebellion in
1357 the king suspected him for being in collusion with the rebels
and let - after the rebels had conquered the castle in Randers - in
his indignation both J.O.and several other magnates sent into prison.
He confiscated their properties and took their vasalries from them,
but it seems that a reconciliation came soon after without having reduced
the reputation of J.O.

After the king's death he was elected as the kingdom's representative
in order to negotiate with the Scanias about the election of Valdemar's
successor, but it seems that J.O. was one of the first, who felt the wise
Queen Margrethe's efforts to restrict the growing power of the nobility.
In 1376 he lost one of his most important vasalries, Kalundborg castle,
and the next year the queen redeemed Holbæk castle, which he had as
a pawn, but he was allowed to keep it as an ordinary vasalry.From his
other vasalries are only known Trudsholm in Jutland which he still had
in 1377.

Hr. J.O.,who still lived in May 1384, was a very rich man. There is
only an imperfect knowledge about his properties, but from an exchange
among his children in 1387 is seen that he at his death owned Højstrup and
Rygård manor, and main farms in Skovsø and Valby and a large number
of farms at Zealand,but this was probably  not everything. Among other
estate he had been the owner of Hegnet (Salling) which he sold in 1382.

J.O was married several times. The family books call his wives:
1) Maren Myndel of Nielstrup and Adserstrup. 2) Elsebe Sandberg.
3) Mette Limbek, widow after hr. Niels Hack. But these informations are
not correct, for it is sure that one of his wives was called Sophie, although
the informations have a little to do with the truth, since Niels Hack of
Assendrup calls Jacob's son Ove Lunge his sister's son in a letter.

From his many children are for sure known 7 sons and 2
daughters, there is information about Anders, Folmer and Niels.

Jacob Olufsen Lunge died between 31 May 1384 and 29 June 1387

Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Thiset.

Lunge, Anders Jacobsen, o.1363-1429, Rigshofmester, was a son
of Jacob Olufsen L. His name is already mentioned in 1376 in a
document  (of Huitfeldt), where the Scania nobility elected Oluf king,
Anders was said to be a knight already then and a prominent man.
He says in 1424 that he is 61 years of age - so he was only 13 years
in 1376  - it seems to be no injustice to Huitfeldt to say that  he must
have added the name Lunge himself in his letter from 1376. The
knight mentioned in the letter is not Anders Jacobsen Lunge, but
A. J. Grim.  A.J.L. is mentioned the first time in a document from 1382.

In his younger years he wrote himself of Skafterup and Broby, two
now disappeared Zealand manors. The last manor Broby he sold to
Sorø kloster. He later resided - after he (bef. 1399) had married
Ingeborg Nielsdatter (Panter), widow after hr. Peder Ovesen Neb of
Egede, - for some years in Gunderslevlille, but after his wife had
inherited Egede after her children from  first marriage, A.J wrote
himself to Egede.

After his father he had inherited a brother's part in Rygård, but
he sold it to his brother Folmer, and he bought Gjerdrup and Ordrup
at Zealand and Ordrup in Thy -  and finally fru Ingeborg inherited
after her rich family a large Jutland estate, amongst these Knivholt
and Bøgested and parts of Asdal and Skovgård. So A.J. was one
of the richest men in the country. He estimated in 1424 his landed
property a value of 4000 Gylden. And he soon achieved an important
role in public life.

In 1388 he was still a væbner , but in 1390 he became a knight.
In 1397 he was a rigsråd and also a chief at Kalmar.He had this
office a year before and fought with success as the leader of
civilians from Kalmar against the Fetaljebrothers, but on his way
home he lost one of his ships at Gulland; it was captured by some
Preussian ships, which had been sent out in the same business as
himself.

As for vasalries he had in 1398 and 1403 Helsingborg castle and
in 1419 and 1423 Ravnsborg and Tranekjær, which are 2 of 4
castles he had as a vasalry in 1424. In  412 he was a hofmester,
the hightest temporal office of the kingdom, which he possibly got
in 1409 after Hr Jens Due, and it seems he kept it until his death in
1429. His name is of course met very often in letters and documents
of that period; he was one of 2 temporal delegates to the church
assembly in Constanz 1415-16 and is the first in the row of
temporal magnates, who in 1424 gave witness about Sønderjylland's
position to Denmark. But there is no information about his personality
or his way of work.


After the death of his first wife - she still lived 1411 - he married
(before 1416) Elline Evertsdatter Moltke, who survived him and
later married hr. Frederik Wardenberg. Since he inherited Egede
after his first wife, he probably had one or several children with
her, but he was childless at his death, and since his brother Folmer
only left daughters, the family quickly lost its ruling position, which it
had had for a short time in the Danish nobility.

Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Thiset.


Lunge, Folmer Jacobsen, –o.1412, Rigsraad,was a son of Jacob
Olufsen Lunge and had in 1387, when he exchanged the family estate
with his brothers, the manor Højstrup in Stevns herred. At this time
he was both a knight and a member of the rigsråd, and in the following
years he was one of Queen Margrethe's most important advicers, he was
one of few, who at the Union meeting in Kalmar in July 1397 issued
the witness about the agreed decisions. He was also used as a diplomatic
delegate, in 1402 he was in Preussia and was handed over from the
Højmester the swindler, who had given himself out to be Margrethe's
deceased son Oluf ; two years later he mediated in Visby with the
Preussians, who had taken Gulland. His family manor Højstrup he had
pawned and later (in 1406) conveyed to the queen; his own main farms
were Rythe (Rygaard) and Tvede.

F.L is still mentioned in March 1411 in the Kolding-agreement, but in
March 1413 his wife Elisabeth Hansdatter (Podebusk) is a widow.

Dansk Biografisk Lexicon

Kr. Erslev.


Lunge, Niels Jacobsen, –1402–, bishop, a son of Jacob Olufsen
Lunge, is mentioned as a cannon in Roskilde in 1387 and still in 1401.
In January 1402 he was by papal provision appointed bishop in
Strengnæs, while the pope transferred the former bishop, the Swede
Peder Johansson, to Gardar in Greenland. Already a half year later
this decision was changed since the pope discovered that it had all been
decided against bishop Peder's wish, and that Gardar bishopric was not
free. Bishop Peder kept his Swedish bishopric and N.J.L. stayed in
Denmark, where he still several years later calls himself bishop of
Strengnæs. His later life is unknown.  

Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Kr. Erslev, Dronn. Margrethe S. 255. 483.

Kr. Erslev.

Rane Jonsen

Gjorslev

Dansk Biografisk Lexicon:
Jonsen, Rane, –1294.  The væbner Rane Jonsen, who had a close connection to the Hvide-family,
had a high office in the royalty - as "Camerarius" at king Erik Glipping. He was the king's only companion in the night of the 22. november 1286, when the conspirators broke into Finderup lade. "Although naked and unarmed he fought the killers" says a writing from that time, but according to the folk ballad he had instead of locking the door only "placed two straws".  "han hug i borde og balk" (he hug his sword in the table") and  protected his master as a skalk (as a traitor). The public opinion was that Rane was the helper of the conspirators, and in the Danehof (the Danish court meeting) at Nyborg (castle) at Pentecost 1287 was Rane condemned an outlaw like the other king killers. He probably fled together with them to Norway; he was among those who was given protection by the Norwegian king Erik Præstehader (Priesthater), and he took part in the expeditions of the outlaws to Denmark. In 1294 he was careless, he came to Roskilde and was caught there and put on the wheel outside the town. The Danish folk ballads deals much with Rane Jonsen. A ballad tells how he when outlaw seizes a bride, another song from the Middle Ages sings about his capture and execution.

Johannes C. H. R. Steenstrup.

What happened:

"The king was hunting in the area west of Viborg. When it was growing dark, he went with a small entourage - among these Rane Jonsen - to the village Finderup and he found a primitive lodging for the night in the church barn. There was still candle light in the room, when some men with covered faces knocked down the door, forced their way in and turned out the lights. Rane Jonsen was confused and fought them although  he was naked and unarmed. But when the oproar was over and the masked men were out in the dark again, king Erik lay dead by 56 stabs of which one was under the belt. It will never be solved, who the masked men were. Except one unknown knight among the magnates, who were condemned the next year - among those Rane Jonsen and rigets Marsk (the marsk of the kingdom) Stig Andersen. Marsk Stig belonged to the Jutland part of the Hvide-family and many from this family were among the condemned. But also the Halland side-line of the royal family were among the condemned: Jacob of Nørrehalland and Peder Jacobsen and Niels."

The information from encyclopedia:
Rane Jonsen was the owner of Gjorslev (Stevns Herred, Sjælland.), he was Kong Erik Glippings Kammermester (actually a finance-minister), took part in the regicide in Finderup in 1286 and was in 1287 with the other king killers condemned outlaw at the Danehof in Nyborg in 1287, had the same year a protection-letter from the Norwegian king, was 1294 captured in Niels Broks Gård in Roskilde and put on the wheel near Roskilde; from his forbidden Jutland estates was established a vasalry.

Danish Folk Ballad:

Ranild bade saddle his charger gray,
‘Twas told me oft before,
“I’ll be the Algrave’s guest today,
“Tho’ friends I have no more.”

Ranild rode up to his castle gate
‘Twas told him oft before
Where ermine-clad the Algrave sate,
Tho’ friends he had no more.

“Hail noble Algrave, here I come,
‘Twas told thee oft before
“To fetch my trothplight Kirstin home,
“Tho’ friends I have no more.”

Then up and spake her mother dear,
“‘Twas told thee oft before,
“For thee is bride no longer here,
“For friends thou hast no more.”

“I’ll either with the maid return,
“‘Twas told you oft before
“Or else your house and chattels burn,
“Tho’ friends I have no more.”

“Nay set not thou the house on flame,
“‘Twas told thee oft before,
“E’en take the bride thou ‘rt come to claim,
“Tho’ friends thou hast no more.”

In mantle wrapt the gentle maid,
‘Twas told her oft before,
On Ranild’s good gray horse was laid,
Tho’ friends he had no more.

No other bridal bed had they,
‘Twas told her oft before,
Than bush, and field, and new made hay,
For friends he had no more.

“The wood has ears, the mead can see,
“‘Twas told thee oft before,
“A wretched outlaw’d pair are we,
“For friends I have no more.”

“And had you not King Erick slain,
“‘Twas told you oft before,
“We still might in the land remain,
“But friends we have no more.”

“Stay, Kirstin, stay, such words forbear,
“‘Twas told thee oft before,
“Where strangers are, take greater care,
“For friends we have no ore.”

With that he slapp’d her cheek so red,
“‘Twas told thee oft before,
“It was not I, smote Erick dead,
“Tho’ friends I have no more.”

From the same source, Rane Jonsen meets his end:

Report is rife in all the land
Ranild at last is caught;
He surely had never gone from Hielm,
His doom had he bethought;
A death of torture he must die,
As he has long been taught.

Ranild he stepp’d within the door,
‘Good evening’ bade the king,
And all the guard of gentlemen,
Who round him stood in ring;
“Christ! may no son of loyal Dane
“Such trouble on him bring!

“But, O King Erick, noble liege,
“Remember you no more;
“The best was I of all the swains
“Your father’s livery wore;
“And you through wood and flowery mead
“In arms so often bore?”

“Full well I know thou servedst here
“For clothes and food and pay;
“And, like a vile and treacherous knave,
“My father didst betray;
“For which the stake thy carcase bears,
“If I but reign a day.”

“My hands and feet hack from my limbs,
“Tear from my head these eyes;
“With racking tortures martyr me,
“The worst you can devise;
“So much the wrong I’ve done your house
“For vengeance on me cries.”

“Thine eyes put out, that will we not,
“Nor lop thy hands or feet;
“But with a traitor’s hardest death
“The worst of traitors treat;
“And on our father’s murderer take
“Such vengeance as is meet.”

As forth from Roskilde he was led,
He wrung his hands anew,
And tears to see him go to die
Wept ladies not a few;
He turn’d him round, and bade them all
A thousand times Adieu.

They led him forth to where the rack
Stood ghastly on the plain;
“O Christ, from such a martyring death
“Protect each honest Dane!
“Had I but stay’d at Hielm this year,
“And there in safety lain!

“Now were there here one faithful friend,
“Who home for me would go,
“And would my sorrowing wife Christine,
“Her path of duty show!
“O Christ, look on my children dear!
“O comfort thou their woe!

“And you, I pray, good Christian folk,
“Who here are standing round,
“A pater noster read for me,
“That grace for me be found;
“And that this night I reach the land,
“Where heavenly joys abound.”

The Portuguese Connection, Berengaria and her family

The Danish kings Eric IV, Abel and Christopher I  had Portuguese grandparents via their mother, queen Berengaria, who was a Portuguese infanta and the fifth daughter of Portuguese King Sancho I and Dulce of Aragon.She was the member of a large family, and she had ten siblings. Her mother died in 1198, when Berengaria was about three years of age - and her father died in 1212. In various annals and ballads she is known as Bringenilæ, Bengerd, Bengjerd and related forms. In 1211, at the age of sixteen she was at the French court together with her brother Ferrante (Ferdinand). King Philip II August (another of Berengaria's and Ferdinand's cousins) had arranged a marriage for Ferdinand to Jeanne of Flanders, which made him count of Flanders. Here, at the French court, was Berengaria introduced to King Valdemar, whose sister Ingeborg was married to King Philip. It seems that the marriage between Valdemar and Berengaria might have been Ferdinand's wish of connecting Valdemar Sejr to the alliance against France, which Ferdinand in the summer 1213 entered together with King John  of England and the German emperor Otto IV. It was probably because of Berengaria that Valdemar entered another connection to the Portuguese royalty, when his eldest son Valdemar the Young in 1229 was married to Berengaria's niece, Alfonso 2.'s daughter Eleonora.  Berengaria was married to King Valdemar in May 1214. They were married for seven years until her death in childbed in 1221, and they had four surviving children:

Erik IV of Denmark (1216-1250) King of the Danes (1241-1250).
Sophie (1217-1247), married John I; Margrave of Brandenburg.
 Abel of Denmark (1218-1252), King of the Danes (1250-1252).
Christopher I of Denmark (1219-1259), King of the Danes (1252-1259)


Berengaria, beautiful and haughty versus Dagmar, soft and pious.
 It was an almost impossible task for Berengaria to follow in the footsteps of the popular Dagmar of Bohemia, King Valdemar's first wife. Dagmar was blonde and with Nordic looks - and Berengaria was the opposite, a dark-eyed, raven haired beauty. In 1214, when she got married to Valdemar, she was a young woman of nineteen - and she arrived in a Danish court and a strange country , which must have seemed immensely foreign to a girl from the warm southern Europe and the more refined French court. The Danes did not exactly welcome her with open arms. They made up folk songs about her and blamed her for the high taxes, which seems awkward. She had probably not much to do with Valdemar's decisions about taxation, except that she might have been blamed for the costy wedding and her possible luxurious habits around clothes and jewels. Or else she was noted for having made donations to churches and convents, but it must have been difficult for her to win peoples trust and sympathy. Old folk ballads says that Dagmar on her deathbed had begged Valdemar to marry Kirsten, the daughter of Karl von Rise and not the "beautiful flower" Berengaria. Although this is merely legend and there's no historical prove of this. The tradition about Berengaria and Dagmar was written down in the 1500s which makes it rather doubtful. Valdemar's two queens play a prominent role in Danish ballads and myths - Dagmar as the soft, pious and popular ideal wife and Berengaria (Bengjerd) as the beautiful and haughty woman.

Concrete knowledge about Berengaria
The concrete knowledge about Berengaria's life is minimal and at random. The popes Innocens 3. and Honorius 3. confirmed her morning gift, which is unusual. The size of the morning gift, which the bridegroom gives in order to secure his wife's possible widowhood, is not known. Berengaria was the first Danish queen known to have worn a crown, which is mentioned in the inventory of her possessions (1225). Her personal possessions were kept apart from the ransom in 1225 for King Valdemar and his eldest son after their capture at Lyø two years earlier, and among these possessions was her crown. It is the first time a crown of a Danish queen is mentioned in documents. In 1221 Berengaria, after giving birth to three future kings, died in childbirth. Queen Berengaria is buried in St. Bendt's Church in Ringsted, on one side of Valdemar II, with Queen Dagmar buried on the other side of the King.When queen Berengaria's grave was opened in 1885, they found her thick plait of hair, her finely formed skull and finely built body bones, proving the legends about her reported beauty. A portrait drawing was made to show how she might have looked.

Berengaria's Father
Sancho I, nicknamed the Populator, was second monarch of Portugal. Sancho belonged to the Portuguese branch of the House of Burgundy, a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. He was born on 11 November 1154 in Coimbra and died on 26 March 1212 in the same city. He was the second but only surviving legitimate son and fourth child of Afonso (Alfonso) I Henriques of Portugal by his wife, Maud of Savoy. Sancho succeeded his father in 1185. He used the title King of the Algarve and/or King of Silves between 1189 and 1191. In 1170 he was knighted by his father, King Afonso I, and from then on he became his second in command, both administratively and militarily. With the death of Afonso I in 1185, Sancho I became the second king of Portugal. Coimbra was the centre of his kingdom; Sancho I dedicated much of his reign to political and administrative organization of the new kingdom. He accumulated a national treasure, supported new industries and the middle class of merchants. Moreover, he created several new towns and villages (like Guarda in 1199) and took great care in populating remote areas in the northern Christian regions of Portugal, notably with  Flemings and Burgundians – hence the nickname "the Populator". The king was also known for his love of knowledge and literature. Sancho I wrote several books of poems and used the royal treasure to send Portuguese students to European universities.

Berengaria's Mother
Dulce of Aragon (or of Barcelona) (1160–1198) was the wife of King Sancho I of Portugal. She was the eldest daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona and his wife, Queen Petronila of Aragon.Dulce was married to Prince Sancho in 1174, an event that renewed the alliance between Portugal and her native Aragon. The union was arranged by her brother, King Afonso II of Aragon. With her husband's ascent to the throne in 1185, she became Queen consort


Sancho and Dulce's children were:
Teresa, (1178/1181-1250) married to King Alfonso IX of Leon.
Raymond (c.1180-1189)
Sancha ( a. 1182-13 March 1229) Abbess of Lorvao in Penacova.
Constance (c. 1182-3 August 1202)
Afonso II (23 April 1185-25 March 1223) Succeeded Sancho I of Portugal as 3rd King of Portugal.
Peter (23 February 1187-2 June 1258) Count of Urgell and Lord of the Balearic islands, lived in Leon and married Countess Aurembiaix of Urgell.
Ferdinand (24 March 1188- 4 March 1233) Lived in France and married Jeanne of Flanders
Henry (1189-1189)
Branca (c. 1195-1240) Lady of Guadalajara.
Berengária (c.1195- 1221) Married to King Valdemar II of Denmark
Mafalda (c. 1198-1256) married to King Henry I of Castile By Maria Aires  ( -1180?)had Sancho a natural son and daughter: Martim/Henrique Sanches (c. 1200-1229) and Urraca Sanches (c. 1200-1256) - and by Maria Pais Ribereira (Ribeirinha) (c.1170-1258) had Sancho 6 natural children: Rodrigo, Gil, Nuno, Teresa, Constanca and Maior Sanches.

Berengarias sisters and brothers: Teresa/Theresa was the oldest daughter of Sancho and Dulce.  She was about 14- 16? years old, when Berengaria was born and might have been like a mother to three year old Berengaria, when their mother died in 1198. Theresa was born October 4, 1178 and died June 18 1250. She was also known as Tarasia of Portugal and later as the infanta-rainha (English: Princess-Queen). She was married to Alfonso IX of Leon and the mother of three children: two daughters and a son who died young. Her marriage to Alfonso was declared invalid because they were first cousins, and she returned to her familial home of Lorvao, Portugal, where she founded a Benedictine monastery. She converted the monastery into a large Cistercian convent with over 300 nuns.  Alfonso's second marriage was also annulled, because his second wife Berengaria of Castile was his first cousin  - and later was a dispute among the children as to who would inherit the throne after Alfonso's death in 1230. Teresa stepped in and allowed Ferdinand II of Castile, Berengaria's eldest son, to take the throne of Leon. She returned to Lorvao and finally took her convent wovs after years of living as a nun. She died in the convent on June 18, 1250 of natural causes. On December 13, 1705, Teresa was beatified by Pope Clement II's papal bull Sollicitudo Pastoralis Offici, along with her sister Sancha of Portugal. Her Catholic feast day is June 17.
Infanta Sancha of Portugal , was a Portuguese princess, second daughter of King Sancho and Dulce. She was born on an unknown date, prior to 1182 and died in the Monastery of Celas, on March 13, 1229. Her body was moved to Lorvao Abbey, which she had founded and became the first abbess of. She was also the feudal Lady of Alenquer. On December 13, 1705 Sancha was beatified by Pope Clement XI's papal bull Sollicitudo Pastoralis Offici, along with her sister Theresa of Portugal.
Afonso II and his wife Urraca of Castile (her mother a Plantagenet) Afonso II  (English Alphonzo), or Affonso , Alfonso or Alphonso or Alphonsus , nicknamed "the Fat" (Portuguese o Gordo), third king of Portugal, was born in Coimbra on 23 April 1185 and died on 25 March 1223 in the same city. He was the second but eldest surviving son of Sancho I of Portugal by his wife Dulce, Infanta of Aragon. Afonso succeeded his father in 1212.Since military issues were not a government priority, Afonso established the state's administration and centralized power on himself. He designed the first set of Portuguese written laws. These were mainly concerned with private property, civil justice, and minting. Afonso also sent ambassadors to European kingdoms outside the Iberian Peninsula  and began amicable commercial relations with most of them. The Church:  Afonso II endeavoured to weaken the power of the clergy and to apply a portion of the enormous revenues of the Roman Catholic Church to purposes of national utility. These actions led to a serious diplomatic conflict between the pope and Portugal. After being excommunicated for his audacities by Pope Honorius III, Afonso II promised to make amends to the church, but he died in 1223 before making any serious attempts to do so. Afonso was married to Urraca of Castile (1186, 28 May 1187 - 3 November 1220) who was a daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleonora of England. Her maternal grandparents were Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. She was originally considered as a prospective bride for Louis VIII of France, but Eleanor of Aquitaine objected to her name (Urraca means magpie in Spanish) preferring the Spanish name of Urraca's sister Blanche, (Blanca) In 1206 Urraca married Afonso II of Portugal. They were the parents of five children. (Sancho II, Afonso III, Eleanor, Ferdinand and Vicente. The daughter Eleanor was married to Valdemar III the Young of Denmark.)
Two years younger than Afonso, Peter I (Portuguese: Pedro) was born in Coimbra, February 23, 1187 and died on the Balearic Islands, June 2, 1258.  He was the second son of King Sancho and Dulce, and would eventually become Count of Urgell and Lord of the Balearic Islands.  After the death of his father, Peter took the side of his sisters Mafalda, Sancha and Theresa, in their quarrel with his elder brother, now King Afonso II, over inheritance of the castles of Seia, Alenquer and Montemor-o-Novo, Peter got the protection of his sister Theresa, then Queen of Leon, from whose territory he launched several inconclusive attacks on the Portuguese border province of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, but eventually had to concede defeat and perpetual exile from Portugal. Peter then left León to become a mercenary in the service of Yusuf II, the Almohad Caliph of Morocco. Subsequently, Peter moved to Aragon, his mother's homeland, where he became involved in the schemes and campaigns of his relative , the young and ambitious King James I . In 1229 Peter married Countess Aurembiaix of Urgell, who had long been exiled from Urgell by the ururper Guerau IV de Cabrera, and who had been James I's mistress. With Peter as her husband and co-ruler, James helped Aurembiaix regain Urgell under the Aragonese overlordship - after she and Peter agreed to hand over to the King the city of Lleida. In 1230, Peter helped the Bishop of Tarragone to conquer the Balearic island of Ibiza from the Moors. Following Aurembiaix's death in 1231, Peter continued as Count of Urgell in a titular capacity, but this position was disputed by his overlord James I. In 1236 they came to an agreement by which Peter gave up Urgell. In exchange, Peter got the newly-conquered Balearic islands of Majorca, Ibiza and Formentera as well as some important castles.Peter ruled these Balearic possessions until his death, in 1258. As he left no legitimate issue, they then reverted to the Aragonese Crown, later becoming the core of Kingdom of Majorca ruled by a minor branch of the Aragonese Royal Family. Peter left two illegitimate sons, Rodrigo and Fernando.
Ferdinand of Portugal, Count of Flanders, the brother with whom Berengaria went to the French court. He was born in Coimbra, March 24, 1188  and died in Noyon, July 27, 1233; (Portuguese: Fernando, Old French Ferrand), fourth son of Sancho and Dulce. He was Count of Flanders by marriage to Countess Joan/Jeanne of Flanders, eldest daughter of Baldwin/Balduin IX of Flanders. Ferdinand married Joan on January 1212 in Paris.While on their way to Flanders the newlyweds were captured by Joan's first cousin Louis (the future Louis VIII of France), eldest son of Philip Augustus and Joan's aunt, Isabella of Flanders. Louis' aim was to acquire his dead mother's dowry, a large piece of Flemish territory including Artois, which Joan's father had taken back by force after Isabella's death. Released after this concession, Joan and Ferdinand soon joined the old allies of her father, king John of England, and Emperor Otto IV, in an alliance against France. They were decisively defeated at Bouvines in July 1214, where Ferdinand was taken prisoner. Ferdinand was to remain in French hands for the next 12 years, while Joan ruled alone. He was set free in January 1227 by Blanca of Castile after Louis VIII's death. Ferdinand died in Noyon on July 27, 1233. From his marriage to countess Joan was a daughter, born in 1231, but she died in 1235. Infanta Branca of Portugal (c. 1192- died in Guadalajara, November 17, 1240), English: Blanche; was a Portuguese princess, eighth child of King Sancho and Dulce. She was the feudal Lady of Guadalajara. Branca was co-founder of, and a nun at the Dominican convent at Coimbra. She is buried in Santa Cruz de Coimbra.
Infanta Mafalda of Portugal (c. 1197 –died in Rio tinto, Amarante, May 1, 1256); was a Portuguese princess, later Queen consort of Castile for a brief period. She was the second youngest daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal and Dulce.In 1215, Mafalda married Henry I of Castile. As he was very young, the marriage was not consummated, and it was dissolved in 1216. After that she became a nun in Arouca and died in Rio tinto (Amarante)  on May 1, 1256. On June 27, 1793 she was Beatified.  Sources: Wikipedia (English, German, Danish,) Dansk Kvindebiografisk Lexicon) grethe bachmann  ©​ copyright

Ælfgifu/Aelfgifu of Northampton (c. 990 - after 1040) , consort of King Cnut of England and Denmark.,

 












Ælfgifu of Northampton (c. 990 – after 1040) was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who became the first consort of King Cnut of England and Denmark, and mother of King Harold I of England (1035–1040). She served as regent of Norway from 1030 to 1035. She is not to be confused with her rival Emma of Normandy, whose name could be rendered as Ælfgifu in Old English, nor with King Ætehlred's first wife, Ælfgifu of York.

Ælfgifu was born into an important noble family based in the Midlands ( Mercia). She was a daughter of Ælfhelm, ealdorman of southern Northumbria, who was killed in 1006. John of Worcester names his wife Wulfrun, but it is possible that he had her confused with the Wulfrun, who was Ælfhelm's mother and possibly patron of the community at Wolverhampton. Another noteworthy figure who belonged to this family was Ælfhelm's brother (hence Ælfgifu's uncle)Wulfric Spot, a wealthy nobleman and patron of Burton Abbey. her cognomen of Northampton attached to her in Manuscript D of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in order to distinguish her from Emma of Normandy, and consequently adopted by later historians such as John of Worcester. It would seem to indicate that she was a prominent landholder in the area.

Ælfgifu's date of birth is unknown. Any conjectures are largely based on the date of her father's death (1006), the approximate date of her betrothal to Cnut (1004 x 1016, see below) and the time by which she had borne him sons, whose ages are themselves difficult to establish. To remain on the safe side, it can be assumed that she was born sometime between the (mid-)980's and (mid-)990's.

In 1013 Swein Forkbeard (Sven Tveskæg),King of Denmark, invaded northern England. The northern peoples, many of them of Scandinavian descent, immediately submitted to him. He then married his young son Cnut to Ælfgifu to seal their loyalty. Swein went on to conquer the whole of England and was accepted as King, but he died in February 1014 after a reign of only five weeks. Æthelred then sent an army which forced Cnut to flee back to Denmark, leaving his wife and their baby son,Svein (Svend Alfifasen) the future King of Norway, behind with her family. They were anxious to make their peace with Æthelred, but unwilling to hand Ælfgifu and her son over to Æthelred to be murdered, so they sent the mother and child with King Swein's body to Denmark. There she became pregnant again and in 1015 or 1016 she gave birth to Harold Harefoot (Harald Harefod).

Her two sons were to figure prominently in the empire which their father built in northern Europe, though not without opposition. After his conquest of England in 1016, Cnut married emma of Normandy, the widow of King Æthelred It was then regarded as acceptable to put aside one wife and take another, a which might be described as "serial monogamy".Emma's sons, Edward and Ælfred by Æthelred and Harthacnut (Hardicanute) by Cnut, were also claimants to the throne of her husband. Exactly how the second marriage affected Ælfgifu's status as Cnut's first consort is unknown, but there is no evidence to suggest that she was repudiated.

Cnut sent Ælfgifu with their eldest son Svein to rule Norway, in 1030. Their rule was, however, so harsh that the Norwegians rebelled against them. They were driven out, in 1034 or 1035, while Svein died of wounds in Denmark shortly after, probably in 1036. In Norway, where she was known as Álfífa in Old Norse, this period entered history as 'Álfífa's time' (Álfífuǫld), remembered for her severe rule and heavy taxation. In the Norwegian Ágrip, for instance, the following verse is attributed to her contemporary, the skald Sigvatr (Sigvard:

Ælfgyfu’s time

long will the young man remember,

when they at home ate ox’s food,

and like the goats, ate rind.

Cnut died at Shaftesbury in 1035. Symeon of durham and Adam of Bremen suggest that Cnut had reserved the English throne for Harold, while the Encomium Emmae Reginae claims that he done so for Harthacnut. In any event, on Cnut's death, Ælfgifu was determined that her second son Harold should be the next English king. She had returned to England (at least) by 1036, while Emma's son Harthacnut was away in Denmark, at war with the Norwegian king Magnus I, and the Swedes under their king Anund Jacob. Emma's other sons, Ælfred and Edward, stayed in Normandy. With help from her supporters, Ælfgifu was able to secure the throne for her son. In the view of Frank Stenton, she was probably the real ruler of England for part, if not the whole, of his reign. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (versions C, D and E) describes how Harold and his men forcefully laid claim on the treasury house in Winchester, where Cnut was buried and Emma had taken up residence: That Ælfgifu was such a key figure in these political machinations is spelled out in messages which reached the German court. Immo, a chaplain and cathedral canon at the court of Worms, reported to the bishop of Worms that Anglo-Saxon messengers (legati Anglorum) had come to Worms and there informed Gunhild, daughter of Cnut and Emma, about the latest developments.

It is unfortunate that most of the sources are extremely biased in favour of Emma and her sons. While in the previous letter, which can hardly be called neutral, Ælfgifu is accused of using deception, lavish feasts and bribery in order to wheedle support, Emma's encomiast attributes to her even more seriously dishonest methods. Apart from claiming that Harold was only accepted as a temporary regent, he makes Ælfgifu an accomplice in the murder of Ælfred Ætheling by suggesting that she was responsible for sending a forged letter to Normandy inviting Ælfred to England.

Another way in which the legitimacy of Harold's succession was disputed in the wake of the succession crisis was by focusing on his and his brother's parentage:

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: Harold's claim that he was the son of Cnut and Ælfgifu is either distrusted or simply denied.

Encomium Emmae Reginae: heard that Harold was secretly a servant's son

John of Worcester: heard tales in which the fathers of Svein and Harold were respectively a priest and a shoemaker. 

Adam of Bremen  states that Svein and Harold were sons to Cnut and a concubina (but that Cnut nevertheless reserved England for Harold, Denmark for Harthacnut).

Ælfgifu fell into obscurity after Harold's death in 1040, and the crowning of Harthacnut, the legitimate heir to Cnut and also the King of Denmark. It is unknown when she died. 

Source: Wikipedia
grethe bachmann   ©​ copyright
 ___________________________________________________________________________________

Primary sources:

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, MSS C, D and E, ed. D. Dumville and S. Keynes, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. A Colloborative Edition. Cambridge, 1983; tr. M.J. Swanton, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. 2nd ed. London, 2000. Encomium Emmae Reginae, ed. and tr. Alistair Campbell, Encomium Emmae Reginae. Cambridge, 1998. Letter of Immo, chaplain at the court of Worms, to Bishop Azeko of Worms, preserved in the Lorsch manuscript, Codex Palatinus Latinus 930 (Vatican Library), ed. W. Bulst, Die ältere Wormser Briefsammlung. MGH Epistolae. Die Briefe der deutschen Kaiserzeit 3. Weimar, 1949. 20–2 (no. 5.). Available from the Digital MGH. William of Malmesbury, Gesta regum Anglorum, ed. and tr. R.A.B. Mynors, R. M. Thomson and M. Winterbottom, William of Malmesbury. Gesta Regum Anglorum. The History of the English Kings. OMT. 2 vols: vol 1. Oxford, 1998. Symeon of Durham, ed. T. Arnold, Symeonis Monachi Opera Omnia. 2 vols. London, 1885. John of Worcester, Chronicle (of Chronicles), ed. Benjamin Thorpe, Florentii Wigorniensis monachi chronicon ex chronicis. 2 vols. London, 1848–9. Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum §§ 27, 32, 35, ed. and tr. M.J. Driscoll, Ágrip af Nóregskonungasǫgum. Viking Society for Northern Research Text Series 10. 2nd ed. 2008 (1995). Available online from the Viking Society for Northern Research Theodoricus monachus, Historia de Antiquitate Regum Norwagiensium, chapter 21, tr. David and Ian McDougall. The Ancient History of the Norwegian Kings. Viking Society for Northern Research, 1998. Legendary Óláfs saga helga ch. 71 Morkinskinna, ed. Finnur Jónsson. Morkinskinna. Copenhagen: Samfund til udgivelse af gammel nordisk litteratur, 1932. Adam of Bremen, Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum. The Chronicle of Hugh Candidus  Secondary literature 'Ælfgifu 1', 'Ælfhelm 17', 'Wulfrun', 'Wulfric 52', Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England. Campbell, M.W. "Queen Emma and Ælfgifu of Northampton. Canute the Great's women." Medieval Scandinavia 4 (1971): 60–79. Rognoni, L., "Presenza e azione di Ælfgifu di Northampton, regina madre e reggente nell'Impero del Nord di Canuto il Grande (1013–1040)" (in Italian) [1] Stenton, Frank. Anglo-Saxon England. Oxford, 1971. 397–8. Stevenson, W.H. "An alleged son of King Harold Harefoot." English Historical Review 28 (1913): 112–7.

Christoffer I, ab. 1219-1259, ~ Margrethe Sambiria, - 1282

 









Dansk Biografisk Lexicon
Project Runeberg
1887-1905

Christoffer I, ab.1219-59, King, a son of king Valdemar Sejr
and Berengaria. In his youth (fx in 1245) C. is mentioned as
the lord of Lolland and Falster; he had during his brother Erik
Plovpenning's rule for a period joined hertug Abel against
the king, but a reconciliation was however made. After
Abel was killed 29 June 1252 C. was celebrated king and was
crowned on Christmas day the same year in Lund's cathedral,
although Abel's eldest son Valdemar -while his father lived  -
had been acknowledged as heir to the throne. In this way
began a feud between the two lines of the royal family, which
continued through generations and still was nourished by all
the other feud-topics of that time.  C. reconciled in 1254 with
Abel's family by endowing Valdemar with Schleswig, but when
the young hertug (duke) died 3 years later, C. took back the
vasalry and the feud started again. Another feud came to, a feud
with the church. The intelligent, power-craving and ruthless bishop
in Roskilde Jacob Erlandsen took over the archbishopric in 1254,
fully prepared to carry through the church's newly gained special
position opposite the secular power. When Danehof  was held
in Nyborg in 1256, Jacob Erlandsen summoned a church meeting
in Vejle, where they agreed that if any bishop was harmed and
if the king supposedly was to blame, then the whole country should
be under interdict. C.now behaved violently towards the bishops;
and at the same time the poorest among the peasants started to
riot, a war broke out with Norway, and king Hakon Hakonsen
placed his fleet outside Copenhagen (1257); then C. decided to
reconcile with this enemy and even united with Hakon in a alliance.
C.'s violent behaviour towards the church reached its peak, when
he was furious with the archbishop, who denied to crown his son
Erik, and in February 1259 he let Jacob Erlandsen put into prison.
The interdict had now to be imposed on Denmark; some bishops
rebelled against the king and joined prince Jarimar of Rügen and
Erik (Abelsen), and a Wendic army came to Copenhagen. C.
took up the fight with great energy, but 29. May 1259 he suddenly
died in Ribe. There was a suspicion that he had been poisoned,
and abbot Arnfast of Ry was said to be the murderer, but there
are no proofs of this accusation. C. was buried in Ribe cathedral.

C.s short rule was a fatal and very unrest period, and the
king, who was an obstinate, but brave and active prince, held
on to the Crown's rights, and he was probably not able to fight
the big fight; some of his actions however indicate a diplomatic
cleverness and ability to give in in the last moment. C., who
was praised for his chastity, was in 1248 married to the stout
daughter of the Pommeranian hertug Sambor, Margrethe
Sambiria (with the byname Sprænghest ), she died in 1282.
They had the children Erik Glipping, (Klipping) Valdemar,
Niels and Mechtild, married to margraf Albert III of
Brandenburg.

Johannes C. H. R. Steenstrup. 

Margrethe Sambiria, –1282, queen, was a daughter of the
East-Pommeranian prince Sambor, a brother of Svantopolk
the Great; her mother 's name was Mechtilde who came from
Mecklenburg. In 1248 was Margrethe married to Valdemar
Sejr's youngest son Christoffer, and in 1252 she was crowned
together with him. The marriage is mentioned as a very happy
one, and she and her husband had several children, among
these 3 sons, from whom only Erik Glipping became a grown
man. While Christoffer lived, M. is only mentioned on
rare occasions, but it is seen that she together with her father
tried to mediate between the king and archbishop Jacob
Erlandsen. After her husband's sudden death (29 May 1259)
she played a larger role, since she was a guardian and ruler  for
her only nine year old son Erik. She lost every hope of resisting
Christoffer's enemies when the peasants from Zealand were
beaten by the Rügen-prince Jarimar at Næstved, and M. had
to buy the peace  by several concessions ; the imprisoned
archbishop was given his freedom, Erik Abelsøn was endowed
with Sønderjylland. M. soon entered the politics of her late
husband; in spite of protests from the archisbop she let the
Jutland bishops crown Erik in Viborg, and in 1261 she lead
an army into the hertugdømme (duchy). Her progress was
only shortlived however, the Holsteiners arrived, and at
Lohede (28. July) they gained the victory over the Danes;
the young king and his mother fell into the hands of the
enemies. But now showed M.her untiring energy, from
her prison in Hamburg she called for the help from Albert
of  Braunschwig; he suceeded in getting her out of prison,
and they returned to Denmark together. Hertug Albert was
appointed the vice-regent of Denmark, and M noticed
gladly, how violently he behaved against the opponents of
the royal house; she even fell in love with the young hertug,
so is it said in the Braunschwig-Chronicle. In 1263 Albert
left Denmark, but the next year could M. fetch her own
son  back, and he was declared of age in 1266.

At this time M. had for life bwwn given Estonia to be in her
ownership as a widow. She was still the ruler of the kingdom
for a long time, and her energy was probably due to that the
archbishop-feud ended in a good way - and also that
hertugdømmet (duchy) after Erik Abelsøn's death 1272 again
came back to the Crown. Later she is more retired, and she
died in December 1282 during a stay in Rostock; in the
nearby Cisterciense-Abbey in Doberan, to which her father
had a friendly relationship, she found her last rest, and here is
still seen a strange wooden sculpture of her, which before was
a cover over her sarcophagus.

Her byname Sprænghest (jumping horse) suited well to all the
energy M, showed while she was a widow; in legends she is
also called Sorte Grethe (Black Grethe), but here is she mixed
with her great namesake, Margrethe Valdemarsdatter.
According to some it was M. who built a part of Danevirke,
called Margrethevolden, which however is not very possible.
M. gave some estate to the Holy Cross Kloster in Rostock;
soon after her death it was told that she had founded the
kloster and given it a splinter of the Holy Cross, which she
personally had received from the pope, and which during
her way home had saved her and her entourage in a storm
at the sea; everything was told in a document, which was
said to be from the queen herself, but the authenticity of
this document is uncertain.

Script, rer. Prussicarum I, 690 f.
Videnskab. Selsk. Skr., Hist. phil. Afd., 5. R. IV, 377 ff.
Aarb. f. nord. Oldkynd. 1877, S. 55 ff.; 1881, S. 50 ff.

Kr. Erslev.