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31-476: Canute VI was the eldest son of King Valdemar I and Sophia of Polotsk . His younger brother Valdemar was born in 1170. On 25 June 1170, at age 7, Canute was proclaimed and crowned co-king of Denmark with his father. Canute was crowned in the first coronation in Danish history by Archbishop Eskil of Lund at Ringsted . Following his father's death in 1182, Canute became sole ruler and King of Denmark in 1182. at

62-476: A messenger to Canute requiring him to acknowledge the emperor as his liege. Canute failed to respond, so the emperor sent a second messenger threatening the emperor's wrath if Canute failed to acknowledge his liege lord. Bishop Absalon replied to the messenger on behalf of Canute. "Canute is as free a king as the emperor. He has as much right to Denmark as the emperor has to the Holy Roman Empire, and so

93-568: The Battle of Stellau in 1201 and was later taken prisoner in Hamburg by Valdemar, this expansion was successful for some decades. In captivity Adolf was forced to renounce his title to the County of Holstein in 1203 in order to gain his freedom, and on his release retired to the County of Schauenburg. The reconquest of Holstein was left for his son and heir, Adolf IV of Holstein . In about 1224, at

124-468: The Battle of Dysiaa , where Valdemar crushed them, and after this they once more paid taxes. But even though the entire peasant force surrendered, they still refused to pay tithes, so instead Valdemar had them bring generous gifts and donations to the church. They would pay no tithes but they would pay nonetheless, the only point he conceded were the governors, who were replaced by Scanians. This concession to

155-617: The Danes more than two to one. So the Danes soon began raiding the Wendish coasts in turn; this culminated in the conquest of Rügen, which was used as another base to raid and later conquer more Wendish territory. Danish influence had therefore reached both Pomerania and the Obotrite confederacy , both being raided routinely by the Danes. Around the year 1170, a smaller contingent of the Danish fleet (headed by Valdemar and Absalon) ventured past

186-607: The German coast. In 1180, as unrest spread throughout the rich province of Scania , the people demanded that Valdemar replace the "foreign" governors from Jutland , and instead install nobility from one of the ' Skåneland ' provinces who traditionally ruled them. They also completely refused to pay church tithes . When Valdemar refused their demands, they rose up, saying they would pay neither taxes nor church tithes. Their numbers were so large that Valdemar not only gathered his own levies but also levies from Blekinge . The armies met at

217-481: The Great ( Danish : Valdemar den Store ), was King of Denmark from 1154 until his death in 1182. The reign of King Valdemar I saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its medieval zenith under his son King Valdemar II . Valdemar was the son of Canute Lavard , Duke of Schleswig , the chivalrous and popular eldest son of King Eric I of Denmark . Valdemar's father was murdered by King Magnus I of Sweden days before

248-545: The Lion of Saxony . She was first married to Frederick IV, Duke of Swabia in 1166 and had become a widow in 1167. During their marriage, Canute and Gertrude had no children. King Canute was succeeded by his younger brother Valdemar II of Denmark (1170–1241) who ruled from 1202 to 1241. [REDACTED] Media related to Canute VI of Denmark at Wikimedia Commons Valdemar I of Denmark Valdemar I Knudsen (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182), also known as Valdemar

279-561: The Pomeranians, and they tried to row away, but they were in such close quarters that the ships couldn't turn. The men panicked and began jumping from ship to ship which caused eight ships to founder. The Danes threw themselves onto the ships to plunder them when Absalon shouted that they should leave the goods and go after the ships. Few complied and with just seven ships, Absalon routed the entire Pomeranian fleet, capturing 35 enemy ships. Absalon sent Bugislaw's own great tent to Canute, who

310-632: The Scanians, that a Jute rules in Jutland and Rugian in Rügen, was then optimized for the rest of the Danish realm. This assisted immensely with keeping the peace within the kingdom, and the later extended realm . Valdemar married Sophia of Minsk ( c.  1141 –1198), the daughter of Richeza of Poland , dowager queen of Sweden, from her marriage to Prince Volodar of Minsk . She was the half-sister of King Canute V of Denmark . Valdemar and Sophia had

341-601: The Urnehoved Assembly (Danish: landsting ) and subsequently at the other assemblies throughout Denmark. He immediately faced a peasant uprising in Skåne . The peasants refused to pay Bishop Absalon 's tithe. They met at the Skåne Assembly and chose Harald Skreng, one of Canute’s friends to represent them to the king to plead their case. The king refused to hear Skreng out and began to gather an army to teach

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372-616: The Wends to the south, which was now optimized for heavy cavalry; this use of amphibious assault was further improved upon by his successor Canute VI . At Absalon's instigation, he declared war upon the Wends who were raiding the Danish coasts. They occupied Pomerania and the island of Rügen in the Baltic Sea and were a definite threat to the Danes in the Baltic as the Wends outnumbered

403-510: The birth of Valdemar; his mother, Ingeborg of Kiev , daughter of Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden , named him after her grandfather, Grand Prince Vladimir Monomakh of Kiev. Valdemar was raised at Ringsted in the court of Danish nobleman Asser Rig of Fjenneslev ( c.  1080 –1151). Asser was a member of the Hvide noble family and had been raised together with Valdemar's father Canute Lavard. Valdemar

434-540: The bishop and sent him in chains to Søborg Tower in North Zealand for the next 13 years. In 1199 Count Adolf tried to raise opposition to Valdemar in southern Denmark, so the young Duke attacked Adolf's new fortress at Rendsburg. Valdemar defeated Adolf's army in the Battle of Stellau in 1201 and captured the count who spent the next three years in Søborg Tower with the archbishop. In order to buy his freedom,

465-403: The centuries. Canute personally led a crusade against the pagan Estonians in 1197. Canute's younger brother Valdemar, Duke of Southern Jutland, was just twelve years old when his father died and Bishop Valdemar of Schleswig (1158-1236) was appointed regent until Valdemar came of age to rule. Bishop Valdemar was ambitious and began gathering support of German nobles to support him against

496-658: The count had to turn over all his lands north of the Elbe to Duke Valdemar in 1203. Canute's friend and chief advisor, Bishop Absalon died on 21 March 1201. He had been one of the most important figures in all of Danish history. Under King Canute VI, Absalon was the chief policymaker in Danish politics. Absalon was buried beside his father in Sorø church. His epitaph reads "a good and brave man". Less than two years later on 12 November 1202, Canute died suddenly at age 39. In 1177, Canute married Gertrude (ca.1155–1197), daughter of Duke Henry

527-430: The emperor should expect no allegiance from this place." The emperor flew into a rage when he received Canute's reply, but because of troubles farther south, ordered his vassal, Bogislaw I of Pomerania to invade Denmark. Duke Bogislaw, recognizing a great opportunity quickly gathered 500 ships. The first notice of the pending invasion came from Jaromar I, Prince of Rügen who sailed to Zealand to give warning. The king

558-769: The fall of Henry. In 1188 however Frederick turned down Adolf's claim to the town of Lübeck . Adolf accompanied him on the Third Crusade . In August 1190 he reached Tyre , where he left the crusading army and returned to Holstein to defend his lands against Henry the Lion, who had in the meantime returned from exile. In 1196, he went to the Holy Land for the second time for the Crusade of Henry VI , he then returned home in 1198. The reign of Adolf III coincided with Denmark's attempts at expansion under Kings Canute VI and his brother and successor Valdemar II . After Adolf lost

589-702: The following children: After Valdemar's death, Sophia married Landgrave Louis III of Thuringia . Adolf III of Holstein Adolf III , Count of Schauenburg and Holstein (1160 – 3 January 1225) was the ruler of the Counties of Schauenburg and Holstein. He is particularly remembered for his establishment of a new settlement for traders on the banks of the Alster near the Neue Burg in Hamburg . Adolf III

620-412: The king. Disguising his own interests as young Valdemar's, Bishop Valdemar plotted with Count Adolf III of Holstein (1160–1225) to overthrow King Canute and set himself up as king. When Valdemar was selected as Archbishop of Lund, he spoke openly of his plans. Young Duke Valdemar asked to meet with Bishop Valdemar at Åbenrå in 1192. When the powerful bishop arrived, young Valdemar ordered his men to arrest

651-437: The middle of services, one of the scouts ran into the church shouting that the enemy had been sighted through the fog. "Now will I let my sword sing the mass to the praise of God!" exclaimed Absalon as he set aside the altar implements. The Danish fleet weighed anchor and sailed through the fog toward the Pomeranians. Bugislaw's fleet saw nothing of the Danes until they were close enough to hear their war cries. Fear swept through

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682-525: The mouth of the Oder, where they were ambushed by a Wendish army and fleet under Casimir , at the Julin bridge (modern-day Wolin ) hoping to end Danish raiding. But the Danes outsmarted the Wends and smashed their army and fleet, primarily due to the Danish ships also carrying cavalry. In 1175, King Valdemar built Vordingborg Castle as a defensive fortress and as a base from which to launch further raids against

713-549: The north-west of Osnabrück ) at the side of Count Bernhard I of Ratzeburg , when he received from Henry the Lion the decisive rights in the region of the Middle Weser which formed the basis of the County of Schauenburg . In 1180 however Adolf defected from Henry, who thereupon drove him from Holstein. Adolf attached himself to Frederick Barbarossa (Emperor Frederick I), with whose help he regained his lordship in 1181 after

744-557: The peasants their place. Before the king could muster his army, the nobles of Halland and Skåne cobbled together their own army and defeated the peasants in a bloody battle at Dösjebro ( Dysjebro ) in Skåne. Canute arrived with his army and proceeded to teach the peasants a lesson with fire and sword. Canute was so relentless that Bishop Absalon begged the king to desist. Emperor Frederick Barbarossa had compelled Canute's father to acknowledge him as overlord, and in 1184 Barbarossa sent

775-553: The sole king of Denmark. In 1158, Absalon was elected bishop of Roskilde , and King Valdemar made him his chief advisor. The king reorganized and rebuilt war-torn Denmark. He strengthened the Dannevirke fortifications to the south, He built Sønderborg Castle as a fortified fortress, constructed on an islet in the Als Strait that later was connected to Als Island . He reinvented Viking raiding tactics of old to deal with

806-419: Was a possible contender to the throne. The other pretenders to the throne were: Sweyn III Grathe , the son of King Eric II of Denmark , and Canute V , the son of Magnus I of Sweden , both of whom declared themselves King of Denmark in 1146. The civil war lasted the better part of ten years. In 1154, Valdemar joined with Canute and was recognized as co-king along with Canute. In July 1157, a temporary compromise

837-462: Was in Jutland, and so it was left to Bishop Absalon to order every available ship from Zealand, Funen and Skåne to meet him in six days. Absalon sailed for Rügen with his fleet and waited for Bugislaw to show up. When the enemy failed to appear, Absalon sent out scouts to bring word when the Pomeranian fleet arrived. He ordered his men to go ashore so he could celebrate mass on Second Easter Day. In

868-427: Was raised together with Asser's sons, including Absalon ( c.  1128 –1201), who would become an archbishop and go to battle with Valdemar, and Esbern Snare (1127–1204), who was a royal chancellor and crusader. Esbern and Absalon had a close relationship and formed an alliance with Valdemar. In 1146, when Valdemar was fifteen years old, King Eric III of Denmark abdicated and a civil war erupted. Valdemar

899-416: Was still in Jutland. With Bugislaw's defeat the emperor gave up, for a time, his attempt to rule Denmark. Canute ordered two invasions of Pomerania and in 1185 forced Bogislaw to acknowledge Canute as his overlord. From that time until 1972 the kings of Denmark used the title " King of the Wends " ( De Venders Koning ) as part of a lengthy list of duchies, counties, and regions ruled by Danish monarchs through

930-689: Was struck in which the three agreed to divide the country among themselves as co-regents in shifting alliances. Canute was killed at the Bloodfeast of Roskilde in August 1157. Sweyn was defeated by Valdemar in the Battle of Grathe Heath ( Slaget på Grathe Hede ) on 23 October 1157. Sweyn was killed during flight, supposedly by a group of peasants who stumbled upon him as he was fleeing from the battlefield. Valdemar, having outlived all his rival pretenders, became

961-433: Was the only son of Count Adolf II of Holstein-Wagria and succeeded him in 1164, initially under the guardianship of his mother Mechthild of Schwarzburg-Käfernburg , a daughter of Count Sizzo III of Schwarzburg-Käfernburg. Count Adolf III at first supported Henry the Lion . He accompanied him on his expedition against Philipp von Heinsberg , Archbishop of Cologne , fought at the Battle of Halerfeld on 1 August 1180 (to

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