Christina Bjornsdatter
Encyclopedia
Christina of Denmark ; c. 1120/25–1170), was a Swedish
queen consort
in the 12th century, married to king Eric IX of Sweden
and mother of king Canute I of Sweden
.
, Christina was the daughter of Björn Haraldsen Ironside, son of the Danish prince Harald Kesja
, and his consort, the Swedish Princess Katarina Ingesdotter, daughter of King Inge I of Sweden
. She was made fatherless in 1134, when her father Prince Bjorn was murdered by order of his uncle, King Eric II of Denmark
.
Christina was married to her cousin, Eric the Saint
, at the time throne claimant of Uppland, in 1149 or 1150. Six years later, her husband became king, and she became queen of Sweden; she was the queen of Sweden for four years, from 1156 to 1160.
Queen Christina became notable for her conflict with Varnhem Abbey
, Västergötland
. She was in dispute with the monks about the ownership to the land upon which the convent had been founded, as she considered it as an inheritance after her relative, lady Sigrid. She is claimed to have harassed the monks : legend accuse her of sending women in to the convent to dance naked before the monks. This forced the monk
s to leave the country and seek refuge in Denmark, were they founded Vitskøl Abbey
(1158), a conflict for which the pope
contemplated to have her excommunicated.
Queen Christina was widowed at the murder of the King outside the cathedral in Uppsala
in 1160. According to legend, she fled with her son and her followers with the crowned head of her husband in her possession. She is believed to have spent the following years in Denmark
.
In 1167, her son was made King as Canute I. Queen Dowager Christina is believed to have died in the beginning of her son King Canute's reign, in about the year of in 1170, but neither the date of her birth or death is completely confirmed.
Children:
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
in the 12th century, married to king Eric IX of Sweden
Eric IX of Sweden
Eric "IX" of Sweden, , also called Eric the Lawgiver, Erik the Saint, Eric the Holy and in Sweden Sankt Erik meaning Saint Eric was a Swedish king c.1155 – 1160...
and mother of king Canute I of Sweden
Canute I of Sweden
Canute I, Swedish: Knut Eriksson , was king over all of Sweden from 1173 to 1195...
.
Biography
According to the Knýtlinga sagaKnýtlinga saga
Knýtlinga saga is an Icelandic kings' saga written in the 1250s, which deals with the kings who ruled Denmark since the early 10th century....
, Christina was the daughter of Björn Haraldsen Ironside, son of the Danish prince Harald Kesja
Harald Kesja
Harald Kesja, Harald the Spear, was the son of Eric I of Denmark and anti-king of Denmark.He acted as regent 1103-1104 for his father while he was on pilgrimage to Jerusalem alongside Archbishop Asser of Lund. As regent, he was courageous, but violent, cruel and debauched. Harald plundered far and...
, and his consort, the Swedish Princess Katarina Ingesdotter, daughter of King Inge I of Sweden
Inge I of Sweden
Inge the Elder was a King of Sweden.-Biography:Inge was the son of the former King Stenkil and a Swedish princess. Inge shared the rule of the kingdom with his probably elder brother Halsten Stenkilsson, but little is known with certainty of Inge's reign...
. She was made fatherless in 1134, when her father Prince Bjorn was murdered by order of his uncle, King Eric II of Denmark
Eric II of Denmark
Eric II the Memorable was king of Denmark between 1134 and 1137. Eric was an illegitimate son of Eric I of Denmark, who ruled Denmark from 1095 to 1103. Eric the Memorable rebelled against his uncle Niels of Denmark, and was declared king in 1134. He punished his adversaries severely, and...
.
Christina was married to her cousin, Eric the Saint
Eric IX of Sweden
Eric "IX" of Sweden, , also called Eric the Lawgiver, Erik the Saint, Eric the Holy and in Sweden Sankt Erik meaning Saint Eric was a Swedish king c.1155 – 1160...
, at the time throne claimant of Uppland, in 1149 or 1150. Six years later, her husband became king, and she became queen of Sweden; she was the queen of Sweden for four years, from 1156 to 1160.
Queen Christina became notable for her conflict with Varnhem Abbey
Varnhem Abbey
Varnhem Abbey in Varnhem, Västergötland, Sweden was founded around 1150 by monks of the Cistercian Order from Alvastra Abbey in Östergötland.The Cistercian Order used the same floor plan for all its abbeys, which makes it possible to easily locate the different rooms and halls regardless of the...
, Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
. She was in dispute with the monks about the ownership to the land upon which the convent had been founded, as she considered it as an inheritance after her relative, lady Sigrid. She is claimed to have harassed the monks : legend accuse her of sending women in to the convent to dance naked before the monks. This forced the monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s to leave the country and seek refuge in Denmark, were they founded Vitskøl Abbey
Vitskøl Abbey
Vitskøl Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery near Ranum in Himmerland in Region Nordjylland, Denmark, one of the oldest existing monastic complexes in northern Europe.-Vitskøl:...
(1158), a conflict for which the pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
contemplated to have her excommunicated.
Queen Christina was widowed at the murder of the King outside the cathedral in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
in 1160. According to legend, she fled with her son and her followers with the crowned head of her husband in her possession. She is believed to have spent the following years in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
In 1167, her son was made King as Canute I. Queen Dowager Christina is believed to have died in the beginning of her son King Canute's reign, in about the year of in 1170, but neither the date of her birth or death is completely confirmed.
Children:
- Canute I of SwedenCanute I of SwedenCanute I, Swedish: Knut Eriksson , was king over all of Sweden from 1173 to 1195...
, King of Sweden 1167-1196. - Filip
- Katarina EriksdotterKatarina EriksdotterCatherine , was a Swedish princess, daughter King Eric the Saint and his Queen Christina of Sweden.- Biography :She married Nils Blake, who probably was a Swedish magnate...
, married to Nils Blake. - Margareta EriksdotterMargaret of Sweden, Queen of NorwayMargaret of Sweden was Norwegian queen consort as spouse of King Sverre of Norway.-Biography:Margaret was the daughter of King Eric IX of Sweden and queen Christina Björnsdotter. In 1189, she married Norwegian King Sverre...
, married in 1185 Sverre I of Norway,died in 1202.