Niels of Denmark
Encyclopedia
Niels of Denmark ( – 25 June 1134) was King of Denmark from 1104 to 1134, following his brother Eric Evergood
, and is presumed to have been the youngest son of king Sweyn II Estridson
. Niels actively supported the canonization
of Canute IV the Holy
, and his secular rule was supported by the clergy
. Niels supported his son Magnus I of Sweden
in killing potential successor Knud Lavard, and was himself killed in the ensuing civil war
. He was succeeded by Eric II Emune
.
and a concubine. Four of Niels' brothers ascended to the throne before him. He is first mentioned in 1086, as a hostage sent to Flanders
in exchange for his brother, later king Olaf I
. When his brother Eric Evergood
died in July 1103 during a pilgrimage, Niels was the last surviving brother and was elected king the following year, ahead of Evergood's chosen deputy Harald Kesja
. He married Margaret Fredkulla
, the daughter of Inge I of Sweden
, and she is believed to have wielded considerable influence during his reign.
Niels saw internal peace for the majority of his reign. The contemporary Chronicon Roskildense
describes him as mild and forthcoming, though not a competent ruler. He carried through reforms of his personal hird
retinue, separating it into a military and an administrative branch, which was responsible for collecting taxes. He placed family members as his jarl
s, including his son-in-law Jarl Ubbe, and his nephews Eric (Emune)
and Canute Lavard
, the sons of Eric Evergood. Niels supported the canonization
of his brother Canute IV the Holy
by bestowing gifts on the clergy of Odense
, as he sought to enlarge the power and influence of the monarchy through the aid of the church. However, it is likely he did not win the full support of the magnate
s on Zealand. He also campaigned against the Wends
, in alliance with Poland
. In 1125, Niels' son Magnus was King of Sweden as Magnus I of Sweden
.
Margaret died in 1128 or 1129, and Magnus was dethroned from the Swedish throne in 1130. After 26 years of internal peace, conflict erupted between Magnus and his cousin Canute Lavard. Canute was popular in the Duchy of Schleswig, where he was jarl, and was seen as a potential successor to Niels. On January 7, 1131, Magnus slew Canute near Haraldsted just north of Ringsted
. Niels initially condemned Magnus, but eventually supported him, and a civil war
ensued between Niels and the supporters of Canute's half-brother Eric (Emune). Niels had his strongest base of support in Jutland
, and the church also supported him. He secured support from the Holy Roman Empire
by agreeing to subordinate the Danish Archdiocese of Lund in Scania
to the German Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen, which prompted Archbishop Asser of Lund
to support Eric.
Eric made little progress in Denmark, and took the battle to Scania in 1134. Niels and Magnus landed at Fotevik bay in Scania in June 1134, seeking to deal Eric a decisive defeat. At the Battle of Fotevik
on June 4, 1134, Niels and Magnus were taken by surprise by a contingent of German
soldiers on horses. Niels escaped, while Magnus was slain. Niels sought refuge with Holy Roman Emperor Lothar III
of Germany, but did not make it past the city of Schleswig. Niels ventured into the former city of Canute Lavard on June 25, 1134, despite warnings. "-Should I fear tanners and shoemakers?", he supposedly remarked. He was greeted by the clergy, but as the townspeople turned against him, he and his vanguard were slain before they could reach the royal palace. When King Niels fell, the sixty-year reign of Sweyn II Estridson's sons was at an end, as Eric became king Eric II Emune
.
, daughter of king Inge I of Sweden
. After Margaret's death in either 1128 or 1129, he married Ulvhild Håkansdotter, who had been married to Inge II of Sweden
and later married Sverker I of Sweden
. Niels had two children with Margaret, and one child out of wedlock.
Eric I of Denmark
Eric I Evergood , also known as Eric the Good, , was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, by his wife Gunhild Sveinsdotter, and married Boedil Thurgotsdatter.-Biography:...
, and is presumed to have been the youngest son of king Sweyn II Estridson
Sweyn II of Denmark
Sweyn II Estridsson Ulfsson was the King of Denmark from 1047 to 1074. He was the son of Ulf Jarl and Estrid Svendsdatter. He was married three times, and fathered 20 children or more, including the five future kings Harald III Hen, Canute IV the Saint, Oluf I Hunger, Eric I Evergood and Niels...
. Niels actively supported the canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
of Canute IV the Holy
Canute IV of Denmark
Canute IV, later known as Canute the Holy or Canute the Saint , was King of Denmark from 1080 until 1086. Canute was an ambitious king who sought to strengthen the Danish monarchy, devotedly supported the Roman Catholic Church, and had designs on the English throne. Slain by rebels in 1086, he was...
, and his secular rule was supported by the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
. Niels supported his son Magnus I of Sweden
Magnus I of Sweden
Magnus I of Sweden, son of Nicholas , later called Magnus the Strong , was a Danish duke who ruled Gothenland in southern Sweden from 1125 to 1130...
in killing potential successor Knud Lavard, and was himself killed in the ensuing civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
. He was succeeded by Eric II Emune
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...
.
Biography
Niels was born around 1065, as the son of king Sweyn II EstridsonSweyn II of Denmark
Sweyn II Estridsson Ulfsson was the King of Denmark from 1047 to 1074. He was the son of Ulf Jarl and Estrid Svendsdatter. He was married three times, and fathered 20 children or more, including the five future kings Harald III Hen, Canute IV the Saint, Oluf I Hunger, Eric I Evergood and Niels...
and a concubine. Four of Niels' brothers ascended to the throne before him. He is first mentioned in 1086, as a hostage sent to Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
in exchange for his brother, later king Olaf I
Olaf I of Denmark
Olaf I of Denmark was king of Denmark from 1086 to 1095, following the death of his brother Canute IV the Holy. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, and the third of Sweyn's sons to rule. He married Ingegard, the daughter of Harald III of Norway, but did not have any children...
. When his brother Eric Evergood
Eric I of Denmark
Eric I Evergood , also known as Eric the Good, , was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, by his wife Gunhild Sveinsdotter, and married Boedil Thurgotsdatter.-Biography:...
died in July 1103 during a pilgrimage, Niels was the last surviving brother and was elected king the following year, ahead of Evergood's chosen deputy 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...
. He married Margaret Fredkulla
Margaret Fredkulla
Margaret Fredkulla of Sweden was a medieval Scandinavian queen, Princess of Sweden and Queen consort of Denmark and Norway, married to King Magnus III of Norway and King Niels of Denmark, and regent de facto of Denmark. She is known as Margareta Fredkulla in Sweden, Margret Fredskolla in Norway...
, the daughter of 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...
, and she is believed to have wielded considerable influence during his reign.
Niels saw internal peace for the majority of his reign. The contemporary Chronicon Roskildense
Chronicon Roskildense
Chronicon Roskildense a small Danish historical work, which except for few yearbooks, is the oldest known attempt to write a coherent account of Danish history by a Danish author, from the time of the introduction of Christianity in Denmark to the author's own time...
describes him as mild and forthcoming, though not a competent ruler. He carried through reforms of his personal hird
Hird
The hird, in Norwegian history, was originally an informal retinue of personal armed companions, hirdmen or housecarls, but came to mean not only the nucleus of the royal army, but also developed into a more formal royal court household....
retinue, separating it into a military and an administrative branch, which was responsible for collecting taxes. He placed family members as his jarl
Jarl
Jarl or JARL may refer to:*Japan Amateur Radio League*Jarl, the word for Earl in Scandinavian languages**Jarl in Sweden**Jarl , in Norse Mythology, a son of the god RígPeople with the given name Jarl:...
s, including his son-in-law Jarl Ubbe, and his nephews Eric (Emune)
Eric I of Denmark
Eric I Evergood , also known as Eric the Good, , was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, by his wife Gunhild Sveinsdotter, and married Boedil Thurgotsdatter.-Biography:...
and Canute Lavard
Canute Lavard
Canute Lavard was a Danish prince. Later he was the first Duke of Schleswig and the first border prince who was both a Danish and a German vassal, a position leafing towards the historical double position of Southern Jutland...
, the sons of Eric Evergood. Niels supported the canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
of his brother Canute IV the Holy
Canute IV of Denmark
Canute IV, later known as Canute the Holy or Canute the Saint , was King of Denmark from 1080 until 1086. Canute was an ambitious king who sought to strengthen the Danish monarchy, devotedly supported the Roman Catholic Church, and had designs on the English throne. Slain by rebels in 1086, he was...
by bestowing gifts on the clergy of Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
, as he sought to enlarge the power and influence of the monarchy through the aid of the church. However, it is likely he did not win the full support of the magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
s on Zealand. He also campaigned against the Wends
Wends
Wends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
, in alliance with Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. In 1125, Niels' son Magnus was King of Sweden as Magnus I of Sweden
Magnus I of Sweden
Magnus I of Sweden, son of Nicholas , later called Magnus the Strong , was a Danish duke who ruled Gothenland in southern Sweden from 1125 to 1130...
.
Margaret died in 1128 or 1129, and Magnus was dethroned from the Swedish throne in 1130. After 26 years of internal peace, conflict erupted between Magnus and his cousin Canute Lavard. Canute was popular in the Duchy of Schleswig, where he was jarl, and was seen as a potential successor to Niels. On January 7, 1131, Magnus slew Canute near Haraldsted just north of Ringsted
Ringsted
Ringsted, a city in Ringsted municipality, is in the middle of the Danish island of Zealand. The municipal population is about 31,000 and the city population is 21,151 .Ringsted is approximately 60 km from Copenhagen.-Modern hotspot:...
. Niels initially condemned Magnus, but eventually supported him, and a civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
ensued between Niels and the supporters of Canute's half-brother Eric (Emune). Niels had his strongest base of support in Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, and the church also supported him. He secured support from the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
by agreeing to subordinate the Danish Archdiocese of Lund in Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
to the German Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen, which prompted Archbishop Asser of Lund
Lund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
to support Eric.
Eric made little progress in Denmark, and took the battle to Scania in 1134. Niels and Magnus landed at Fotevik bay in Scania in June 1134, seeking to deal Eric a decisive defeat. At the Battle of Fotevik
Battle of Fotevik
Battle of Fotevik was fought between forces of King Niels of Denmark together with those of his son Magnus Nilsson against those of Erik Emune on June 4, 1134 at the bay of Fotevik in Skåne....
on June 4, 1134, Niels and Magnus were taken by surprise by a contingent of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
soldiers on horses. Niels escaped, while Magnus was slain. Niels sought refuge with Holy Roman Emperor Lothar III
Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
Lothair III of Supplinburg , was Duke of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia...
of Germany, but did not make it past the city of Schleswig. Niels ventured into the former city of Canute Lavard on June 25, 1134, despite warnings. "-Should I fear tanners and shoemakers?", he supposedly remarked. He was greeted by the clergy, but as the townspeople turned against him, he and his vanguard were slain before they could reach the royal palace. When King Niels fell, the sixty-year reign of Sweyn II Estridson's sons was at an end, as Eric became king Eric II Emune
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...
.
Issue
Niels married Margaret FredkullaMargaret Fredkulla
Margaret Fredkulla of Sweden was a medieval Scandinavian queen, Princess of Sweden and Queen consort of Denmark and Norway, married to King Magnus III of Norway and King Niels of Denmark, and regent de facto of Denmark. She is known as Margareta Fredkulla in Sweden, Margret Fredskolla in Norway...
, 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...
. After Margaret's death in either 1128 or 1129, he married Ulvhild Håkansdotter, who had been married to Inge II of Sweden
Inge II of Sweden
Inge the Younger was King of Sweden in 1110–1125 and the son of king Halsten and he was probably Halsten's youngest son. According to unreliable traditions Inge would have ruled together with his brother Philip Halstensson after the death of their uncle Inge the Elder:Hallstein's sons were Philip...
and later married Sverker I of Sweden
Sverker I of Sweden
Sverker I or Sverker the Elder was King of Sweden from about 1130 till his death.-Biography:Sverker was a mighty landowner from Östergötland...
. Niels had two children with Margaret, and one child out of wedlock.
- Inge Nielsen, he died as a child.
- Magnus I of SwedenMagnus I of SwedenMagnus I of Sweden, son of Nicholas , later called Magnus the Strong , was a Danish duke who ruled Gothenland in southern Sweden from 1125 to 1130...
- Ingerd of Denmark, born out of wedlock, she married Jarl Ubbe.