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Valdemar
den Store grew up partly at Skjalm Hvide’s son, Asser Rig, together
with Absalon and Esben Snare, and partly at his mothers family in Russia.
Valdemar den Store was by-king, together with Knud III and Svend Grathe.
Valdemar had escaped the blood-party in Roskilde, where Knud was
murdered, and he himself wounded.
The clash at Grathe Hede, where Svend Grathe was killed.
Then 26 years of brother-war had finished.
Valdemar was tall and handsome, but childish and hot-tempered, and could
also be unsteady and cruel. Hardly would Valdemar have been able to
raise Denmark from the extreme misery until great happines, if not a
number of excellent men had been at his side.
The best was the kings friend Absalon, with whom he had grown up, a man
with great strength and clear-sightedness, so that everybody had to
yield to his superiority. Strong and brave as a Viking and equipped with
an eloquently, which was like a “double-edged sword“. He was able to
create peace and order at the restless Zealand landsting (court).
He even scolded king Valdemar himself, when he thought he was too unsure
or way too tough.
In Paris he had been educated in scolarship of that time.
His great goal was Denmark’s power and honor and the happiness of the
people.
The divided people should gather around a great national task, that was
the fight against the dangerous Vender. The kingdom and the church
should merge into a great cooperation, and by that become far stronger,
and raise Denmark’s culture to the same level as the civilized Europe.
Shortly after Valdemar had become sole-king, Absalon was elected bishop
in Roskilde, and by that he got the position, where he could show his
ability as Denmarks greatest leader.
Saxo calls him the peoples father.
The Venders were in the 12th century still heathens, and in
the times of the king-feud, they attacked the Danish shores, which were
defenseless. Denmarks military was in decay. People were unwilling to go
to war, and only with great difficulty Valdemar and Absalon succeeded in
gathering a small fleet from Zealand and Skåne, and they left for a
looting-raid at the
Vendic
coast.
As this small raid was a success, the raids were repeated each year with
greater and greater parcipitation, at first to loot, later to conquer.
The soul in this Christian Viking-raids was Absalon, brave and clever.
Together with his brother Esben Snare he carried out many famous deeds.
14th June 1169 he captured Arkona, and the god Svantevit’s
picture was knocked over. Priests were employed at Rygen, which was
placed under Roskilde Stift, and people of Rygen’s prince was a Danish
county-chief.
Castles were build to protect the shores: Havn in 1167 (Copenhagen) was
build by Absalon.
Sprogø
and Vordingborg by Valdemar, Kalundborg by Esben Snare, Fåborg,
Svendborg and Nyborg.
In
front of Dannevirke’s soil platform Valdemar den Store (the Great) let
build a wall of tiles, called Valdemar’s Wall, and in front of this a
moat and outer-platform. On the grave plate at Valdemar den Store’s
coffin, this masterpiece is regarded as equal to his victory over the
Venders.
Chacedrals were build in Slesvig, Ribe, Århus and Viborg together with
series of parish-churches, which now were build of stone.
Valdemar
den Store died on the 12th of May 1182.
Buried in Ringsted.
Valdemar den Store was son of Knud Lavard and Ingeborg.
In 1157 he was married in Viborg to the graceful Sophie (1141-98),
daughter of Russian prince and Richiza, who was sister to Knud 3rd
Magnussen.
Valdemar and Sophie had the children:
Knud
4th (1162-1202) later king
Valdemar
Sejr (1170-1241) later king
Sofie,
married in 1181 to count Sigfres of Orlamünde
Richiza (1174-1220)
married in 121o to king Erik Knutsson of Sweden
Ingeborg
(1175-1237) married in 1193 to king Philip August of France, who
repelled her
Helene
(1176-1212) married in 1202 to count Wilhelm of Lüneburg
Together with the mistress Tove, Valdemar had the son Christoffer
(about 1150-73).
