Prologue III: Knud VI. 1182-1202
Seal of Knud VI. likely stems from 1190-1200, first ever evidence of the Danish coat of arms. It was found in the archives of Schwerin in 1879
It is sometimes incorrectly thought that Valdemar II. became king after his father’s death in 1182. In fact, Valdemar II. was not the eldest son and had not been chosen as his father successor. His elder brother, Knud VI. had in fact from a young age been acknowledged as a co-king of eastern Denmark.[1]
The reason for this, sometimes unsung, Danish King is not because little of note happened, on the contrary. But probably due to Knud being overshadowed by other people during his time on the throne.
Undeniable when Knud became sole king of Denmark at the age of 19, the Kingdom had taken a position of strength in Northern Europe, a fact that would only be further increased during his reign. His father’s marriage with the beautiful, but apparantly cruel Sophie of Minsk [2] had left several children; six daughters and two sons.
It is unknown who the power was between most of the strategic marriages that took effect for Knud’s sisters during his reign, but it would eventually encompass a Queen of France, a Queen of Sweden, a Countess and a Duchess of respectively Weimar-Orlamünde and Lüneburg. There was, furthermore, a betrothal to one of the Emperor’s sons, but this was later canceled.
Knud himself married a daughter of Henry the Lion, a match planned by his father. Probably the only one that escaped the machinations of these marriage alliances during this period was his younger brother, which at the death of Valdemar I, became the Duke of Sønderjylland.
The first immediate concern for Knud VI. was not the marriages of all his sisters but rebellion. A peasant revolt rose up in Eastern Denmark, in opposition to reforms made by Archbishop Absalon. Though the nobility of Eastern Denmark likely managed to defeat the rebellion before Knud managed to gather his levies, nonetheless the official end to the rebellion was the defeat of the last remnants of the peasant rebellion at the battle of Lumme Å where Knud VI. participated.
The next crises happened just two years into his (yet) short reign. Knud’s grandfather, the Saint Knud Lavard was the first Duke of Sønderjylland [3] but had also acquired the title of Duke of Holstein being both a Danish vassal, but also a vassal of the Emperor. Furthermore, it is also likely that Valdemar I. had acknowledged Frederik Barbarossa as his overlord.
Frederik Barbarossa sent a messenger to Knud demanding that he acknowledged the Emperor as his liege. Yet Knud (likely on the advice of Archbishop Absalon) refused to do so. This refusal would have two immediate consequences the cancelation of the betrothal of one of Knuds sisters to one of the sons of the Emperor, and war.
One of the many statues of Archbishop Absalon. Absalon plays a crucial role during his lifetime not only as the spiritual leader of Denmark in his position as first Bishop of Roskilde but later as Archbishop of Lund. But also as a warrior due to the many wars and crusades he participated and led to the south. His legacy in many ways overshadows that of the King Knud VI.
Unable to participate himself, due to trouble in the south, Emperor Frederik Barbarossa ordered his vassal Duke Bogislaw of Pomerania to invade Denmark. Knud VI. himself was in Jutland [4] at the time and the following naval victory over Pomerania was in the hands of the Archbishop Absalon.
Following the Danish victory at sea Knud would order two invasions of Pomerania and in relatively short span would subdue the Pomeranian lands and force Bogislaw to acknowledge Knud as his liege already in 1185. Danish kings have from that day titled themselves as Vendernes konge (King of the Wends)
It is then likely that instead of disbanding the army that conquered Pomerania Knud used it to intervene in a succession struggle in the nearby Duchy of Mecklenburg.
While the details are unknown, we know that Nicholas I, Prince of the Obotrite and Lord of Rostock was embroiled in a dynastic squabble with his cousin, Henry Borwin I, Prince of the Obotrite and Lord of Mecklenburg. Over the dominion of the entirety of the Duchy of Mecklenburg, a conflict that started in 1182 and ended three years later in 1285 due to Danish intervention.
Over the conflict, it must have become clear to both participants but also to the onlookers that the conflict between the two princes remained isolated. Despite alliance nets to the rest of the Empire, neither side saw help from potential allies due to wider issues in the Empire.
It is this situation that was exploited either by Knud VI. or Archbishop Absalon, by invading and intervening on the behalf of Nicholas I, eventually capturing Henry Borwin I and forcing both to acknowledge Knud VI as their Liege.
For the first roughly 5-10 years of Knud VI reign, Archbishop Absalon seems to have been the driving force behind the throne, and many of the events that happened during these early years are credited to the Archbishop.
In 1187 Knud VI's brother took control of the Duchy of Sønderjylland, the previous years it had been ruled by his regent Bishop Valdemar of Slesvig, an illegitimate son of Knud IV of Denmark.
These two Valdemar’s the Duke and Bishop played a central role in the latter years of Knud VI’s reign. Early on the two were able to work together and in union invaded and conquered the Dithmarshen region on the duchy’s southern border, a territory nominally belonging to the Archbishop of Bremen, but which had a peasant republic in place.
The relationship between the two Valdemar’s would sour in 1192, either over Dithmarshen or the way Bishop Valdemar led his diocese.
This lead to Duke Valdemar confiscating estates from the Bishop, which then likely fled into exile the same year. Likewise in 1192 in his exile the Bishop was elected by the Bremen chapter unauthorizedly as the new Prince-Archbishop of Bremen.
Prince-Archbishop Valdemar in an alliance with the newly returned from the Crusades, Count of Holstein, Adolf III. invaded by ship the Jutlandic territories controlled by Knud VI. in 1192 in a bid from the Prince-Archbishop to claim the Danish throne.
Ultimately the invasion was short-lived already by 1193 the invasion had been defeated either by Duke Valdemar or King Knud VI. Resulting in the capture of the Prince-Archbishop and his imprisonment for the next 13 years, first under the guardianship of Duke Valdemar at Nordborg for the first five years, and later in Søborg for the remaining years.
Adolf III. would go on to participate in the crusading business, once again, and first returned to his land between 1197 and 1200 as a conflict between the Count of Holstein and the King of Denmark broke out on Rygen. [5]
Ultimately this war led to Danish triumph on several fronts, in the east the two Obotrite princes Nicholas I, Lord of Rostock and Henry Borwin I. Lord of Mecklenburg invaded the territory of Adolf and defeated either Adolf himself or forces loyal to him in the battle of Waschow in the County of Ratzeburg.
The battle of Waschow saw the death of Nicholas I. resulting in the Lordship of Rostock returning into the hands of Henry Borwin I.
In the north Duke Valdemar invaded Holstein with his own army and it would be this trust into the territory of Adolf III. that would be the final one, in 1201 the battle of Stellau, north of Hamburg was fought. While the sources conflict about the victors of this battle, what is certain is that Adolf, either retreated to Hamburg or returned to it following the battle.
Duke Valdemar after the battle of Stellau besieged the city of Hamburg, and if the sources are to be believed, assaulted the city in a daring Christmas attack that resulted in the conquest of the city and the capture of Count Adolf.
Following this triumph, Duke Valdemar added Holstein and Hamburg to his domains of Sønderjylland and Dithmarschen, while Knud VI. added Ratzeburg and Lybæk to his own.
In 1202, the following year, the now 39-year old Danish king, after 20 years on the Danish throne suddenly fell ill and died, being childless he left no chosen heir.
The extent of Knud VI's realm just before his death in 1202
While the reign of Knud certainly is dominated by conflicts in and with the Empire, like his father he reformed the Kingdom, though Archbishop Absalon, as ever, is certainly present in these reforms too.
Early on in his reign Absalon and Knud strengthened the Royal Hird, while the exact details are relatively unknown. The Royal hird, unlike the Ledding reforms of Valdemar I. revolved around the aristocratic elements of the realm. [6]
The other reform which is also co-signed by Archbishop Absalon happened in the latter years of his reign was compared to his early on, a peaceful one, it sharpened the laws against violent crimes and are on the whole uninteresting.
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[1] relative common happenstance in the early Danish monarchy, this was to secure the succession in what was otherwise an elective monarchy.
[2] While her exact origin is unknown, we know she was the daughter of Richeza of Poland, Dowager Queen of Sweden, from her second a man called Valador King in Poloni lands, a figure that is forgotten to history. Nonetheless, the “of Minsk” title is a bit misleading, the marriage seems to be one of an alliance of sorts towards Sweden and Sophia of Minsk herself spent several years of her childhood in Denmark.
[3] when Knud Lavard got the fief of Sønderjylland it was as a Jarl, it is likely Knud Lavard adopted the title Duke, due to his interest in the chivalric ideals of the time.
[4] Denmark did not have capital at this time, Valdemar I spent most of his time in the castle of Vordingborg, Knud VI. seems to have spent considerable time in Åbosyssel in eastern Jutland, maybe the town/city of Arus (modern-day Aarhus)
[5] the war between Knud VI and Adolf III might be a part of the greater conflict between the candidates to the Imperial throne Philip of Swabia and Otto IV
[6] This reform might not only have strengthened the royal hird but might very well have reinstituted it. What is known is that the reform spanned the entire realm and that it increased both the size and discipline of the Royal Hird. There is mention of 62 brotherhoods [direct translation] in Jutland and the isles (no mention of Skåne, so this number of 62 is not telling much really) in Kong Valdemars Jordebog is Knud VI. himself named as part of one of these brotherhoods stemming from Åbosyssel (eastern Jutland).
One can make a guess towards this being a step towards the strengthening of the aristocracy of Denmark. Valdemar II is noted for relying more on the nobility and the levies they can raise. Rather than the peasant forces of the ledding system.
Even then he surely used both as the ledding participated in the crusade in 1219 towards Estonia.
Denmark is in a weird position militarily where it both relies on the systems of old and the more “modern” feudal systems and how it exactly worked is not known.
This mention of Åbosyssel is maybe again a hint towards there being a “royal resident” of Knud VI. It further might suggest why Adolf III and Prince-Archbishop Valdemar invaded Northern Jutland and not Sønderjylland [Southern Jutland] which bordered the territory of Adolf III.
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Alrighto the last prologue is up, next up Valdemar II which will include the PoD.
So yea this all happened OTL though I might have some details wrong.
I got about twice as long as I expected and I know it is a bit of information dumb..
Anyways Happy New Years
