Skjalm Hvide

Skjalm Hvide's stronghold in Zealand

During Skjalm Hvide's lifetime and for a long time thereafter, the Hvide Clan was most active and influential on the Danish island of Zealand (Danish: Sjælland), and some of the surrounding areas, including e.g. other Danish islands and Skåne, also known as Scania, in what today is the southernmost province of Sweden.

The Hvide Clan had an important stronghold in and around Jørlunde, North Zealand, where in. c. 1085 Skjalm Hvide erected the Jørlunde Church (Jørlunde Kirke). Today, Jørlunde is a village in the Frederikssund municipality, about 26 km northwest of central Copenhagen, in the Capital Region of Denmark, with a population of 305 as of 1 January 2019. The earliest known written mention of the place-name Jørlunde is in a document from 1085.

In addition to North Zealand, Skåne (Scania) and some other areas, Skjalm Hvide also held large land possessions in and around what nearly five decades after his death, in 1161, was founded as the town of Sorø by Skjalm's grandson Absalon, a son of Asser Rig, in the south-central part of Zealand.

In Sorø, Skjalm Hvide's sons Ebbe Skjalmsen Hvide and Asser Rig (Hvide) in 1140 founded and in 1142 consecrated the Sorø Abbey. It was the preeminent and wealthiest monastic house in all of Denmark during the Middle Ages, which acquired property all over Denmark, with an income larger than that of the royal family. Near Sorø, Ebbe also erected the Bjernede Church, and Asser established a Benedictine House, just a few years before his death in 1151. Asser lived as a monk for the last years of his life.

In 1161–1201, Asser's son Absalon erected at the Sorø Abbey grounds Sorø Abbey Church, a burial site for four Danish rulers. Around the time he started that work, he also founded what today is the city of Copenhagen. Traditionally, Copenhagen's founding has been dated to Bishop Absalon's erection of the Absalon's Castle on the little island of Slotsholmen in 1167, at the site of the later Copenhagen Castle and where the Christiansborg Palace – the home of the Danish Parliament (Danish: Folketing) – stands today.

The construction of the Absalon's Castle was done in response to the attacks by Wendish pirates who plagued the Danish coastline during the 12th century. Defensive ramparts and moats were also built for the castle, and at the latest by 1177 also the St. Clemens Church had been completed on the same site.

Adam of Bremen on Skjalm Hvide's turf

Adam of Bremen (before 1050 – 12 October 1081/1085) was a German monk and chronicler, most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum (Medieval Latin for "Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church"), a historical treatise written in 1073–1076, to which Adam made additions (scholia) until his death. It is one of the most important sources of the medieval history of Northern Europe, and the oldest textual source reporting the discovery of coastal North America. It covers the entire period known as the Viking Age, from the foundation of the bishopric under Saint Willehad (a.k.a. Willihad (Latin: Willehadus/Willihadus); c. 745 – 8 November 789; a Christian missionary and the Bishop of Bremen from 787) in 788 until the rule of the Prince-Bishop Adalbert (c. 1000 – 16 March 1072), who served as the Archbishop of Hamburg and Bishop of Bremen in 1043–1072.

In 1066 or 1067 Adam was invited by Archbishop Adalbert of Hamburg (a.k.a. Adalbert of Bremen; also Adelbert, Albert; c. 1000 – 16 March 1072) to join the Archdiocese of Bremen. He was accepted among the capitulars of Bremen, and by 1069 appeared as the director of the cathedral's school. Soon thereafter he began to write the history of Bremen, Hamburg and the northern lands in his aforementioned study, nicknamed as Gesta.

Adam's position and the missionary activity of the church of Bremen allowed him to gather information on the history and geography of Northern Germany and some of the surrounding areas. On this mission, Adam at some point in 1073–1076 spent time at the royal court of King Sweyn II of Denmark (c. 1019 – 28 April 1076; reigned in 1047–1076), a.k.a. Sweyn II Estridsson. presumably including in Slangerup – a part of which is Jørlunde –, based on the fact that King Sweyn II primarily used as his home the royal estate there and its equivalent in Dalby, near Lund.

The German archbishops of Cologne and Hamburg were at the time competing on which one of the two would succeed on converting the pagan Nordic peoples north of Germany into Christianity, and on which one of the two would get to expand his archdiocese north from Germany. In this contest, and on his time spent in Denmark, Adam of Bremen represented the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. Adam reported of having received a lot of information from King Sweyn II, for whom Adam shows appreciation and respect in his writing. King Sweyn II was a close ally of Skjalm Hvide, including in the Battle of Niså in 1062. Sweyn II's grandson Canute Lavard and great-grandson Valdemar I – a future King of Denmark – were both brought up by Skjalm Hvide and his family.

Skjalm Hvide's immediate family

Skjalm Hvide had at least one brother, Aude, who – in the words of Saxo Grammaticus –"belonged to one of the most distinguished families". Skjalm and his wife Signe Asbjørnsdatter (c. 1050 – c. 1096) gave birth to Asser Rig Skjalmsen Hvide (c. 1078–1151) (a jarl and chieftain); Margrethe Skjalmsdatter Hvide (1073–1162); Cecilie Skjalmsdatter Hvide (c. 1084 – 1161); Toke Skjalmsen Hvide (1085–1145); Sune Skjalmsen Hvide (c. 1086 – c. 1140); and Ebbe Skjalmsen Hvide af Knardrup (c. 1090 – 1151).

Skjalm's son Asser Rig married Inger Eriksdotter (c. 1100–1157), the daughter of Eric, the Jarl of Falster, and Princess Cecilia Knutsdatter, the daughter of King Canute IV of Denmark (c. 1042 – 10 July 1086), the first Danish king (1080–1086) to be canonized, recognized by the Roman Catholic Church as the Patron Saint of Denmark in 1101. Asser and Inger settled to live in Fjenneslev, Zealand, where they erected the Fjenneslev Church (Fjenneslev Kirke) in Sorø.

They gave birth to Absalon (c. 1128 – 21 March 1201), who became the Bishop of Roskilde, Archbishop of Lund, and a powerful warrior leader, government minister and main adviser and ally to two Danish kings. The other two children of Asser and Inger were Esbern Snare (c. 1127–1204) and Ingefred Assersdatter (c. 1130–1160). Absalon's grandfather – Asser's father – Skjalm Hvide was originally buried in Fjenneslev, but was later moved to Sorø Klosterkirke (i.e. the Sorø Abbey Church). At Skjalm's tomb an inscription in a lead-plate, believed to be from the late 12th century, states that Absalon's grandfather Skjalm is here.

Whereas Skjalm Hvide brought up Canute Lavard, the father of Valdemar I, Canute's son Valdemar I was brought up by Skjalm's son Asser. Asser's son Absalon and stepson Valdemar I became great friends. Before the mid-12th century, an era of Danish warfare and expansion broke out, led by Absalon for – and together with – his stepbrother Valdemar I. The unrest was started by a Danish civil war fought in 1146–1157, which led to Valdemar in 1157 being crowned as King Valdemar I of Denmark, a.k.a. Valdemar the Great (reign: 1157–1182). Thereafter, Absalon remained a war commander, minister and chief adviser first to Valdemar I and then – following the death of Valdemar I in 1182 – to his successor, King Canute VI (reign: 1182–1202).

After the civil war, Absalon led warring against the Wends, just like his grandfather Skjalm Hvide had done. At Absalon's instigation, Valdemar I declared war upon the Wends, who were raiding the Danish coasts. In 1158, Valdemar I erected the Sønderborg Castle (Valdemar IV of Denmark and Helvig of Schleswig were married there two centuries later) for protection against the Wends and as part of a larger system of fortifications.

Skjalm Hvide brought up Canute Lavard

In c. 1102, Skjalm Hvide undertook the task of providing home and care – in addition to his own biological children – to Canute Lavard (Danish: Knud Lavard) (March 12, 1096 – 7 January 1131). Canute Lavard was the eldest and only legitimate son of King Eric I of Denmark (c. 1055 – 10 July 1103; reigned in 1095–1103) (Eric I, Eric the Good; Danish: Erik Ejegod, a son of King Sweyn II) and Queen Boedil Thurgotsdatter. Both Eric I and Boedil were descendants of King Sweyn I of Denmark.

This mission of Skjalm Hvide began when Canute Lavard's parents, King Eric I and Queen Boedil embarked for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On their pilgrimage, both Eric I and Boedil died. On their way to the Holy Land, first Eric I became ill, and on 10 July 1103 died in Paphos, Cyprus. Queen Boedil also became ill, but made it to Jerusalem, where she died that same year.

At the death of his parents, Canute Lavard was seven years old, and – as a minor – he was bypassed as the heir for the throne. Under the care of Skjalm Hvide, and with the assistance of Skjalm's brother Aude, Canute thereafter grew up to become a chivalrous and popular Danish prince. The Hvide family members were his most eager supporters.

Canute became the first Duke of Schleswig and – subsequently – the first so-called border-prince, who was both a Danish and German vassal at the same time, a position leading towards the historical double position of Southern Jutland. Canute was an ancestor of the Valdemarian kings (Valdemarerne) and of their corresponding royal line. He was the father of King Valdemar I of Denmark (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182) (Valdemar den Store) and grandfather of King Valdemar II of Denmark (Valdemar Sejr). The reign of King Valdemar I saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its zenith under his second son, and successor, King Valdemar II of Denmark.

In 1115, Canute Lavard's uncle, King Niels of Denmark, placed Canute in charge of the Duchy of Schleswig (jarl af Sønderjylland), in order to put an end to the attacks of the Slavic Obotrites. During the next fifteen years, he fulfilled his duty of establishing peace in the border area so well that he was titled Duke of Holstein (Hertug af Holsten) and became a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire.

Skjalm Hvide's son brought up Canute's son

As Canute Lavard's son, and as an heir to the throne, and with his rivals quickly gaining power, Valdemar (future King Valdemar I of Denmark) too was adopted to the Hvide family, to be brought up in Ringsted, at the court of Skjalm Hvide's son Asser Rig (Hvide). Asser's son Absalon became a great and trusted friend of his new stepbrother, Valdemar, and Valdemar's chief adviser and – later – a minister, powerful war commander, Bishop of the Diocese of Roskilde (1158–1192) and Archbishop of Lund (1178–1201). In 1154, at his coronation, Valdemar became the King Valdemar I of Denmark, also known as Valdemar the Great (Danish: Valdemar den Store). He reigned until his death in 1182.

Before that, in 1146, when Valdemar was only fifteen years old, King Eric III of Denmark abdicated and a Danish civil war erupted. The pretenders to the throne were (1) Sweyn III of Denmark, the son of King Eric II of Denmark and grandson of King Eric I of Denmark; and (2) Canute V of Denmark, the son of Magnus Nielsen and grandson of Niels of Denmark, who succeeded as king his brother Eric I of Denmark; and (3) Valdemar I himself, who held in his possession Jutland – the peninsula of Northern Europe which forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany –, but most tightly of it the area of Schleswig, located around the modern-day Danish-German border.

In 1157, the three agreed to divide Denmark in three between themselves. Sweyn III hosted a great banquet for Canute V, Absalon, and Valdemar I, during which he planned to kill all three. Canute V was killed, but Absalon and Valdemar I escaped. Valdemar I at this point returned to Jutland. Sweyn III quickly launched an invasion there, but only to be defeated by Valdemar I in the Battle of Grathe Heath on 23 October 1157. Consequently, Sweyn III was killed during a fight, allegedly by a group of peasants who stumbled upon him as he was fleeing from the battlefield. In total, the Danish civil war had by then lasted over ten years. Valdemar I, now having outlived all his rival pretenders, became the sole King of Denmark.

In 1157, King Valdemar I was married to Sophia of Minsk (c. 1140 – 5 May 1198). In 1158, Absalon was appointed the Bishop of Roskilde (1158–1192), and later the Archbishop of Lund (1178–1201), while all along serving as the chief adviser, war commander and a minister for his stepbrother, the King Valdemar I of Denmark. At Absalon's instigation, Valdemar I declared war upon the Wends, who were raiding the Danish coasts. In 1158, Valdemar I erected the Sønderborg Castle for protection against attacks by the Wends and as part of a larger system of fortifications, and in 1175 the Vordingborg Castle as a defensive fortress, and as a base from which to launch raids against the German coast.

Skjalm Hvide's sons founded Sorø Abbey

Around the lifetime of Skjalm Hvide, it was common practice for the wealthy and powerful to found religious houses, most typically for the following reasons: Expiation of a sinful life; to gain a stage to arrange commemorative and religious masses and events; to have a venue to provide services for the poor; or just out of religious zeal or devotion; or for any combination of the above.

Accordingly, on a land owned by Skjalm Hvide until his death in c. 1113, his sons Ebbe Skjalmsen and Asser Rig in 1140 founded the Sorø Abbey, which became the preeminent and wealthiest monastic house in all of Denmark during the Middle Ages. It acquired property all over Denmark, with an income larger than that of the royal family. Near Sorø, Ebbe also erected the Bjernede Church, and Asser established a Benedictine House, just a few years before his death in 1151. Asser lived as a monk for the last years of his life.

A decade after the passing of Ebbe and Asser in 1151, Asser's son Absalon in 1161 founded the town of Sorø where the Sorø Abbey is located. In 1167, Absalon also founded what became the city Copenhagen. In 1161–1201, he erected on the abbey grounds Sorø Klosterkirke, i.e. the Sorø Abbey Church. The church became a burial site for the noble Hvide family members, including for Absalon himself in 1201, behind the main altar, when the church construction was completed. It became a burial site also for three Danish kings; Christopher II, Valdemar IV Atterdag, and Oluf II, as well as Queen Margaret I of Denmark, who later was moved to the Roskilde Cathedral (Danish: Roskilde Domkirke).

Today, the Sorø Klosterkirke church remains an excellent example of early Brick Gothic architecture. From 1625 onward, the site of the Sorø Abbey has also been the site of the Sorø Academy (Danish: Sorø Akademis Skole), a well-known educational institution.

The most famous residents of the Sorø Abbey have included the Danish historian, theologian and author Saxo Grammaticus (c. 1150 – c. 1220) ("Saxo the Literate", or "Saxo the Learned", literally "Saxo the Grammarian", a.k.a. Saxo cognomine Longus), who was born around the time when Skjalm Hvide's sons Ebbe Skjalmsen and Asser Rig – the founders of the Sorø Abbey – are believed to have died (both in c. 1151).

Saxo Grammaticus at Sorø Abbey

On the invitation from Absalon, Saxo Grammaticus wrote Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danes") at the Sorø Abbey. It is a patriotic work describing Danish and – to some degree – other Nordic and Baltic history, from prehistory to the late 12th century. It consists of sixteen books written in Latin.

It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark and an essential source for the nation's early history, and also one of the oldest known written documents about the history of Estonia and Latvia. Additionally, Gesta Danorum offers singular reflections on European affairs in the High Middle Ages, from a unique Scandinavian perspective. From Gesta Danorum, the legend of Amleth came to inspire the story of Hamlet by Shakespeare (The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark).

Saxo is thought to have started writing Gesta Danorum in c. 1185. His writings reveal that he was in the retinue – and received the patronage – of Absalon, who was the foremost adviser to King Valdemar I. In his will, Absalon forgives his clerk Saxo a small debt of two and a half silver marks, and instructs Saxo to return two borrowed books to the monastery of Sorø. Saxo is believed to have finished Gesta Danorum by writing the preface for it as the work's last step, in c. 1216, while then being under the patronage of Anders Sunesen, who became the Archbishop of Lund after the death of Absalon in 1201.

Anders Sunesen was a nephew of Absalon and a great-grandson of Skjalm Hvide, and – accordingly – a member of the religious and political elite. Anders was well-traveled, having received his education in theology and philosophy in Paris, France, and his legal education in Bologna, Italy and at Oxford, England. Together with his brother, Anders led a crusade against the Finns in 1202, and in 1219 accompanied Valdemar II in his war against Estonia.

In the preface of Gesta Danorum, Saxo included a warm appreciation of both Archbishops of Lund, Absalon and Anders Sunesen, as well as the reigning King Valdemar II. In the preface, Saxo writes that his patron Absalon, the Archbishop of Lund, had encouraged him to write a heroic history of the Danes. Although Saxo Grammaticus is commonly viewed by the modern-day Danes as their "first national historian", two other coherent accounts of Danish history by Danish authors predate Gesta Danorum.