The Danish Monarchy 1340-1375
King Valdemar Atterdag
Jan 3, 2009 Julie Refnov Mortensen
In 1340 things were about to change when Count Gert, a main force in taking the power from King Christoffer, was assassinated.
King Valdemar
King Christoffer II had a son, Valdemar, whom due to his father’s loss off power, had spent most of his childhood in exile at the court of Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor in Bavaria. But in 1340, Valdemar was 19 years old and determined to regain the power of former Danish kings and with the assassination off his biggest opponent, the path was cleared for him.
When Valdemar was elected king the noblemen, to which to country of Denmark had been mortgaged to, thought they had elected yet another puppet they could direct in which way they thought suitable. Valdemar, however, had a different agenda. He was ready to restore the kingdom of Denmark, using whatever means necessary.
The Reign
Valdemar’s marriage to Helvig, the daughter of Duke Erik II of Schleswig, was the first step in taking back the land he thought rightfully his. Helvig brought a large sum of money into the marriage and with that money Valdemar was able to pay off some of his father's debt. Since his father had left him a small piece of land in Northern Jutland, he started by gaining back the surrounding areas. To raise more money he taxed the residents of the areas he took control over. In return, the peasants resented him, but the tax money allowed him to buy back more and more of his country.
In 1346 he sold Estonia, which had been under Danish rule since 1219, to the Germans. The money earned was spent to buy back more land in Denmark.
During his reign Valdemar had to endure the horrors of the bubonic plague that killed from coast to coast. Valdemar however, seemed untouched by the tragedy sweeping across the country and continued to raise taxes although the number of peasants to farm the country had dropped dramatically.
Valdemar Atterdag is considered one of the most influential kings in the history of Denmark as he succeeded in gaining back the royal power after generations of kings had led the country into complete dismay. In history, Valdemar Atterdag is described as an intelligent, cynical, relentless leader, who took what he wanted with no regards to who got in his way.
At his death in 1375, Valdemar had managed to almost restore the kingdom of Denmark to its former greatness.
His name Atterdag literally means “another day” or a “new day,” symbolizing the new era that started with him as king.
With his wife Hedvig, Valdemar had 6 children. Unfortunately all but one daughter, Margrethe, preceded their father in death.
For more on the history of the Danish Monarchy read: The Danish Monarchy-The Beginning and The Danish Monarchy 1375-1389, Queen Margrethe I
Sources:
www.kongernesjelling.dk
www.museerne.dk
www.kongehuset.dk
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