Martha of Denmark
Encyclopedia
Martha, , officially Margaret (originally Margrethe) Eriksdatter of Denmark, (1277–2 March 1341) was a Medieval Swedish
Queen consort, spouse of king Birger of Sweden. She was a politically influential queen, and played a part in the Håtuna games
and in the Nyköping Banquet
.
of Denmark
and Agnes of Brandenburg
and sister of King Eric VI
. Her father was murdered in 1286, and her mother, who was made regent, remarried in 1293. Märta was married to King Birger of Sweden in 1298. Two years before, her brother had been married to her husband's sister, Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, and her marriage was a part of a double alliance between Denmark and Sweden. The marriage was decided when she was a child; the necessary dispensation from the Pope was obtained in 1284, and she spent a lot of her childhood in Sweden. Engaged to the Swedish crown prince as a child, she was largely brought up at the Swedish royal court by her future mother-in-law, the queen dowager Helwig of Holstein
. She is confirmed to have lived in Sweden permanently from at least 1295.
and large territories as her personal fiefs.
Queen Martha had great political influence on her spouse and is described as politically active. In 1299, she gave birth to a son, who was proclaimed heir to the throne in 1304. Martha was crowned queen in 1302.
In 1306, however, the brothers of the king took the actual power away from the royal couple in the famous Håtuna games
. Märta sent her son and heir to her brother and her sister-in-law, her husband's sister, the king and queen of Denmark.
In Swedish history, queen Martha had a bloodthirsty reputation, given to her by the chronicles known as Erikskrönikan. In the second of her husband's great conflicts with his brothers, the dukes, the royal couple invited the dukes to great festivities. This was the famous Nyköping Banquet
, during which the dukes were captured and imprisoned, and left to starve to death. Märta received her brothers-in-law with assurances that she loved them as if they were her brothers by blood. The festivities are described in the medieval Erikskrönikan: Everyone danced all the way from indoors to outdoors, the Queen had never looked so happy before. Her good mood was seen as a cruel sign of excitement that she and her husband were to have their revenge for the Håtuna games, as she was aware of the plan to capture the dukes in the middle of the festivities. Queen Martha is also suggested as the creator of the plan, together with minister Johann Brunkow.
in Ringsted
.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Queen consort, spouse of king Birger of Sweden. She was a politically influential queen, and played a part in the Håtuna games
Håtuna games
The Håtuna games were a 1306 conflict between king Birger Magnusson and his two brothers, the dukes Eric and Valdemar.-Background:...
and in the Nyköping Banquet
Nyköping Banquet
The Nyköping banquet was king Birger of Sweden's Christmas celebration December 11, 1317 at the Nyköping Castle in Sweden...
.
Background
Märta was born the daughter of King Eric VEric V of Denmark
Eric V "Klipping" was King of Denmark and son of Christopher I. Until 1264 he ruled under the auspices of his mother, the competent Queen Dowager Margaret Sambiria. Between 1261 and 1262, Eric was a prisoner in Holstein following a military defeat...
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Agnes of Brandenburg
Agnes of Brandenburg
Agnes of Brandenburg was a Danish Queen consort, spouse of King Eric V of Denmark. As a widow, she served as the regent of Denmark for her son Eric during his minority from 1286 until 1293.- Biography :...
and sister of King Eric VI
Eric VI of Denmark
Eric VI Menved was King of Denmark and a son of Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg.He became king in 1286 at age 12, when his father was murdered 20 November by unknown assailants...
. Her father was murdered in 1286, and her mother, who was made regent, remarried in 1293. Märta was married to King Birger of Sweden in 1298. Two years before, her brother had been married to her husband's sister, Princess Ingeborg of Sweden, and her marriage was a part of a double alliance between Denmark and Sweden. The marriage was decided when she was a child; the necessary dispensation from the Pope was obtained in 1284, and she spent a lot of her childhood in Sweden. Engaged to the Swedish crown prince as a child, she was largely brought up at the Swedish royal court by her future mother-in-law, the queen dowager Helwig of Holstein
Helvig of Holstein
Hedwig of Holstein was a Swedish queen consort, spouse of King Magnus III of Sweden. She was the child of Gerhard I, Count of Holstein and Elisabeth of Mecklenburg .-Biography:...
. She is confirmed to have lived in Sweden permanently from at least 1295.
Queen
Märta and Birger grew up together, and their marriage is described as a happy one; she is also credited with a large influence over him and the affairs of state. In 1298, it was decided that it was time to celebrate their formal wedding. Their wedding was celebrated in Stockholm and was described as very grand, with processions of knights, theatre played by nobles, and the title of duke granted by her husband to his brothers. She herself asked for prisoners to be let free, which was granted. Martha was at her wedding awarded the city of FalköpingFalköping
Falköping is a locality and the seat of Falköping Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 15,821 inhabitants in 2005.-History:The city of Falköping most likely emerged during the 15th century but earlier the town was an important site of pilgrimage due to its 12th century church...
and large territories as her personal fiefs.
Queen Martha had great political influence on her spouse and is described as politically active. In 1299, she gave birth to a son, who was proclaimed heir to the throne in 1304. Martha was crowned queen in 1302.
In 1306, however, the brothers of the king took the actual power away from the royal couple in the famous Håtuna games
Håtuna games
The Håtuna games were a 1306 conflict between king Birger Magnusson and his two brothers, the dukes Eric and Valdemar.-Background:...
. Märta sent her son and heir to her brother and her sister-in-law, her husband's sister, the king and queen of Denmark.
In Swedish history, queen Martha had a bloodthirsty reputation, given to her by the chronicles known as Erikskrönikan. In the second of her husband's great conflicts with his brothers, the dukes, the royal couple invited the dukes to great festivities. This was the famous Nyköping Banquet
Nyköping Banquet
The Nyköping banquet was king Birger of Sweden's Christmas celebration December 11, 1317 at the Nyköping Castle in Sweden...
, during which the dukes were captured and imprisoned, and left to starve to death. Märta received her brothers-in-law with assurances that she loved them as if they were her brothers by blood. The festivities are described in the medieval Erikskrönikan: Everyone danced all the way from indoors to outdoors, the Queen had never looked so happy before. Her good mood was seen as a cruel sign of excitement that she and her husband were to have their revenge for the Håtuna games, as she was aware of the plan to capture the dukes in the middle of the festivities. Queen Martha is also suggested as the creator of the plan, together with minister Johann Brunkow.
Exile
In 1318, her husband was deposed and Nyköpingshus castle was taken. Martha fled to her brother in Denmark, where she spent most of the rest of her life. Her husband soon joined her, and she became a widow in 1321, after having lived through of her brother's death in 1319 and her son's murder in 1320. She negotiated for marriages of her daughters and spent the years of 1326-1329 in Germany. The last years of her life were spent as a nun in the convent of Saint Peter in Naestved. She was buried in the St. Bendt's ChurchSt. Bendt's Church
St. Bendt's is a church in Ringsted, Denmark, which was originally part of a Benedictine monastery that burnt down in the 18th century. Built in the Romanesque style, it is the oldest brick church in Scandinavia, dating back to about 1170 when it replaced a travertine church from about 1080. It is...
in 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:...
.
Children
- Magnus Birgersson of Sweden (1300–1320)
- Eric Birgersson of Sweden (-1319), Archdeacon at Uppsala.
- Agnes Birgersdotter of Sweden (-after 1344), a nun at Slangerup Abbey.
- Katarina Birgersdotter of Sweden (-after 1320).