Absalon (c.
1128-
1201),
Danish archbishop and statesman,
was born about 1128, the son of Asser Rig of Fjenneslev (
Zealand), at whose castle he and his brother Esbjorn were brought up
along with the young prince Valdemar, afterwards King
Valdemar
I. The Rigs were as pious and enlightened as they were
rich. They founded the monastery of Sorř as a civilizing
centre, and after giving Absalon the rudiments of a sound
education at home, which included not only book-lore but every
manly and martial exercise, they sent him to the university of
Paris. Absalon first appears in
Saxo's Chronicle as a
fellow-guest at
Roskilde, at the banquet given, in
1157, by
King Sweyn to his rivals Canute and Valdemar. Both Absalon and
Valdemar narrowly escaped assassination at the hands of their
treacherous host on this occasion, but at length escaped to
Jutland, whither Sweyn followed them, but was defeated and slain
at the
battle of Grathe Heath[?]. The same year (1158) which saw
Valdemar ascend the Danish throne saw Absalon elected bishop of
Roskilde. Henceforth Absalon was the chief counsellor of
Valdemar, and the promoter of that imperial policy which, for
three generations, was to give Denmark the dominion of the
Baltic. Briefly, it was Absalon's intention to clear the
northern sea of the Wendish pirates, who inhabited that portion
of the Baltic littoral which was later called
Pomerania, and ravaged
the Danish coasts so unmercifully that at the accession of
Valdemar one-third of the realm of Denmark lay wasted and
depopulated. The very existence of Denmark demanded the
suppression and conversion of these stiff-necked pagan
freebooters, and to this double task Absalon devoted the
best part of his life. The first expedition against the
Wends, conducted by Absalon in person, set out in
1160,
but it was not till
1168 that the chief Wendish fortress,
at Arkona in
Rügen, containing the sanctuary of their god
Svantovit, was surrendered, the Wends agreeing to accept
Danish suzerainty and the Christian religion at the same
time. From Arkona Absalon proceeded by sea to Garz, in south
Rügen, the political capital of the Wends, and an all but
impregnable stronghold. But the unexpected fall of Arkona
had terrified the garrison, which surrendered unconditionally
at the first appearance of the Danish ships. Absalon, with
only Sweyn, bishop of
Aarhus, and twelve "house carls,"
thereupon disembarked, passed between a double row of Wendish
warriors, 6000 strong, along the narrow path winding among the
morasses, to the gates of the fortress, and, proceeding to the
temple of the seven-headed god Rugievit, caused the idol to
be hewn down, dragged forth and burnt. The whole population
of Garz was then baptized, and Absalon laid the foundations
of twelve churches in the isle of Rügen. The destruction of
this chief sally-port of the Wendish pirates enabled Absalon
considerably to reduce the Danish fleet. But he continued
to keep a watchful eye over the Baltic, and in
1170 destroyed
another pirate stronghold, farther eastward, at Dievenow
on the isle of
Wolin. Absalon's last military exploit was
the annihilation, off Strela (
Stralsund), on Whit-Sunday
1184, of a Pomeranian fleet which had attacked Denmark's
vassal, Jaromir of Rügen. He was now but fifty-seven, but
his strenuous life had aged him, and he was content to resign
the command of fleets and armies to younger men, like Duke
Valdemar, afterwards King
Valdemar II, and to confine himself
to the administration of the empire which his genius had
created. In this sphere Absalon proved himself equally
great. The aim of his policy was to free Denmark from the German
yoke. It was contrary to his advice and warnings that Valdemar
I rendered fealty to the emperor
Frederick Barbarossa at
Dole in
1162; and when, on the accession of
Canute V[?] in
1182, an imperial ambassador arrived at
Roskilde to receive
the homage of the new king, Absalon resolutely withstood
him. "Return to the emperor," cried he, "and tell him that
the king of Denmark will in no wise show him obedience or
do him homage." As the archpastor of Denmark Absalon also
rendered his country inestimable services, building churches
and monasteries, introducing the religious orders, founding
schools and doing his utmost to promote civilization and
enlightenment. It was he who held the first Danish Synod at
Lund in
1167. In
1178 he became archbishop of
Lund, but very
unwillingly, only the threat of excommunication from the
holy see finally inducing him to accept the pallium. Absalon
died on the
21st of March 1201, at the family monastery of
Sorř, which he himself had richly embellished and endowed.
Absalon remains one of the most striking and picturesque
figures of the Middle Ages, and was equally great as
churchman, statesman and warrior. That he enjoyed warfare
there can be no doubt; and his splendid physique and early
training had well fitted him for martial exercises. He
was the best rider in the army and the best swimmer in the
fleet. Yet he was not like the ordinary fighting bishops
of the Middle Ages, whose sole concession to their sacred
calling was to avoid the "shedding of blood" by using a mace
in battle instead of a sword. Absalon never neglected his
ecclesiastical duties, and even his wars were of the nature of
Crusades. Moreover, all his martial energy notwithstanding,
his personality must have been singularly winning; for it is
said of him that he left behind not a single enemy, all his
opponents having long since been converted by him into friends.
See Saxo, Gesta Danorum, ed. Holder (Strassburg, 1886), books
xvi.; Steenstrup, Danmarks Riges Historie. Oldtiden og den ćldre
Middelalder, pp. 570-735 (Copenhagen, 1897-1905).
Absalon's Testamentum, in Migne, Patrologia Latina 209,18.
Initial text from 1911 encyclopedia -- Please update as needed
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