Abel of Denmark

Abel of Denmark (1218 – June 29, 1252) was Duke of Schleswig from 1232 to 1252 and King of Denmark from 1250 until his death. He was the son of Valdemar II by his wife, Princess Berengária of Portugal, and brother to Eric IV and Christopher I.

Abel succeeded to the throne on November 1, 1250, after the death of his brother Eric IV. Eric IV was apparently slain by two of Abel's men after a year-long conflict between the two brothers, and even though Abel and twenty-four noblemen swore an official oath ("dual dozen's oath", in (Danish "dobbelt tylvter-ed") that the Duke had no part in the killing, it was (and still is) widely believed that King Eric was killed at his brother's bidding. "Abel by name, Cain by his deeds" (Danish, "Abel af navn, Kain af gavn"), or so people said.

Abel and Queen Mechtildis of Holstein only ruled for a year and a half, however, before Abel was killed in battle on June 29, 1252 during a punishment expedition in Friesland. His half-grown son Valdemar was held for ransom by the Archbishop of Cologne at the time, and so it was Eric and Abel's youngest brother Christopher I, who was crowned King on Christmas Day 1252. Queen Dowager Mechthildis married in 1261 Birger Jarl.

Abel's descendants - the "Abel Family" - ruled South Jutland until 1375, often in co-operation with their relatives in Holstein, and they created a permanent problem for the Danish government. Their rule meant the start of the separation of South Jutland from the rest of Denmark.

References

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