Esbern Snare, also known as Esbern the Resolute, (1127–1204) was a '' høvding'', or chieftain, royal chancellor and crusader. His family were members of the powerful

Hvide Hvide (English: ''Whites'') was a medieval Danish clan, and afterwards in early modern era a Danish noble surname of presumably one surviving branch of leaders of that clan. Before the 16th century it was not used as a surname. It signified th ...

clan. In 1192, during the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...

and after the fall of Jerusalem, he led a small group of Danish soldiers to the

Holy Land The Holy Land; Arabic: or is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River, traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine. The term "Holy ...

. Upon his return, he had the

Church of Our Lady, Kalundborg The Church of Our Lady (''Vor Frue Kirke, Kalundborg'') is a historical building at Kalundborg in northwestern Zealand, Denmark. The precise date of construction is not known with any certainty, though its architecture indicates the early part of ...

built.

Early life

Born in 1127, Snare was the eldest son of Asser Rig (c. 1080–1151), also called Asser the rich, of the

clan. Esbern's mother, Lady Inge, was the daughter of and Princess Cecilia Knutsdatter. He was the grandson of

Skjalm Hvide Skjalm Hvide (before 1045 – c. 1113), was the Earl of Zealand in Denmark in the end of the Viking Age (793–1066) and up to his death. Skjalm's father was Toke Trylle, whose father was ''Slag'' (or ''Slau'', or he may have been called by bo ...

and great-grandson of

Canute IV of Denmark Canute IV ( – 10 July 1086), later known as Canute the Holy ( da, Knud IV den Hellige) or Saint Canute (''Sankt Knud''), was King of Denmark from 1080 until 1086. Canute was an ambitious king who sought to strengthen the Danish monarchy ...

(c. 1042 – 10 July 1086), the first Danish king (1080–1086) to be

canonized Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christianity, Christian communion declaring a person worthy of Cult (religious practice), public veneration and enterin ...

. His family lived in Fjenneslev,

Zealand Zealand ( da, Sjælland ) at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020. It is the 1 ...

. His brother was

Absalon Absalon (21 March 1201) was a Danish statesman and prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the bishop of Roskilde from 1158 to 1192 and archbishop of Lund List of (arch)bishops of Lund. Until the Danish Reformation the centre of a gr ...

(c. 1128–1201), who became a powerful warrior leader and main advisor to Danish kings, and also

Bishop of Roskilde The former Diocese of Roskilde () was a diocese within the Roman-Catholic Church which was established in Denmark some time before 1022. The diocese was dissolved with the Reformation of Denmark and replaced by the Protestant Diocese of Zealand ...

and later

Archbishop of Lund List of (arch)bishops of Lund. Until the Danish Reformation the centre of a great Latin (arch)bishopric, Lund has been in Sweden since the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658. The Diocese of Lund is now one of thirteen in the Church of Sweden. Cathol ...

. Valdemar was his foster brother. His other sibling was Ingefred Assersdatter (c. 1130-1160).

Marriages and children

Esbern was married three times. His first two wives were Holmfred and Ingeborg. His third wife, Helene, was the daughter of a Swedish Jarl, who is presumed to be Guttorm. With Helene, he had a daughter

Ingeborg Ingeborg is a Germanic feminine given name, mostly used in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, derived from Old Norse ''Ingiborg, Ingibjǫrg'', combining the theonym ''Ing'' with the element ''borg'' "stronghold, protection". Ingebjørg is the No ...

, who married Peder Strangesen (d. 1241), who may have been the son of Valdemar. She became the owner of Esbern's castle at

Kalundborg Kalundborg () is a Danish city with a population of 16,211 (1 January 2022), He also had a daughter who married Anders Knudsen Grosøn of

Tersløsegaard Tersløsegaard is a manor house located close to Dianalund, Sorø Municipality some 60 kilometres southwest of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was owned by Ludvig Holberg from 1745 to 1756. He left it to Sorø Academy and it has now been converted into ...

manor in

Sorø Sorø () is a town in Sorø municipality in Region Sjælland on the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in east Denmark. The population is 7,999 (2022).

. Esbern gave a farm, Ovre (Aworthe), located in

Hvidovre Hvidovre is the main town in Hvidovre Municipality, Denmark. The town, a suburb of Copenhagen, is about 10 km southwest of the capital's center. It is the 2nd biggest suburb of Copenhagen, only beaten by Frederiksberg. History Hvidovre has ...

Sorø Abbey Sorø Abbey was the preeminent and wealthiest monastic house in all of Denmark during the Middle Ages. It was located in the town of Sorø in central Zealand. After Denmark became Lutheran in 1536, the abbey was confiscated by the Crown. The a ...

around 1170, and it was later passed on to Absalon. Esbern acquired the farm, , sometime before his death. B.S. Ingemann wrote a poem about Sæbygård and its inhabitants, which is published in his novel, ''Valdemar Victory.''

Career

From "the most powerful family of magnates in the realm", Esbern was a royal chancellor and a '' høvding'' (chieftain). He and his brother Absalon had a close relationship, or alliance, with Valdemar. Together, they consolidated the Danish Kingdom. In 1180, Esbern faced a rebellion because his brother, elected archbishop to the Roskilde see, had brought relatives into powerful positions. Then king, Valdemar interceded to put down the rebellion. Kalundborg - Vor Frue Kirke2

After the fall of Jerusalem,

Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 J ...

and others asked King

Canute VI Canute VI (; c. 1163 – 12 November 1202) was King of Denmark (1182–1202). Contemporary sources describe Canute as an earnest, strongly religious man. Background Canute VI was the eldest son of King Valdemar I and Sophia of Polotsk. H ...

and the Danes to join the crusade, stating that it would be right for crusaders to die for Christ, as he died for them. This was not well received by the Danes. Esbern delivered a speech states that the Danish people had been sliding into a period of depravity and decline, he called the crusade to Jerusalem to be of noble effort, as requested by the Pope, who was of a superior position. In 1192, during the

, he led a small group of Danish soldiers to the

. He became inspired and upon his return to Denmark, he built the Kalundborg Kirke (

); Art historian R.A. Stalley called the architectural style an "emphatic image of militant Christianity." Esben is considered the founder of the town of

Kalundborg Kalundborg () is a Danish city with a population of 16,211 (1 January 2022), He was buried at

. After his death, Helene was royal mistress to Valdemar.

Legacy

Two ships of the

Royal Danish Navy The Royal Danish Navy ( da, Søværnet) is the Naval warfare, sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Denmark, Danish territorial waters (incl. Faroe Isla ...

have been named HDMS ''Esbern Snare'', named after Esbern the Resolute: * HDMS ''Esbern Snare'' (L17) * HDMS ''Esbern Snare'' (F341)

Popular culture

* He is the subject of a legend (

Fin (legend) Fin is the subject of a legend involving the construction of a church. To get the work done, an agreement was made between a holy man and a troll or giant with dire consequences for the loser. The Danish version features a troll from Kalundborg, Z ...

) and a later related poem ''Kalundborg Church'' by

John Greenleaf Whittier John Greenleaf Whittier (December 17, 1807 – September 7, 1892) was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Frequently listed as one of the fireside poets, he was influenced by the Scottish poet ...

. * B.S. Ingemann wrote a poem about Sæbygård and its inhabitants, which is published in his novel, ''Valdemar Victory.''

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Esbern Snare 1127 births 1204 deaths People from Kalundborg 12th-century Danish people Tribal chiefs People from Sorø Municipality