The general trend of Scandinavian nobility seems to be that there were comparatively few large magnates and generally most had connections to the royalty. The sources on nobility in 13th century Scandinavia are, at least in the English language, few and far between when compared to other regions but there is still enough to get a good idea of the general composition. It also appears that lords had less control over the peasantry in many cases. This is probably partially due to the large nature of the countries which gave ample land for semi-independent farmers.

Kings

Kings of Denmark

Kings of Norway

Kings of Sweden

, bgcolor=pink rowspan="2", Sverker II the Younger (''Sverker den yngre''), 1196 – 31 January 1208, , rowspan="2", Sweartgar II of Sweden coin 1725

, , rowspan="2", born before 1167, probably already 1164 son of king Charles VII and queen Christine Stigsdatter of Hvide, , (1)

Benedicta Benedicta may refer to: * Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate (1652–1730), a German princess * Benedicta Ajudua (born 1980), Nigerian sprinter * Benedicta Arts Center, a performing arts center * Caterina Benedicta Grazianini (1685–1715), ...

House of Hvide, , rowspan="2", Died in the

Battle of Gestilren The Battle of Gestilren took place on July 17, 1210. The battle was fought between the exiled King of Sweden Sverker and the ruling King Eric X. Sverker had been beaten in the previous Battle of Lena, but returned with new forces. Sverker was h ...

, 17 July 1210, aged about 45, buried at

Alvastra Abbey Alvastra Abbey (''Alvastra klosterruin'') was a Cistercian monastery located at Alvastra in Östergötland, Sweden. History Alvastra monastery was founded in 1143 by French monks who belonged to the Cistercian Order. A number of monks and lay br ...

, - , bgcolor=tan, (2)

Ingegerd Ingegerd (Old Norse ''Ingigerðr, Ingigærðr'') is a Scandinavian feminine given name, from the theonym ''Ing'' combined with the element ''garðr '' "enclosure, protection". The name Inger is a short form. In Finnish the equivalence of Ingegerd ...

House of Bjelbo The House of Bjelbo ( sv, Bjälboätten), also known as the House of Folkung (''Folkungaätten''), was an Ostrogothian Swedish family that provided several medieval Swedish bishops, jarls and kings. It also provided three kings of Norway and o ...

, - , bgcolor=yellow, Eric (X) (''Erik Knutsson''),
31 January 1208 – 10 April 1216, , Eric the Survivor of Sweden grave detail 2009

, , 1180 son of Canute I Ericson, , bgcolor=#ccddff,

Richeza of Denmark Richeza of Denmark (Swedish: ''Rikissa Valdemarsdotter''; c. 1180–8 May 1220) was Queen of Sweden as the wife of King Eric X, and the mother of King Eric XI. Early life Richeza was a daughter of Valdemar I of Denmark and Sophia of Minsk. S ...

(the daughter of

Valdemar I of Denmark Valdemar I (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182), also known as Valdemar the Great ( da, Valdemar den Store), was King of Denmark from 1154 until his death in 1182. The reign of King Valdemar I saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its medieval zen ...

), , Died suddenly in fever on Näs Castle,

Visingsö Visingsö is an island in the southern half of Lake Vättern in Sweden. Visingsö lies north of the city Jönköping and west of Gränna from which two car ferries connect the island. The island is long and wide, with a total area of . Accor ...

, 10 April 1216, aged about 36, buried at

Varnhem Abbey Varnhem Abbey ( sv, Varnhems kloster) in Varnhem, Västergötland, Sweden was founded around 1150 by monks of the Cistercian Order from Alvastra Abbey in Östergötland. The Cistercian Order used the same floor plan for all its abbeys, which ma ...

, - , bgcolor=pink, John I the Child (''Johan Sverkersson unge''), Spring 1216 – 10 March 1222, , John I of Sweden coin 1725

, , 1201 son of Sverker II, , None , , Died on

, 10 March 1222, aged about 21, buried at

, - , bgcolor=yellow, Eric (XI) the Lisp and Lame (''Erik läspe och halte''),
Summer 1222–28 or 29 November 1229, , Eric the Lisper & Halter of Sweden grave detail 2009 (2)

Eric the Lisper & Halter of Sweden grave detail 2009 (2)

, , 1216 son of king

Erik X of Sweden Eric "X" (Swedish language, Swedish: ''Erik Knutsson''; Old Norse: ''Eiríkr Knútsson''; – 10 April 1216) was the King of Sweden between 1208 and 1216. Also known as ''Eric the Survivor'' (Swedish: "Erik som överlevde"), he was, at his acc ...

and Richeza of Denmark, , bgcolor=tan,

Catherine of Ymseborg Catherine Sunesdotter ( sv, Karin Sunadotter or Katarina Sunesdotter), (c. 1215 – 1252) was Queen of Sweden from 1244 to 1250 as the wife of King Eric XI of Sweden. In her later years she served as abbess of Gudhem Abbey in Falbygden. Heir of ...

, , 2 February 1250, aged about 34, buried at

, - , bgcolor=yellow, Canute II the Tall (''Knut Långe'')
28 or 29 November 1229 – 1234, , Canute II of Sweden coin 1905

, , son of Holmger who was "nepos" (nephew?) of Canute I Ericson, ,

Helen Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen, ...

House of Strange, , 1234, buried at Sko kloster , - , bgcolor=yellow, Eric (XI) the Lisp and Lame (''Erik läspe och halte''),
1234 – 2 February 1250, , Eric the Lisper & Halter of Sweden grave detail 2009 (2)

, , 1216 son of king

and Richeza of Denmark, , bgcolor=tan,

, , 2 February 1250, aged about 34, buried at

, - , bgcolor=tan, Valdemar (''Valdemar Birgersson'')
Spring 1250 – 22 July 1275, , , , 1239 son of

Birger jarl Birger Jarl, also known as ''Birger Magnusson'' (21 October 1266), was a Swedish statesman, ''jarl'', and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, whi ...

and Ingeborg Eriksdotter (a daughter of

Eric X Eric "X" (Swedish: ''Erik Knutsson''; Old Norse: ''Eiríkr Knútsson''; – 10 April 1216) was the King of Sweden between 1208 and 1216. Also known as ''Eric the Survivor'' (Swedish: "Erik som överlevde"), he was, at his accession to the thro ...

), , bgcolor=#ccddff,

Sophia of Denmark Sophia of Denmark (Danish: ''Sofie Eriksdatter'' and Swedish: ''Sofia Eriksdotter''; 1241–1286) was Queen of Sweden as the consort of King Valdemar. Background Sophia was the eldest daughter of Eric IV of Denmark and Jutta of Saxony. She had n ...

daughter of King Eric IV, , Died while imprisoned by his brother

Magnus Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...

Nyköping Castle Nyköping Castle (Swedish: Nyköpingshus) is a Medieval castle, located in Nyköping, from the Birger Jarl era, partly in ruins, mostly known for the Nyköping Banquet which took place here in 1317. Information plaque, Nyköpingshus Construction ...

, 26 December 1302, aged about 63, buried at

Vreta Abbey Vreta Abbey ( sv, Vreta kloster), in operation from the beginning of the 12th century to 1582, was the first nunnery in Sweden, initially Benedictine and later Cistercian, and one of the oldest in Scandinavia. It was located in the present-day m ...

Riddarholmen Church Riddarholmen Church ( sv, Riddarholmskyrkan) is the church of the former medieval Greyfriars Monastery in Stockholm, Sweden. The church serves as the final resting place of most Swedish monarchs. Riddarholmen Church is located on the island o ...

, - , bgcolor=tan, Magnus III (''Magnus Ladulås'')
22 July 1275 – 18 December 1290, , , , 1240 son of

and Princess Ingeborg Eriksdotter (a daughter of

), ,

Helwig of Holstein Hedwig of HolsteinPhilip Line, ''Kingship and state formation in Sweden, 1130-1290'', BRILL, 2007, 9004155783, p. 390. or Helvig( sv, Helvig, german: Helwig) (1260–1324) was Queen of Sweden as the consort of King Magnus III Barnlock. Her parent ...

House of Schauenburg The House of Schaumburg was a dynasty of German rulers. Until c. 1485, it was also known as the House of Schauenburg. Together with its ancestral possession, the County of Schaumburg, the family also ruled the County of Holstein and its partitions ...

, ,

, 18 December 1290, aged about 50, buried in

, - , bgcolor=tan,

Birger Birger is a Scandinavian name from Old Norse, ''bjarga'', meaning "to help, to save, to protect". It is widely used in Norway as Birger but also as Børge. The Swedish variant of ''Birger'' would soon evolve into ''Börje'', however, the prior form ...

(''Birger Magnusson'')
18 December 1290 – March/April 1318, , Birger of Sweden (1280) c 1322

, , 1280 son of Magnus III and

, , bgcolor=#ccddff, 1298

Martha of Denmark Martha of Denmark (1277 – 2 March or 3 October 1341) was Queen of Sweden by marriage to King Birger. She was given the name Margaret ( da, Margrete Eriksdatter at birth, but in Sweden was called Martha ( sv, Märta), and has been known in hi ...

, , 31 May 1321, in exile in Denmark, after murdering his brothers at

Nyköping Banquet The Nyköping Banquet ( sv, Nyköpings gästabud) was King Birger of Sweden's Christmas celebration 11December 1317 at Nyköping Castle in Sweden. Among the guests were his two brothers Duke Valdemar and Duke Eric, who later that night were ...

, aged about 41, buried at

Ringsted Ringsted is a city located centrally in the Danish island of Zealand. It is the seat of a municipality of the same name. Ringsted is situated approximately 60 km from Copenhagen. Tourism and transport Ringsted is one of Denmark's busiest ...

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 ...

, -

Great Lords

For this list since there are not enough great lords to warrant an alphabetical list the lords will be listed by precedence. Many of the larger lordships were held as appanage for various royal family members or were held by bishops. For some of the bishoprics, some bishops who had terms under 4 years may not be listed to avoid clutter.

Under the Kings of Denmark

Under the Kings of Norway

Under the Kings of Sweden

Noblemen, Kingsmen, Lendmen, and Knights

Under the Kings of Denmark

Ditlev Reventlow (~1210~1260) (Bailiff of Ditmarsken) Johann von Haxthausen (~1245–1300) (Borgmester of Paderborn) Stig Anderson (1230–1293) Jens Kalf (~1230–1304) Havtor Jonsson (~1255–1320) Elv Erlingsson (~1240–1290) Tyge Abildgaard (~1200–1260) Laurid's Abildgaard (~1240–1280) Aluericus de Bernekowe (~1190–1240) Detlev Brockdorff (~1200–1250) Sifridus de Bokwolde (~1200–1250) Niels Hak (~1225~1282) Thorsten Hak (~1220~1282) Niels Juul (~1255–1300) Oluf Lunge (~1245–1302) Gerhardus de Oldenburg (~1230~1280) Conradus de Oldenburg (~1230~1280) Theodoricus de Quale (~1200~1250) Johann Ranzow (~1200~1250) Heinrich de Wedele (~1185–1240) Hasso de Wedele (~1185–1240) Reimbem de Wedele (~1185–1240) Adam von Winterfeld (~1250–1300) Heinrich von Bardenflete (~1190–1240) Niels Brock (~1270–1330) Rane Jonsen (1254–1294) Borchadus Dus (~1230–1280) Hartwicus Dus (~1230–1280) Heinrich von Lu (~1200–1260) Niels I Uffesen Neb (~1240–1300) Johann Ranzow (~1200–1250) Wernerus de Sculenburch (~1215–1265) Ago Wind (~1170–1220) Tue the Tall – Late 12th century (Important Knight of Bishop Absalon who fought the wends) Esbern – Late 12th century (From Zealand, Important Knight of Bishop Absalon who fought the wends) Then Niels – Late 12th century (Skilled knight from Zealand) Thorbjorn – Late 12th century (A good knight mentioned in ''

Gesta Danorum ''Gesta Danorum'' ("Deeds of the Danes") is a patriotic work of Danish history, by the 12th-century author Saxo Grammaticus ("Saxo the Literate", literally "the Grammarian"). It is the most ambitious literary undertaking of medieval Denmark an ...

'' volume II) Herbord – Late 12th century Eskil – Late 12th century Peder Thorsentenson – Knight, brother in law to

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 ...

, possibly still living at the beginning of the 13th century Mogens Trefeld (b. ~1260) - Knight named after coat of arms Josef Magnussen Drefeld (d. 1301) - Knight, son of Mogens Trefeld, man of

Eric VI of Denmark Eric VI Menved (1274 – 13 November 1319) was King of Denmark (1286–1319). A son of King Eric V and Agnes of Brandenburg, he became king in 1286 at age 12, when his father was murdered on 22 November by unknown assailants. On account of his ag ...

, murdered in Lund

Under the Kings of Norway

Jon Smør (~1260–1328)

Sigurd Ribbung Sigurd Erlingsson Ribbung (old Norse language, Old Norse: ''Sigurðr ribbungr'') (died 1226) was a Norwegian nobleman and pretender to the throne of Norway during the civil war era in Norway. Biography Sigurd Erlingsson's father was Erling Steinve ...

Martin Konungsfrænd (c. 1180–1245) – Councillor, Liegeman, Royalty Simon Kine (c. 1190–1245) – Liegeman John Steel (Liegeman) (c. 1170–1230) – Liegeman Brynjolf Steel (~1205–1270) – Liegeman, son of John Steel Ivar Nosy (~1190–1250) – Liegeman Andrew Shieldband – Kinsman and Special friend of King

Haakon IV of Norway Haakon IV Haakonsson ( – 16 December 1263; Old Norse: ''Hákon Hákonarson'' ; Norwegian: ''Håkon Håkonsson''), sometimes called Haakon the Old in contrast to his namesake son, was King of Norway from 1217 to 1263. His reign lasted for 46 y ...

Ogmund Crouchdance Munan Byskopson (~1200–1260) Sigurdr Byskupsson – Brother of Munan Jakob Bille Thorkel Bille Elv Haraldsson Bolt Ivar in Skedjuhov Jon Ivarsson Havtore Jonsson Skules Bardssons men:

Alf of Leifa-steads Alf of Leifa-steads (~1200–1240) was a Housecarl, commander of the Wolf-Skins (Norwegian Civil War), Wolf-Skins, and Vassal, liegeman of Skule Bårdsson. He enters history as a Housecarl of Arnbjorn Johnson who was a kingsman. In 1235 he did feal ...

(~1200–1240) Endrid Bookling (~1180–1240) Norwegian Rebels: Bene Skinnkniv (~1170–1222) – Priest who claimed to be the son of

Magnus V of Norway Magnus Erlingsson ( non, Magnús Erlingsson, 1156 – 15 June 1184) was a king of Norway (being Magnus V) during the civil war era in Norway. He was the first known Scandinavian monarch to be crowned in Scandinavia. He helped to establish primoge ...

and lead a band of rebels called the from 1217–1222 Gudolf of Blakkasteads – Guardian of

during his minority and leader of the Ribalds in 1217

Under the Kings of Sweden

Håkan Jonsson Läma (~1270–1318) (Marshal of Sweden: 1310–1318) Tyrgils Knutsson (~1260–1306), (Knight: 1289–1306) (Regent of Sweden: 1290–1298) Knut Matsson (~1250–1289), (Steward, Councillor: 1280–1289) Filip Törnesson (Lawman: 1272–1279) Ulf Karlsson (1247–1276), (Councillor: 1276–1280) Folke Karlsson (1262–1286), (Knight: 1273–1280) Magnus Ragvaldsson (~1250–1288) Karl Gustafsson (marsk) (d. after 1280) Håkan Ingeborgasson (d. after 1320)

Magnus Ragvaldsson Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wi ...

- drots 1288 Birger Filipsson (Aspenäsätten) - (d. 1280) executed for participating in the Folkunga Uprising Johan Filipsson (Aspenäsätten) - (d. 1280) executed for participating in the Folkunga Uprising Orestes Keldorsson (d. after 1305) - castle bailiff of

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

1289 Werner Brunkow (living 1286-1290) - Mecklenburg immigrant in service of the king of Sweden Henrik Glysing (d. after 1324) - Nobleman from Holstein in the service of the king of Sweden Tomas Jonsson Grip (mentioned 1296-1299) - Ancestor of

Bo Jonsson (Grip) Bo Jonsson (Grip) (early 1330s – 20 August 1386) was head of the royal council and marshal under the regency of Magnus IV of Sweden. Also in the council was his friend and colleague, Karl Ulfsson av Ulvåsa, eldest son of Saint Birgitta. From ...

Leonard Ödesson (Örnfot) (d. after 1310) Ragvald Puke (Mentioned 1296-1308) Ragne Stallare (Stablemaster in 1274) Nils Sestridasson (mentioned 1287-1301) Hemming Ödgislason (knight in 1303) Birger Likvidsson (bought land in 1303) Abjörn Sixtensson (~1275–1310) Johan Karlsson (~1250–1280) Rorik Algotsson (~1260–1300) Algot Brynolfsson (1228–1299) Magnus Algotssson (~1270–1309) Johan Krummedige Sounds Krummedige Iven Krummedige Nicolaus de Ottenbüttel Krummedige Eler de Ottenbüttel Krummedige Volbrecht de Ottenbüttel Krummedige Nils in Långserum

References

{{reflist 13th-century Norwegian nobility 13th-century Danish nobility 13th-century Swedish nobility