Abel Abelsøn (1252 – 2 April 1279), Lord of
Langeland
Langeland (, ) is a Danish island located between the Great Belt and Bay of Kiel. The island measures 285 km2 (c. 110 square miles) and, as of 1 January 2018, has a population of 12,446. , was the third son of
King Abel of Denmark,
Duke of Schleswig
The following is a list of earl, jarls and dukes, who ruled over Schleswig respectively Southern Jutland (Sønderjylland).
First jarls/dukes
House of Estridsen (1080–1375)
House of Schauenburg (1325-1459)
Under domain of Oldenburg
In ...
, and younger brother of
Valdemar III, Duke of Schleswig and
Eric I, Duke of Schleswig
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Nor ...
. As a member of the ducal family, he held several fiefs in Southern Denmark.
Life
Abel was born in 1252 as the third and posthumous son of King Abel of Denmark, Duke of Schleswig, by his wife,
Mechtild of Holstein. In the settlement with his brother
Eric
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-N ...
after the death of their elder brother Duke Valdemar III, Abel received the cities of
Svendborg
Svendborg () is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark, and the seat of Svendborg Municipality. With a population of 27,616 (1 January 2025), Svendborg is Funen's second largest city.[Rudkøbing
Rudkøbing is a town in Denmark, on the western coast of the island of Langeland. It is the seat of Langeland Municipality, in the Region of Southern Denmark, Southern Denmark Region. The town is located southeast of Svendborg and is connected t ...]
, and possibly also
Faaborg
Faaborg or Fåborg () is an old port town located on Faaborg Fjord in Faaborg-Midtfyn municipality on the island of Funen in Denmark. By road, Faaborg is located southwest of Odense, west-northwest of Svendborg, and roughly southeast of Midde ...
on the island of
Funen
Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...
, and as a fief the island of
Langeland
Langeland (, ) is a Danish island located between the Great Belt and Bay of Kiel. The island measures 285 km2 (c. 110 square miles) and, as of 1 January 2018, has a population of 12,446. . Abel died on Easter Day 1279 in Svendborg and was buried in Greyfriars’ Abbey.
At his death, he left only a daughter Margaret, who entered the convent of
Zarrentin
Zarrentin am Schaalsee, until 2004 simply Zarrentin, is a town in the Ludwigslust-Parchim district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the Schaalsee lake, 19 km southeast of Ratzeburg, and 34 km west of Sch ...
in
Mecklenburg
Mecklenburg (; ) is a historical region in northern Germany comprising the western and larger part of the federal-state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The largest cities of the region are Rostock, Schwerin, Neubrandenburg, Wismar and Güstrow. ...
and donated her father's properties to her relatives, the counts of
Holstein
Holstein (; ; ; ; ) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider (river), Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost States of Germany, state of Germany.
Holstein once existed as the German County of Holstein (; 8 ...
. They later sold it to
King Eric VI of Denmark.
Marriage and issue
Abel appears to have married a daughter of
Gunzelin III, Count of Schwerin:
* Margaret, abbess of Zarrentin. As abbess, she instituted a requiem mass for her father in 1317.
Ancestry
References
Biographyin ''
Dansk Biografisk Leksikon
''Dansk Biografisk Leksikon'' (usually abbreviated DBL; title of first edition written ''Dansk biografisk Lexikon'') is a Danish biographical dictionary that has been published in three editions. The first edition, ''Dansk biografisk Lexikon, til ...
'' 1. ed.
House of Estridsen
1279 deaths
1252 births
13th-century Danish people
Sons of kings
Sons of dukes
Abel, King of Denmark
{{Denmark-bio-stub