Portal:Denmark/Selected biography/2008/21



Absalon (c. 1128 – March 21, 1201) was a Danish archbishop and statesman. He was the son of Asser Rig (Asser the Rich) of Fjenneslev (Zealand), at whose castle he and his brother Esbjørn (Esbern) were brought up along with the young prince Valdemar, afterwards King Valdemar I.

The family were as pious and enlightened as they were rich. They founded the monastery of Sorø 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 schools of Paris. Absalon first appears in Saxo's Gesta Danorum 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.

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