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

Hvide The Hvide clan (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 sign ...

clan. In 1192, during the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

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

Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...

. 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 Asser Rig (c. 1078–1151) was a jarl and chieftain from Zealand, Denmark, a son of Skjalm Hvide (before 1045 – c. 1113) and ''Signe Asbjørnsdatter'' (c. 1050 – c. 1096). They are sometimes referred to as ''Asser Rig Skjalmsen Hvide''. Sib ...

(c. 1080–1151), also called Asser the rich, of the

clan. Esbern's mother, Lady Inge, was the daughter of and Princess

Cecilia Knutsdatter Cecilia Knudsdatter of Danmark (1081/85 – after 7 January 1131), was a Danish princess, daughter of Canute IV of Denmark and Adela of Flanders. At the deposition and murder of her father in 1086, her mother left Denmark and returned to Flande ...

. 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 b ...

and great-grandson of

Canute IV of Denmark Canute IV ( – 10 July 1086), later known as Canute the Holy () 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, devotedly supported the ...

(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 Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of sa ...

. His family lived in Fjenneslev,

Zealand Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...

. 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 from 1178 until his death. He was the foremost politician and church father of De ...

(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 Reformation in Denmark, 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 Ch ...

Valdemar I of Denmark Valdemar I Knudsen (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182), also known as Valdemar the Great (), 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 zenith under his s ...

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 (died 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 16,659 (1 January 2025), 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 a ...

manor in

Sorø Sorø () is a town in Sorø municipality on the island of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand in east Denmark with a population of 8,433 (2025).

. 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 ...

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 (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...

and others asked King

Canute VI Canute VI (; c. 1163 – 12 November 1202) was King of Denmark from 1182 to 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 Polots ...

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 stating 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 The English word ''militant'' is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Lat ...

Christianity". Esbern is considered the founder of the town of

Kalundborg Kalundborg () is a Danish city with a population of 16,659 (1 January 2025), He was buried at

. After his death, Helene was royal mistress to

Valdemar II of Denmark Valdemar II Valdemarsen (28 June 1170 – 28 March 1241), later remembered as Valdemar the Victorious () and Valdemar the Conqueror, was King of Denmark from 1202 until his death in 1241. In 1207, Valdemar invaded and conquered Bishopric of L� ...

Legacy

Two ships of the

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

have been named HDMS ''Esbern Snare'', after Esbern the Resolute: * HDMS ''Esbern Snare'' (F342) * HDMS ''Esbern Snare'' (F341)

Popular culture

* He is the subject of a legend ( Fin (legend)) 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 nobility Tribal chiefs in Europe People from Sorø Municipality