Valdemar the Great #52ancestors

Valdemar I of Denmark (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182), also known as Valdemar the Great, was King of Denmark from 1157 until his death in 1182.   
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valdemar_I_of_Denmark     

He was the son of Canute Lavard, a chivalrous and popular Danish prince, who was the eldest son of Eric I of Denmark. Valdemar's father was murdered by Magnus the Strong days before the birth of Valdemar; his mother, Ingeborg of Kiev, daughter of Mstislav I of Kiev and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden, named him after her grandfather, Vladimir Monomakh of Kiev.

As an heir to the throne, and with his rivals quickly gaining power, he was raised in the court of Asser Rig of Fjenneslev, together with Asser's sons, Absalon and Esbern Snare, who would become his trusted friends and ministers.

In 1146, when Valdemar was fifteen years old, King Erik III Lamb abdicated and a civil war erupted. The pretenders to the throne were: Sweyn III Grathe, son of Eric II Emune, son of Eric I. Canute V, son of Magnus the Strong who was the son of King Niels, who was the brother of Erik I. Valdemar himself held Jutland, at leastSchleswig, as his possession. The civil war lasted the better part of ten years.

In 1157, the three agreed to part the country in three among themselves. Sweyn hosted a great banquet for Canute, Absalon, and Valdemar during which he planned to dispose of all of them. Canute was killed, but Absalon and Valdemar escaped. Valdemar returned to Jutland. Sweyn quickly launched an invasion, only to be defeated by Valdemar in the Battle of Grathe Heath. He was killed during flight, supposedly by a group of peasants who stumbled upon him as he was fleeing from the battlefield. Valdemar, having outlived all his rival pretenders, became the sole King of Denmark.

Bishop Absalon topples the god Svantevit at Arkona

In 1158 Absalon was electedBishop of Roskilde, and Valdemar made him his chief friend and advisor. He reorganized and rebuilt war-torn Denmark. At Absalon's instigation he declared war upon the Wends who were raiding the Danish coasts. They inhabited Pomerania and the island of Rügen in theBaltic Sea. In 1168 the Wendish capital, Arkona, was taken, and the Wends became Christians and subject to Danish suzerainty. Danish influence reached into Pomerania.

Valdemar's reign saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its zenith under his second son Valdemar II.    

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Valdemar I of Denmark is my 23rd great grandfather.
You 
   →  Pop 
your father →  Rufus S. Nichols 
his father →  Tressie (King) Nichols 
his mother →  Michael O. King 
her father →  Margaret (Wright) King 
his mother → James Wingfield Wright 
her father →  Mary Whitledge Grant 
his mother →  William Grant, of Crichie 
her father →  Elizabeth Grant 
his mother → William Leslie, X. Baron of Balquhain 
her father →  Janet "Jane" Forbes, Countess of Athlon 
his mother →  John Forbes, 6th Lord Forbes 
her father → William "Gray Willie" Forbes, 3rd Lord Forbes 
his father →  Egidia Forbes 
his mother →  Marjorie Fraser 
her mother →  Alexander Fraser of Lovat 
her father → Hugh Fraser, 3rd of Lovat 
his father →  Alexander Fraser, 3rd of Lovat & Brotherton 
his father →  Margaret of Orkney 
his mother →  Magnus Orkney, V 
her father → NN Magnusdatter (Orkney), Prinsesse av Norge 
his mother →  Dronning Ingeborg (Eriksdatter) 
her mother →  Konge af Danmark Erik IV Plovpenning 
her father → King Valdemar II of Denmark 
his father →  King Valdemar I of Denmark 
his father 

http://www.geni.com/people/King-Valdemar-I-of-Denmark/5305294636990124817  

Eric the Good, King of Denmark #52ancestors

Eric I Evergood^[1] (House of Estridsson)(c. 1060, Slangerup, Denmark – 10 July 1103,Paphos, Cyprus), also known as Eric the Good,^[2][3][4] (Danish:Erik Ejegod), was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson. His mother's identity is unknown. He married Boedil Thurgotsdatter.  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_I_of_Denmark  

Eric was born in the town of Slangerup in NorthZealand. During the rule of his half-brother Canute IV of Denmark he was an eager supporter of the king, but he was spared during the rebellion against Canute IV. Eric remained at the royal farm instead of accompanying Canute IV to St Albans priory in Odense where Canute IV was killed. Eric talked his way off the farm and fled to Zealand then fled to Scania which was part of Denmark at the time. Olaf I Hunger was elected King of Denmark, but his reign was short. At last Eric was elected as a king at the several landsting assemblies in 1095. Eric was well liked by the people and the famines that had plagued Denmark during Olaf Hunger's reign ceased. For many it seemed a sign from God that Eric was the right king for Denmark.

Medieval chroniclers, such as Saxo Grammaticus, and myths portrayed Eric a “strapping fellow” appealing to the common people. He could keep his place when four men tried their best to move him. Eric was a good speaker, people went out of their way to hear him. After a ting assembly concluded, he went about the neighborhood greeting men, women and children at their homesteads. He had a reputation as a loud man who liked parties and who led a rather dissipated private life. Though a presumed supporter of a strong centralized royal power, he seems to have behaved like a diplomat avoiding any clash with the magnates. He had a reputation for being ruthless to robbers and pirates.

On a visit to the Pope in Rome he obtained canonization for his late brother, Canute IV, and an archbishopric for Denmark (now Lund in Scania), instead of being under the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. Bishop Asser then became the first Archbishop of Lund.

King Eric announced at the Viborg assembly that he had decided to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The cause, according to Danmarks Riges Krønike, was the murder of four of his own men while drunk at a feast in his own hall. Despite the pleadings of his subjects, he would not be deterred. Eric appointed his son, Harald Kesja, and Bishop Asser as regents.

Eric and Boedil and a large company traveled through Russia to Constantinople where he was a guest of the emperor. While there, he became ill, but took ship for Cyprus anyway. He died at Paphos, Cyprus in July 1103. The queen had him buried there. He was the first king to go on pilgrimage after Jerusalem was conquered during the First Crusade.^[5] Queen Boedil also became ill, but made it to Jerusalem where she died. She was buried at the foot of the Mount of Olives in the Valley of Josaphat.   

Eric and Boedil had one legitimate son, Canute Lavard. Harald Kesja was Canute's half-brother. Eric had two sons outside marriage Eric II the Memorable and Benedict, and the daughter Ragnhilde (mother of the future king Eric III Lamb).^[6]

Canute Lavard was king Eric's eldest son, and he was a chivalrous and popular Danish prince. Canute was murdered 7 January 1131 by Eric's nephew Magnus the Strong, the son of King Niels, who viewed Canute as a likely competitor for the throne. Canute's death occurred days before the birth of his child, Valdemar I the Great, who would become King of Denmark from 1157 to 1182. Eric Ejegod is the ancestor of later Danish monarchs.  

Erik I "Ejegod" Svendsøn, Konge af Danmark is my 25th great grandfather.
You 
   →  Pop 
your father →  Rufus S. Nichols 
his father →  Tressie (King) Nichols 
his mother →  Michael O. King 
her father →  Margaret (Wright) King 
his mother → James Wingfield Wright 
her father →  Mary Whitledge Grant 
his mother →  William Grant, of Crichie 
her father →  Elizabeth Grant 
his mother → William Leslie, X. Baron of Balquhain 
her father →  Janet "Jane" Forbes, Countess of Athlon 
his mother →  John Forbes, 6th Lord Forbes 
her father → William "Gray Willie" Forbes, 3rd Lord Forbes 
his father →  Egidia Forbes 
his mother →  Marjorie Fraser 
her mother →  Alexander Fraser of Lovat 
her father → Hugh Fraser, 3rd of Lovat 
his father →  Alexander Fraser, 3rd of Lovat & Brotherton 
his father →  Margaret of Orkney 
his mother →  Magnus Orkney, V 
her father → NN Magnusdatter (Orkney), Prinsesse av Norge 
his mother →  Dronning Ingeborg (Eriksdatter) 
her mother →  Konge af Danmark Erik IV Plovpenning 
her father → King Valdemar II of Denmark 
his father →  King Valdemar I of Denmark 
his father →  Knut Lavard, Duke of Schleswig 
his father → Erik I "Ejegod" Svendsøn, Konge af Danmark 
his father

King Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson, King of Denmark and Norway #52ancestors

Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson (House of Gorm) (Old Norse: Haraldr blátǫnn Gormsson, Danish: Harald Blåtand Gormsen) (probably born c. 935) was a King of Denmark and Norway. He was the son of King Gorm the Old and of Thyra Dannebod. He died in 985 or 986 having ruled as King of Denmark from c. 958 and King of Norway for a few years probably around 970. Some sources say his son Sweyn Forkbeard forcibly deposed him as King.   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Bluetooth    

Oh BTW if you were wondering, yes the Bluetooth is apparently named after him....

Harald I "Blåtand" Gormsson is my 27th great grandfather.  
You 
   →  Pop 
your father →  Rufus S. Nichols 
his father →  Tressie (King) Nichols 
his mother →  Michael O. King 
her father →  Margaret (Wright) King 
his mother → James Wingfield Wright 
her father →  Mary Whitledge Grant 
his mother →  William Grant, of Crichie 
her father →  Elizabeth Grant 
his mother → William Leslie, X. Baron of Balquhain 
her father →  William Leslie, Ninth Baron of Balquhain 
his father →  John Leslie, Eighth Baron of Balquhain 
his father → Elizabeth Ogilvy 
his mother →  Sir Walter Ogilvie of Auchleven 
her father →  Isobel de la Glen 
his mother →  Sir John Glen of Inchmartin and Balmuto 
her father → Margaret Bruce 
his mother →  Robert I the Bruce, King of Scots 
her father →  Marjorie, Countess of Carrick 
his mother → Niall mac Dhonnchad, 2nd Earl of Carrick 
her father →  Aveline Fitzwalter Stewart, Countess of Carrick 
his mother →  Eva Sweynsdotter of Crawford 
her mother → Sweyn Thorsson, Lord of Crawford 
her father →  Thor Sweynsson, Lord of Tranent, Tippermain & Crawford 
his father → Ingerid of Denmark, Queen Consort of Norway 
his mother →  Sweyn II Estridsen Ulfsen of Denmark 
her father →  Estrid Margarete Svendsdatter 
his mother → Svend I Haraldsen «Forkbeard» Tveskæg 
her father →  Harald I "Blåtand" Gormsson 
his father 

http://www.geni.com/people/Harald-I-Bl%C3%A5tand-Gormsson/5473882692080138743