Dannevirke: Denmark's Ancient Border Wall Against Empires

Queen Margrethe I and the Birth of the Kalmar Union

In this episode of The History of Denmark, Lucas and Luna explore the extraordinary life of Queen Margrethe I, the woman who united Scandinavia under a single crown long before the Kalmar Union's later troubles. We trace her path from marriage at age ten to her son Olaf's contested rule, the deposition of her rival Albert of Mecklenburg, and the political genius that held Sweden, Norway, and Denmark together for over a century. Along the way, we encounter the Hanseatic League's meddling, the peasant rebellion of Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (a name that's a mouthful), and the stubborn Swedish nobility who never quite bent the knee. Did Margrethe really choose to be a regent rather than a queen? What happened to the original union documents? And why did the Swedish king's dog become a diplomatic incident? We also take a moment to reflect on why we keep making these ad-free episodes — and how listener support helps us keep it that way. #MargretheI #KalmarUnion #ScandinavianHistory #MedievalDenmark #QueenMargaret #AlbertOfMecklenburg #BalticHistory #HanseaticLeague #Engelbrekt #OlafOfDenmark #EricOfPomerania #Vadstena #DronningMargrethe #NordicUnion #HistoryOfDenmark #FexingoHistory #NorthernEurope #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Edda: Norse Mythology's Viking Literary Revival

In this episode of The History of Denmark, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable story of Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda — the 13th-century Icelandic masterpiece that preserved Norse mythology for posterity. Why did a Christian Icelandic chieftain write a handbook for skalds, filled with tales of Odin, Thor, and Loki? The conversation traces Snorri's political ambitions in the court of King Hákon Hákonarson of Norway, his encyclopedic knowledge of Old Norse poetry, and the near-loss of pagan tradition after Christianization. Along the way, they examine the Poetic Edda — the anonymous collection of mythological poems that Snorri drew upon — and the survival of these texts in manuscripts like the Codex Regius. The episode also touches on the influence of the Eddas on later Danish literature, including the Romantics and even modern pop culture's portrayals of Vikings. A concise look at how medieval scribes saved the stories of the Norse gods from oblivion. #ProseEdda #SnorriSturluson #NorseMythology #PoeticEdda #CodexRegius #VikingAge #OldNorse #SkaldicPoetry #IcelandicLiterature #HákonHákonarson #MedievalManuscripts #Odin #Thor #Loki #JónSigurðsson #RomanticNationalism #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Danish Slave Trade: A Forgotten Atlantic Chapter

Denmark's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade is a chapter of history often overlooked. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how a small Nordic kingdom became a major player in the triangular trade. They discuss the founding of the Danish West India Company in 1671, the colonization of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix, and the construction of Fort Christiansvaern. Lucas details the brutal voyage of the slave ship 'Fredensborg', the economic impact on Denmark—including the construction of Copenhagen's Børsen and Holmens Church—and the moral debates of the time. The conversation highlights figures like Christian V, who issued the first Danish slave trade charter, and Governor Jørgen Iversen Dyppel. They also cover the 1792 ban on the transatlantic slave trade, one of the first in Europe, and Denmark's subsequent efforts to suppress the trade. The episode ends on a reflective note about how Denmark's 'quiet power' narrative must reckon with this dark imperial legacy. #Denmark #SlaveTrade #AtlanticHistory #DanishWestIndies #ChristianV #FortChristiansvaern #SaintThomas #SaintCroix #SaintJohn #Fredensborg #TriangularTrade #DanishHistory #ColonialHistory #BalticHistory #NordicHistory #FexingoHistory #History #BlackHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Kalmar Union's Collapse: Sweden's Bloody Secession

Denmark's medieval empire crumbled not with a treaty but with blood and fire. This episode picks up where Queen Margrethe I left off — tracing the unraveling of the Kalmar Union through the Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520, the rise of Gustav Vasa, and the Danish king Christian II's doomed attempt to hold Scandinavia together by terror. We walk through the massacre of Swedish nobles on Stortorget square, the peasant rebellion that followed, and the final break in 1523 when Gustav Vasa was crowned king of an independent Sweden. Along the way, we explore how the Union's collapse reshaped Danish identity, pushing Copenhagen toward a more inward-looking, Baltic-focused policy that would define its 'quiet power' for centuries. Featuring the siege of Stockholm, the Battle of Brännkyrka, and the strange fate of Christian II, who ended his days imprisoned in Sønderborg Castle. A bloody, personal story of loyalty, betrayal, and the birth of modern Sweden. #KalmarUnion #StockholmBloodbath #ChristianII #GustavVasa #SwedishIndependence #1520 #1523 #Stortorget #Brännkyrka #Sønderborg #StenSture #HemmingGad #Lübeck #DanishHistory #SwedishHistory #FexingoHistory #History #NorthernEurope Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Gorm the Old: Denmark's First King and the Jelling Dynasty

Long before Harald Bluetooth raised the Jelling stones, there was Gorm the Old — or Gorm den Gamle — the man remembered as Denmark's first historically recognized king. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the shadowy figure of Gorm, his wife Thyra, and the early foundations of the Jelling dynasty. They discuss how Gorm inherited a fractured land of rival chieftains, his campaigns against the Holy Roman Empire to the south, and the crucial role Thyra played in consolidating power. The episode delves into the scant historical sources: the Jelling stones, the Chronicon Lethrense, and the writings of Adam of Bremen. Was Gorm truly a pagan holdout against Christian Europe, or was his legacy shaped by later royal propaganda? They also examine his death around 958 CE, his burial under one of the Jelling mounds, and how his son Harald both honored and erased his father's memory. A nuanced look at the elusive king who started it all. #GormTheOld #GormDenGamle #JellingDynasty #VikingAgeDenmark #Thyra #JellingStones #ChroniconLethrense #AdamOfBremen #HaraldBluetooth #PaganDenmark #Christianization #10thCentury #DanishKings #Jelling #VikingHistory #FexingoHistory #History #NorthernEurope Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]