Rikissa of Poland
Encyclopedia
Richeza of Poland was a Polish
princess and member of the House of Piast, and by her three marriages Queen consort
of Sweden
and Princess
of the Principality of Minsk (now the capital and largest city in Belarus
).
Richeza was the daughter of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland, by his second wife Salomea
, daughter of Henry, Count of Berg. Tradition describes her as unusually beautiful.
against Wartislaw I
, Duke of Pomerania
(now in northwestern Poland and northeastern Germany
). In order to seal this alliance, a marriage was arranged between Bolesław III's daughter Richeza with Niels' eldest son, Crown Prince Magnus
. The wedding took place around 1127. Richeza bore her husband two sons: Knud
in 1129 and Niels (Saint Niels) in 1130.
As one of the heirs of his maternal grandfather King Inge I
, Magnus claimed Sweden and was recognized King of Västergötland
by the Geats (Göter) in 1129 after the death of his uncle King Inge II. Then Richeza became Queen consort of Sweden. However, Magnus' rule wasn't accepted by the Swea, another tribe to the north of the Geats, who vetoed him and elected Ragnvald Knaphövde
as the new King. According to Saxo Grammaticus
, Ragnvald was murdered by supporters of Magnus, who then won the realm ("imperium") as King of Sweden. However, there soon appeared another contender for the throne, Sverker I
, who was proclaimed King of Östergötland
.
In 1130 Sverker I finally expelled Magnus from Västergötland and unified the country under his rule. Richeza and her husband returned to Denmark. Alarmed by the popularity and Imperial support of his cousin Knud Lavard
, Duke of Schleswig
, both Magnus and his father King Niels ordered him murdered (7 January 1131). Knud's half-brother Erik
rebelled against Niels and Magnus, but was defeated and took refuge in Norway
, where he convinced the local nobility and the Holy Roman Emperor Lothair III
to launch a retaliatory expedition against Niels. Niels was defeated in the Battle of Fotevik
(4 June 1134), and also lost his son Magnus who was slain during the battle. Niels escaped to Schleswig, where he was killed by the citizens (25 June 1134). Now a widow, Richeza returned to Poland, apparently leaving her two sons behind in Denmark.
and Hrodno, who at that time was in exile in the Polish court. The union was made in order to seal the alliance of Minsk and Poland against Denmark and the powerful Monomakh
Kiev
an dynasty. During this marriage, Richeza gave birth to three children: two sons, Vladimir (later Prince of Minsk) and Vasilko (Prince of Logoysk or Lahojsk
), and a daughter, Sofia
, born ca. 1139/40.
Around 1145, the political advantages of the Polish-Minsk union began to disappear after the Monomach dynasty lost its hegemony among the Rurikid ruling branches. Likely this was the cause of the dissolution of the marriage of Richeza and Volodar. Richeza returned again to Poland, this time with her daughter Sofia, but left her two sons behind with her former husband. Volodar never remarried and died around 1186.
, who was named after his Polish maternal grandfather. The chronicles assign Sune Sik Sverkersson
as another son from Richeza and Sverker I, possibly the youngest.
In 1150, Richeza's oldest son, King Canute V
of Jutland
, took refuge in Sweden after he was expelled from Denmark by Sweyn III Grathe
, King of Zealand. In this way, the marriage with Sverker I give Richeza the opportunity to help her son, and some historians assume that she partially married the Swedish King for this reason. One year later (1151), Knud asked for the help of Henry the Lion
, Duke of Saxony
and Hartwig
I, Archbishop of Bremen, but was defeated by Sweyn III's forces. Only after the mediation of the German King Frederick Barbarossa during the Diet in Merseburg
was there made a settlement between both parties: Knud V renounced his claim and was compensated by lands in Zealand, while Sweyn III was made king of Denmark. After this decision, both Knud V and Valdemar Knudsson
(son of Knud Lavard
, the enemy of his own father Magnus) rebelled against Sweyn III, who was expelled in 1154: Knud V and Valdemar became co-kings of Denmark.
In 1156 Knud V married Princess Helena of Sweden
, daughter of King Sverker I and his first wife Ulvhild; in consequence, Richeza became in the step-mother-in-law of her own son. On Christmas Day of that year, Sverker I was murdered.
In 1157 Richeza's daughter Sofia of Minsk married co-King Valdemar I of Denmark (they were betrothed since 1154); on 9 August of that year, King Knud V was killed during a meeting with Valdemar I and Sweyn III. In 1158 Richeza's second son Niels, probably a monk in Esrom Abbey, also died.
Richeza is known to have survived Sverker I's death, although facts of her later life and her date of death are unknown: the legend
says that she remarried the stable master who took part in the assassination of Sverker I.
Burislev, Richeza's son with Sverker I, became a rival claimant of the Swedish throne against Knud Eriksson
, and in 1167 he finally took part in his paternal heritage and was chosen King of Östergötland
. However, in 1169 he was deposed and then disappeared from historical records. He is believed to have either been murdered by Knud's men or to have fled to Poland sometime before 1173.
Richeza's daughter Sofia of Minsk, Queen of Denmark by her first marriage with Valdemar I, give Richeza her only known legitimate grandchildren: the later kings Knud VI
and Valdemar II of Denmark
; Sophie (Countess of Orlamünde
); Margareta and Maria, nuns at Roskilde
; Ingeborg
(the later repudiated Queen of France); Helena (Duchess of Brunswick-Luneburg
) and Richeza, named after her grandmother and who, like her, became Queen of Sweden.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
princess and member of the House of Piast, and by her three marriages Queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Princess
Princess
Princess is the feminine form of prince . Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or his daughters....
of the Principality of Minsk (now the capital and largest city in Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
).
Richeza was the daughter of Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland, by his second wife Salomea
Salomea of Berg
Salomea of Berg was a German noblewoman and by marriage Duchess of Poland.She was the daughter of Swabian Count Henry of Berg Castle by his wife Adelaide of Mochental , probably a sister of Margrave Diepold III of Vohburg...
, daughter of Henry, Count of Berg. Tradition describes her as unusually beautiful.
First Marriage
The Polish ruler Bolesław III Wrymouth entered in an alliance with King Niels of DenmarkNiels of Denmark
Niels of Denmark was King of Denmark from 1104 to 1134, following his brother Eric Evergood, and is presumed to have been the youngest son of king Sweyn II Estridson. Niels actively supported the canonization of Canute IV the Holy, and his secular rule was supported by the clergy...
against Wartislaw I
Wartislaw I, Duke of Pomerania
Wartislaw I was the first historical ruler of the Duchy of Pomerania and the founder of the Griffin dynasty....
, Duke of Pomerania
Duchy of Pomerania
The Duchy of Pomerania was a duchy in Pomerania on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, ruled by dukes of the House of Pomerania ....
(now in northwestern Poland and northeastern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
). In order to seal this alliance, a marriage was arranged between Bolesław III's daughter Richeza with Niels' eldest son, Crown Prince Magnus
Magnus the Strong
Magnus I of Sweden, son of Nicholas , later called Magnus the Strong , was a Danish duke who ruled Gothenland in southern Sweden from 1125 to 1130...
. The wedding took place around 1127. Richeza bore her husband two sons: Knud
Canute V of Denmark
Canute V of Denmark was a Swedish prince and King of Denmark from 1146 to 1157, as co-regent in shifting alliances with his Sweyn III and Valdemar I. Canute was killed at the so-called Bloodfeast of Roskilde in 1157. Nothing certain is known about his person and character.-Biography:Canute was...
in 1129 and Niels (Saint Niels) in 1130.
As one of the heirs of his maternal grandfather King Inge I
Inge I of Sweden
Inge the Elder was a King of Sweden.-Biography:Inge was the son of the former King Stenkil and a Swedish princess. Inge shared the rule of the kingdom with his probably elder brother Halsten Stenkilsson, but little is known with certainty of Inge's reign...
, Magnus claimed Sweden and was recognized King of Västergötland
Västergötland
', English exonym: West Gothland, is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden , situated in the southwest of Sweden. In older English literature one may also encounter the Latinized version Westrogothia....
by the Geats (Göter) in 1129 after the death of his uncle King Inge II. Then Richeza became Queen consort of Sweden. However, Magnus' rule wasn't accepted by the Swea, another tribe to the north of the Geats, who vetoed him and elected Ragnvald Knaphövde
Ragnvald Knaphövde
Ragnvald Knaphövde was a King of Sweden whose reign is estimated to the mid-1120s or c. 1130. His cognomen Knaphövde is explained as referring to a drinking vessel, the size of a man's head or meaning "round head" and referring to his being foolish...
as the new King. According to Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus
Saxo Grammaticus also known as Saxo cognomine Longus was a Danish historian, thought to have been a secular clerk or secretary to Absalon, Archbishop of Lund, foremost advisor to Valdemar I of Denmark. He is the author of the first full history of Denmark.- Life :The Jutland Chronicle gives...
, Ragnvald was murdered by supporters of Magnus, who then won the realm ("imperium") as King of Sweden. However, there soon appeared another contender for the throne, Sverker I
Sverker I of Sweden
Sverker I or Sverker the Elder was King of Sweden from about 1130 till his death.-Biography:Sverker was a mighty landowner from Östergötland...
, who was proclaimed King of Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
.
In 1130 Sverker I finally expelled Magnus from Västergötland and unified the country under his rule. Richeza and her husband returned to Denmark. Alarmed by the popularity and Imperial support of his cousin Knud Lavard
Canute Lavard
Canute Lavard was a Danish prince. Later he was the first Duke of Schleswig and the first border prince who was both a Danish and a German vassal, a position leafing towards the historical double position of Southern Jutland...
, Duke of Schleswig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
, both Magnus and his father King Niels ordered him murdered (7 January 1131). Knud's half-brother Erik
Eric II of Denmark
Eric II the Memorable was king of Denmark between 1134 and 1137. Eric was an illegitimate son of Eric I of Denmark, who ruled Denmark from 1095 to 1103. Eric the Memorable rebelled against his uncle Niels of Denmark, and was declared king in 1134. He punished his adversaries severely, and...
rebelled against Niels and Magnus, but was defeated and took refuge in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, where he convinced the local nobility and the Holy Roman Emperor Lothair III
Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
Lothair III of Supplinburg , was Duke of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia...
to launch a retaliatory expedition against Niels. Niels was defeated in the Battle of Fotevik
Battle of Fotevik
Battle of Fotevik was fought between forces of King Niels of Denmark together with those of his son Magnus Nilsson against those of Erik Emune on June 4, 1134 at the bay of Fotevik in Skåne....
(4 June 1134), and also lost his son Magnus who was slain during the battle. Niels escaped to Schleswig, where he was killed by the citizens (25 June 1134). Now a widow, Richeza returned to Poland, apparently leaving her two sons behind in Denmark.
Second Marriage
Once in Poland, Duke Bolesław III arranged a new marriage for her daughter. On 18 June 1136, Richeza married with a member of the Rurikid dynasty, Volodar Glebovich, Prince of MinskMinsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
and Hrodno, who at that time was in exile in the Polish court. The union was made in order to seal the alliance of Minsk and Poland against Denmark and the powerful Monomakh
Vladimir II Monomakh
Vladimir II Monomakh |Basileios]]) was a Velikiy Kniaz of Kievan Rus'.- Family :He was the son of Vsevolod I and Anastasia of Byzantium Vladimir II Monomakh |Basileios]]) (1053 – May 19, 1125) was a Velikiy Kniaz (Grand Prince) of Kievan Rus'.- Family :He was the son of Vsevolod I (married in...
Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
an dynasty. During this marriage, Richeza gave birth to three children: two sons, Vladimir (later Prince of Minsk) and Vasilko (Prince of Logoysk or Lahojsk
Lahojsk
Lahojsk is a city in the Minsk Province of Belarus, an administrative center of the Lahojsk district. This city has a ski resort named Silichy.-External links:* * *...
), and a daughter, Sofia
Sofia of Minsk
Sophia of Minsk was a Danish mediaeval queen consort as the spouse of King Valdemar I of Denmark, and later a landgravine of Thuringia.-Biography:...
, born ca. 1139/40.
Around 1145, the political advantages of the Polish-Minsk union began to disappear after the Monomach dynasty lost its hegemony among the Rurikid ruling branches. Likely this was the cause of the dissolution of the marriage of Richeza and Volodar. Richeza returned again to Poland, this time with her daughter Sofia, but left her two sons behind with her former husband. Volodar never remarried and died around 1186.
Third Marriage
In 1148, Queen Ulvhild Håkansdotter, Sverker I's wife, died. Soon afterwards, the widowed King married Richeza, who arrived in Sweden with her daughter. The King likely married her with support from Richeza's first husband's allies in Västergötland. The union produced one son, BurislevBoleslas Sverkerson
Boleslaw was the son of Sverker the Elder, King of Sweden and his second wife Richeza of Poland, and was the younger brother of King Charles and Earl John Sverkerson. The boy was named in honor of his maternal grandfather Duke Boleslaw III of Poland...
, who was named after his Polish maternal grandfather. The chronicles assign Sune Sik Sverkersson
Sune Sik Sverkersson
Sune Sik, , was allegedly a Swedish prince. According to Olaus Petri, he would have been a younger son of King Sverker I of Sweden and father of Ingrid Ylva....
as another son from Richeza and Sverker I, possibly the youngest.
In 1150, Richeza's oldest son, King Canute V
Canute V of Denmark
Canute V of Denmark was a Swedish prince and King of Denmark from 1146 to 1157, as co-regent in shifting alliances with his Sweyn III and Valdemar I. Canute was killed at the so-called Bloodfeast of Roskilde in 1157. Nothing certain is known about his person and character.-Biography:Canute was...
of Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
, took refuge in Sweden after he was expelled from Denmark by Sweyn III Grathe
Sweyn III of Denmark
Sweyn III Grathe was the King of Denmark between 1146 and 1157, in shifting alliances with Canute V and his own cousin Valdemar I. In 1157, the three agreed a tripartition of Denmark...
, King of Zealand. In this way, the marriage with Sverker I give Richeza the opportunity to help her son, and some historians assume that she partially married the Swedish King for this reason. One year later (1151), Knud asked for the help of Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
, Duke of Saxony
Duchy of Saxony
The medieval Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein...
and Hartwig
Hartwig
Hartwig is a surname of German origin, meaning strong or hardy in battle. The name refers to:*Carter Hartwig , American professional football player...
I, Archbishop of Bremen, but was defeated by Sweyn III's forces. Only after the mediation of the German King Frederick Barbarossa during the Diet in Merseburg
Merseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
was there made a settlement between both parties: Knud V renounced his claim and was compensated by lands in Zealand, while Sweyn III was made king of Denmark. After this decision, both Knud V and Valdemar Knudsson
Valdemar I of Denmark
Valdemar I of Denmark , also known as Valdemar the Great, was King of Denmark from 1157 until 1182.-Biography:...
(son of Knud Lavard
Canute Lavard
Canute Lavard was a Danish prince. Later he was the first Duke of Schleswig and the first border prince who was both a Danish and a German vassal, a position leafing towards the historical double position of Southern Jutland...
, the enemy of his own father Magnus) rebelled against Sweyn III, who was expelled in 1154: Knud V and Valdemar became co-kings of Denmark.
In 1156 Knud V married Princess Helena of Sweden
Helena of Sweden
Helena Sverkersdotter of Sweden, , was a medieval Swedish princess and Danish queen, Queen consort of King Canute V of Denmark.-Biography:Helena, or Elin as she was also called, was born daughter of King Sverker I of Sweden...
, daughter of King Sverker I and his first wife Ulvhild; in consequence, Richeza became in the step-mother-in-law of her own son. On Christmas Day of that year, Sverker I was murdered.
In 1157 Richeza's daughter Sofia of Minsk married co-King Valdemar I of Denmark (they were betrothed since 1154); on 9 August of that year, King Knud V was killed during a meeting with Valdemar I and Sweyn III. In 1158 Richeza's second son Niels, probably a monk in Esrom Abbey, also died.
Death and Aftermath
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
says that she remarried the stable master who took part in the assassination of Sverker I.
Burislev, Richeza's son with Sverker I, became a rival claimant of the Swedish throne against Knud Eriksson
Canute I of Sweden
Canute I, Swedish: Knut Eriksson , was king over all of Sweden from 1173 to 1195...
, and in 1167 he finally took part in his paternal heritage and was chosen King of Östergötland
Östergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
. However, in 1169 he was deposed and then disappeared from historical records. He is believed to have either been murdered by Knud's men or to have fled to Poland sometime before 1173.
Richeza's daughter Sofia of Minsk, Queen of Denmark by her first marriage with Valdemar I, give Richeza her only known legitimate grandchildren: the later kings Knud VI
Canute VI of Denmark
Canute VI was King of Denmark . Canute VI was the eldest son of King Valdemar I and Sophia of Polotsk.-Life:...
and Valdemar II of Denmark
Valdemar II of Denmark
Valdemar II , called Valdemar the Victorious or Valdemar the Conqueror , was the King of Denmark from 1202 until his death in 1241. The nickname Sejr is a later invention and was not used during the King's own lifetime...
; Sophie (Countess of Orlamünde
Orlamünde
Orlamünde is a town in the Saale-Holzland district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Saale and Orla, 17 km south of Jena. It was the centre of a county, often united to Weimar, in the Early Middle Ages....
); Margareta and Maria, nuns at Roskilde
Roskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
; Ingeborg
Ingeborg of Denmark, Queen of France
Ingeborg was a Danish-born queen consort of France.She was a daughter of Valdemar I of Denmark and Sofia of Minsk. Her maternal grandparents were Volodar of Minsk and Richeza of Poland...
(the later repudiated Queen of France); Helena (Duchess of Brunswick-Luneburg
Brunswick-Lüneburg
The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , or more properly Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg, was an historical ducal state from the late Middle Ages until the late Early Modern era within the North-Western domains of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, in what is now northern Germany...
) and Richeza, named after her grandmother and who, like her, became Queen of Sweden.