Svend Poulsen
Encyclopedia
Svend Poulsen also referred to as Svend Poulsen Gønge was a Danish
military commander in the 17th century, serving in the armies of Christian IV
, Frederick III
, and Christian V
. He fought in the Torstenson War, Second Northern War
, and the Scanian War
, and led the snaphane
militia in guerilla warfare against Sweden
in occupied Zealand from 1658 to 1659. He was popularized under the name Gøngehøvdingen (the Gønge chieftain) in 1853, when his exploits were fictionalized under that name by Danish author Carit Etlar
. The historicity
of his aliases has since been disputed.
or southern Halland
. He was a soldier in the army of Christian IV
during the 1625-1629 Danish intervention in the Thirty Years' War, and also served in the Dutch Army. He was made an officer in the Danish army in the Torstenson War from 1643 to 1645. He was a citizen of Laholm
in Halland, even after it came under Swedish
reign in 1645. During the 1657–1658 Dano-Swedish War of the greater Second Northern War
theatre, Poulsen commandeered a company of dragoon
s in April 1657, in the defence of Ängelholm
in Scania against Sweden. He took part in a number of skirmishes, and was promoted captain in December 1657. After the cession of Scania and Halland at the Treaty of Roskilde
of 1658, Svend Poulsen and his dragoons moved to Zealand, where they were ordered to disband.
Poulsen commandeered his dragoons once more at the outbreak of the 1658–1660 Dano-Swedish War
, and integrated his company into the defence of Copenhagen
. Poulsen himself was sent into occupied Zealand in order to organize a guerilla warfare resistance. On August 22, 1658, a decree ordered the peasant
s of Zealand to assist Poulsen in harassing the Swedish occupying forces. He assembled a company of snaphane
militia within the month of August, though he lacked substantial support from the local populace. He led several successful charges against smaller Swedish contingents, but was finally forced to retreat. He returned to Copenhagen, and later rejoined the regular army. He was probably a part of the city defence during the Assault on Copenhagen in February 1659.
He left the army at the conclusion of the war in 1660, and was given the desolate Lundbygård manor at Præstø
. The manor caused Poulsen financial hardships, and in 1666 he appealed for Frederick III
to help him, and was in turn granted an additional manor. His financial situation did not improve. Poulsen had to abandon Lundbygård due to tax debts in 1673. He was granted a life-long state pension that year, and settled in a smaller residence. He rejoined the army of Christian V
for the Scanian War
from 1675 to 1679, and first served on Stevns
, before he was promoted to the rank of major
and commandeered a dragoon company in Scania. Some doubt has been cast on his status as major and exact role in the Scanian War. He died around 1680, an old man weakened by illness.
published the novel Gjøngehøvdingen, a fictional account of Svend Poulsen's exploits as a snaphane during the 1658–1660 Dano-Swedish War. The book was hugely popular, and Gøngehøvdingen stuck as the prevailing alias for Svend Poulsen in Denmark.
It has since been argued, that Svend Poulsen wasn't necessarily linked to Göinge at all. In the 109 primary source
s pertaining to Svend Poulsen, only three mention the Gynge/Göinge name; none of these three are written by Svend Poulsen himself. Likewise, the men in his 1657 dragoon company were from Halland and not Göinge. The 1658 snaphane company on Zealand were made up of locals and did not contain any Göinge people, who served the army elsewhere. The authors of the 19th century historical accounts of Svend Poulsen were also unclear on the historicity of their claims, rehashing each other's myths and fictions, while transforming Svend Poulsen into a Göinge leader. His only documented link to Göinge prior to 1673, seems to be fighting in Scania during the 1657–1658 Dano-Swedish War, in close proximity to Göinge.
Additionally, Orla Klausen published the comic book
series Gøngehøvdingen of five albums from 1989 to 1993. In 1998, Nils Hartmann published the children's book
Gøngehøvdingen.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
military commander in the 17th century, serving in the armies of Christian IV
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
, Frederick III
Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...
, and Christian V
Christian V of Denmark
Christian V , was king of Denmark and Norway from 1670 to 1699, the son of Frederick III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
. He fought in the Torstenson War, Second Northern War
Second Northern War
The Second Northern War was fought between Sweden and its adversaries the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , Russia , Brandenburg-Prussia , the Habsburg Monarchy and Denmark–Norway...
, and the Scanian War
Scanian War
The Scanian War was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark-Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish provinces along the border with Sweden and in Northern Germany...
, and led the snaphane
Snapphane
A snapphane was a member of a 17th century pro-Danish guerrilla organization that fought against the Swedes in the Second Northern and Scanian Wars, primarily in the former eastern Danish provinces which in the course of these wars became southern Sweden....
militia in guerilla warfare against 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....
in occupied Zealand from 1658 to 1659. He was popularized under the name Gøngehøvdingen (the Gønge chieftain) in 1853, when his exploits were fictionalized under that name by Danish author Carit Etlar
Carit Etlar
Carit Etlar, the better-known pen name of Carl Brosbøll , was a Danish author, known mostly for his 1853 book Gjøngehøvdingen about the eponymous Svend Poulsen Gønge.-Biography:...
. The historicity
Historicity
Historicity may mean:*the quality of being part of recorded history, as opposed to prehistory*the quality of being part of history as opposed to being a historical myth or legend, for example:** Historicity of the Iliad**Historicity...
of his aliases has since been disputed.
Historical account
Little is known for certain about the youth of Svend Poulsen. He was probably born around 1610 in north-western ScaniaScania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
or southern Halland
Halland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
. He was a soldier in the army of Christian IV
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
during the 1625-1629 Danish intervention in the Thirty Years' War, and also served in the Dutch Army. He was made an officer in the Danish army in the Torstenson War from 1643 to 1645. He was a citizen of Laholm
Laholm
Laholm is a locality and the seat of Laholm Municipality, Halland County, Sweden, with 5,835 inhabitants in 2005.Laholm is, despite its small population, for historical reasons often still referred to as a city...
in Halland, even after it came under Swedish
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....
reign in 1645. During the 1657–1658 Dano-Swedish War of the greater Second Northern War
Second Northern War
The Second Northern War was fought between Sweden and its adversaries the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth , Russia , Brandenburg-Prussia , the Habsburg Monarchy and Denmark–Norway...
theatre, Poulsen commandeered a company of dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s in April 1657, in the defence of Ängelholm
Ängelholm
Ängelholm is a locality and the seat of Ängelholm Municipality in Skåne County, Sweden with 22,532 inhabitants in 2005.It is known for its clay cuckoos — a special kind of ocarina. This is however a dying tradition as there is now only one producer of clay cuckoos, Sofia Nilsson.Tourism is an...
in Scania against Sweden. He took part in a number of skirmishes, and was promoted captain in December 1657. After the cession of Scania and Halland at the Treaty of Roskilde
Treaty of Roskilde
The Treaty of Roskilde was concluded on 26 February or 8 March 1658 during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Charles X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde...
of 1658, Svend Poulsen and his dragoons moved to Zealand, where they were ordered to disband.
Poulsen commandeered his dragoons once more at the outbreak of the 1658–1660 Dano-Swedish War
Dano-Swedish War (1658–1660)
The Dano-Swedish War of 1658–60 was a war between Denmark–Norway and Sweden. It was a continuation of an earlier conflict between the two belligerents which had ended just months earlier, after Sweden and Denmark brokered a peace agreement in Roskilde in 1658...
, and integrated his company into the defence of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. Poulsen himself was sent into occupied Zealand in order to organize a guerilla warfare resistance. On August 22, 1658, a decree ordered the peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
s of Zealand to assist Poulsen in harassing the Swedish occupying forces. He assembled a company of snaphane
Snapphane
A snapphane was a member of a 17th century pro-Danish guerrilla organization that fought against the Swedes in the Second Northern and Scanian Wars, primarily in the former eastern Danish provinces which in the course of these wars became southern Sweden....
militia within the month of August, though he lacked substantial support from the local populace. He led several successful charges against smaller Swedish contingents, but was finally forced to retreat. He returned to Copenhagen, and later rejoined the regular army. He was probably a part of the city defence during the Assault on Copenhagen in February 1659.
He left the army at the conclusion of the war in 1660, and was given the desolate Lundbygård manor at Præstø
Præstø
Præstø is a town with a population of 3,884 and a former municipality in Vordingborg Municipality in Region Sjælland on the east coast of the island of Zealand near its southwestern tip in south Denmark. The former Præstø municipality included the islands of Maderne, Storeholm, and Lilleholm...
. The manor caused Poulsen financial hardships, and in 1666 he appealed for Frederick III
Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...
to help him, and was in turn granted an additional manor. His financial situation did not improve. Poulsen had to abandon Lundbygård due to tax debts in 1673. He was granted a life-long state pension that year, and settled in a smaller residence. He rejoined the army of Christian V
Christian V of Denmark
Christian V , was king of Denmark and Norway from 1670 to 1699, the son of Frederick III of Denmark and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
for the Scanian War
Scanian War
The Scanian War was a part of the Northern Wars involving the union of Denmark-Norway, Brandenburg and Sweden. It was fought mainly on Scanian soil, in the former Danish provinces along the border with Sweden and in Northern Germany...
from 1675 to 1679, and first served on Stevns
Stevns Peninsula
Stevns Peninsula is a peninsula on Sjælland in Denmark. It is separated from Sjælland by the three streams Stevns Å, Tryggevælde Å and Kildeå.The main town of the peninsula is Store Heddinge, and most of the peninsula is covered by the Stevns Municipality....
, before he was promoted to the rank of major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
and commandeered a dragoon company in Scania. Some doubt has been cast on his status as major and exact role in the Scanian War. He died around 1680, an old man weakened by illness.
Name
He was born Svend Poulsen around 1610. A 1673 protocol has the earliest reference to him as "Svend Poulsen Gynge", Gynge being the contemporary Danish name for the two Göinge hundreds in Scania. Danish historians in the 19th century, used the Gynge name to establish Svend Poulsen as hailing from Göinge and leading Göinge soldiers, both in Scania in 1657 and on Zealand in 1658. This made him known by the extended name of Svend Poulsen Gønge, as well as the fictional construction Gøngehøvdingen (the Gønge chieftain). In 1853, Danish author Carit EtlarCarit Etlar
Carit Etlar, the better-known pen name of Carl Brosbøll , was a Danish author, known mostly for his 1853 book Gjøngehøvdingen about the eponymous Svend Poulsen Gønge.-Biography:...
published the novel Gjøngehøvdingen, a fictional account of Svend Poulsen's exploits as a snaphane during the 1658–1660 Dano-Swedish War. The book was hugely popular, and Gøngehøvdingen stuck as the prevailing alias for Svend Poulsen in Denmark.
It has since been argued, that Svend Poulsen wasn't necessarily linked to Göinge at all. In the 109 primary source
Primary source
Primary source is a term used in a number of disciplines to describe source material that is closest to the person, information, period, or idea being studied....
s pertaining to Svend Poulsen, only three mention the Gynge/Göinge name; none of these three are written by Svend Poulsen himself. Likewise, the men in his 1657 dragoon company were from Halland and not Göinge. The 1658 snaphane company on Zealand were made up of locals and did not contain any Göinge people, who served the army elsewhere. The authors of the 19th century historical accounts of Svend Poulsen were also unclear on the historicity of their claims, rehashing each other's myths and fictions, while transforming Svend Poulsen into a Göinge leader. His only documented link to Göinge prior to 1673, seems to be fighting in Scania during the 1657–1658 Dano-Swedish War, in close proximity to Göinge.
In fiction
Etlar's Gjøngehøvdingen popularized Svend Poulsen as a righteous and brave leader figure, and he has since been portrayed in a number of fictional works:- Göingehövdingen, 1953 film, played by Edvin AdolphsonEdvin AdolphsonGustav Edvin Adolphson was a Swedish film actor and director who appeared in over 500 roles. He made his debut in 1912...
- Gøngehøvdingen, 1961 film, played by Jens ØsterholmJens ØsterholmJens Østerholm was a Danish film actor. He appeared in 27 films between 1959 and 1994.He was born in Denmark.-Selected filmography:* Gøngehøvdingen * Dronningens vagtmester * To...
- Dronningens vagtmesterDronningens vagtmesterDronningens vagtmester is a 1963 Danish drama film directed by Johan Jacobsen and starring Poul Reichhardt. It followed the 1961 film Gøngehøvdingen.-Cast:* Poul Reichhardt - Ib* Jens Østerholm - Svend Gønge* Birgitte Federspiel - Kulsoen...
, 1963 film, played by Jens Østerholm - Gøngehøvdingen, 1990 musicalMusical theatreMusical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, played by Kim Harris - Gøngehøvdingen, 1992 TV series, played by Søren PilmarkSøren PilmarkSøren Pilmark is a Danish actor.With Natasja Crone Back, he is notable for hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 in a seemingly endless string of rhyming couplets....
Additionally, Orla Klausen published the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series Gøngehøvdingen of five albums from 1989 to 1993. In 1998, Nils Hartmann published the children's book
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
Gøngehøvdingen.
Further reading
- Kim A. Wagner, "Snaphanelederen Svend Poulsen : en militærhistorisk biografi", Tøjhusmuseet, 2003. ISBN 87-89022-35-1
- Gitte Kjær, "Svend Poulsen Gønge - i virkeligheden", Skippershoved, 1992. ISBN 87-89224-32-9