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Godske Christoffersen Lindenov orLindenow (died 1612,Copenhagen) was aDanish naval officer andArctic explorer. He was a commander on one of KingChristian IV's expeditions to Greenland.
He was of the noble family Lindenov ofLindersvold, son of Christoffer Clausen Lindenov (d. 1593) and Sophie Hartvigsdatter Plessen.
Godske Lindenov was part of the escort ofPrince Hans, son ofFrederick II of Denmark and Norway, on his fatal 1602 journey toMoscow to marryXenia, daughter of the tsarBoris Godunov.
Lindenov joined the Danish Royal Navy in 1605 and was the same year sent on theHans Køning Expedition to SouthernGreenland led byJohn Cunningham to assert Danish sovereignty. Lindenov was given command of the vesselDen Røde Løve ("Red Lion"). Lindenov landed nearAtammik and brought twoInuit back toCopenhagen. In the following year,Christian IV of Denmark sent him on a newexpedition toGreenland withJames Hall as a pilot. Five ships were sent:Trost ("Consolation", his flagship),Den Røde Løve (commanded byJohn Cunningham),Katten ("Cat", commanded by Anders Nolk),Ørnen ("Eagle", commanded by Hans Bruun) and the ex-ScottishGilliflower[1] (also called variously theGillibrand, theGiltbert, and theAngelibrand,[2] commanded byCarsten Richardson). The expedition landed in Southwest Greenland and searched forsilver ore, which was not found.
In the following years, he was sent on naval operations, e.g. in theBaltic during theKalmar War (1611–1613). He fell ill and died inCopenhagen in 1612.Lindenov Fjord in EastGreenland is named for him.
Lindenov married Karen Gyldenstjerne, daughter of Henrik Gyldenstjerne and Birgitte Trolle on 10 March 1611. Their sonChristopher Lindenov (c. 1612–1679) became an admiral of the Danish Navy as well.