Ulvhild Håkansdotter (Swedish:Ulfhild;c. 1095 – c. 1148) was twiceQueen of Sweden (c. 1117–25 andc. 1134–48) and onceQueen of Denmark (c. 1130–34) through her successive marriages toInge II of Sweden,Niels of Denmark, andSverker I of Sweden. Ulvhild had an important role in the Nordic dynastic connections of her time, but the sources are insufficient on detailed circumstances. She is mentioned as afemme fatale of medievalScandinavia, as well as a benefactor of theCatholic Church.
Ulvhild originated from Norway. The Norse saga manuscriptFagrskinna mentions her as the daughter of the Norwegian magnateHaakon Finnsson, of the Thjotta family. The name of her mother has not been preserved to later centuries. In modern times it has been suggested that her mother was the former Norwegian and Danish queenMargaret Fredkulla, daughter ofInge I of Sweden.[1] However, this hypothesis cannot be substantiated.
Ulvhild was firstly married to KingInge II of Sweden, in about 1116/17. They appear not to have had children. Inge was the junior of two reigning brothers. The elder brother, KingPhilip died in 1118 under unknown circumstances, leaving Inge as the sole ruler. The short chronicle in theVästgöta Law says that King Inge diedof an evil drink inÖstergötland. Some later sources place the assassination inVreta Abbey. The year is not known, but it was no later thanc. 1129.[2] The writerÅke Ohlmarks has speculated that Ulvhild became acquainted with her future husbandSverker, a magnate from Östergötland, and made him poison Inge.[3]
Some time after the death of King Inge, Ulvhild moved to Denmark, rather than returning to Norway. Perhaps she did so to claim asylum: she seems to have had relatives and allies in Denmark, whereas political turbulence plagued Sweden.[4] She married KingNiels of Denmark after the death of his first queen,Margaret Fredkulla of Sweden, inc. 1130. The marriage more or less coincided with Niels's sonMagnus the Strong being accepted as king in parts of Sweden. However, Ulvhild egged her stepson Magnus against his cousin and rivalCanute Lavard.[5] Canute was eventually murdered by Magnus in 1131. Civil war now broke out in Denmark, where Niels and Magnus stood against the claimantEric Emun. Moreover, the marriage was not harmonious, and Niels was some 20–30 years older than his spouse. The chroniclerSaxo Grammaticus informs us of the dramatic dissolution:
The event is not dated but must have taken place between 1132 and 1134. The curious elopement story may be explained by Ulvhild's position. Being the widow of Inge II, she represented the estates and influences of the extinctHouse of Stenkil. Marriage to Ulvhild legitimated the enthronement of the non-royal grandee Sverker, now when her stepson Magnus had been evicted from Sweden. As far as known, no objections (apart from the partial Saxo) were made against her third marriage or against the legitimacy of her children. On the contrary, Ulvhild is praised by clerical sources as a benefactor to the church. TheCistercians were called in on Ulvhild's initiative, and founded the abbeys ofAlvastra andNydala in 1143.[7] Alvasta was even founded on ground which was part of Sverker's bridal gift to Ulvhild.[8]
After at least a decade of queenship, Ulvhild died, some time between 1143 and 1150. Sverker married secondly withRikissa of Poland, widow of Magnus the Strong, Sverker's earlier rival and opponent. This, too, was a politically motivated marriage which may have aimed to draw the last remains of Magnus's party to Sverker.[9]
Ulvhild was married three times; to King Inge II of Sweden inc. 1117, to King Niels of Denmark inc. 1130, and to King Sverker I of Sweden inc. 1134. She had at least two surviving sons and two surviving daughters, all born of her third marriage with Sverker:
Some genealogies haveSune Sik as a younger son of King Sverker, being the father ofIngrid Ylva; it is not known if also was a son of Ulvhild.
Ulvhild Håkansdotter House of Thjotta Born:c. 1095 Died:c. 1148 | ||
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Queen consort of Sweden c. 1117 – c. 1125 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Queen consort of Sweden c. 1134 – c. 1148 | |
| Preceded by | Queen consort of Denmark c. 1130 – c. 1134 | Succeeded by |