Person

Absalon

c. 1128–1201 · 12th century · Also known as Absalon of Lund, Axel Hvide

Absalon was a Danish churchman and statesman, Bishop of Roskilde and later Archbishop of Lund, and the chief adviser of King Valdemar I. He led Danish campaigns against the pagan Wends of the Baltic coast, and in 1168 he and Valdemar stormed Arkona on Rügen and destroyed the idol of Svantevit, forcing the Rani to accept Christianity. He also founded the castle that grew into Copenhagen.

Absalon
Image: Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Kingdom of DenmarkMilitaryDuchy of PomeraniaMilitary

Mentioned in 2 state histories

RaniPrincipality of Rügen

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Absalon. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/absalon
MLA
“Absalon.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/absalon. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Absalon.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/absalon.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Absalon’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/absalon (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻