Astrid Olofsdotter of Sweden

Last updated
Astrid Olofsdotter
Astrid olofsdatter-taler.jpg
Astrid as imagined by artist Christian Krohg in 1899
Queen consort of Norway
Tenure1019–1028
Died1035
Spouse Olaf II of Norway
Issue Wulfhild of Norway
House Munsö
Father Olof Skötkonung of Sweden
Mother Edla

Astrid Olofsdotter (Norwegian: Astrid Olavsdatter; English: Aestrith) (died 1035) was the queen consort of King Olaf II of Norway. [1] She is the only woman to have a surviving skaldic praise-poem dedicated to her for her decisive address of the Swedish army in support of her stepson, Magnus the Good. [2]

Contents

Biography

Astrid was born to King Olof Skötkonung of Sweden and his Obotritian mistress Edla. She was the half sister of King Anund Jacob of Sweden and sister of King Emund the Old of Sweden. It is said that she and her brother Emund were not treated well by their stepmother, Queen Estrid, and that they were sent away to foster parents. Astrid was sent to a man named Egil in Västergötland. [3]

In 1016, it had been decided that Norway and Sweden should come to more peaceful relations by a royal marriage alliance. Noblemen of both countries tried to arrange a marriage between King Olaf of Norway and Astrid's legitimate half-sister, Princess Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden, but Ingegerd was instead married to Yaroslav I the Wise, Grand Prince of Novgorod and Kiev. [4] Instead Astrid was married to King Olaf in Sarpsborg in 1019. [5] Some sources say that Astrid replaced Ingegerd by the wish of her father, while others say that the marriage took place against the will of her father, through the cooperation of King Olaf and the Swedish jarl Ragnvald Ulfsson. [6]

Astrid was described as beautiful, articulate and generous, and well liked by others.[ citation needed ] She was the mother of Wulfhild of Norway (1020–1070), who married Ordulf, Duke of Saxony, [7] and the stepmother of King Magnus the Good, with whom she had a good relationship. In 1030, she was widowed when her husband was killed. She left Norway and returned to the Swedish court, where she had a high position. When her stepson Magnus visited Sigtuna on his way to claim the Norwegian throne, she gave him her official support and encouraged Sweden to do so as well.

Related Research Articles

Estrid of the Obotrites was Queen of Sweden in the Viking age, a West Slavic princess married to Olof Skötkonung, King of Sweden c. 1000–1022. She was the mother of King Anund Jacob of Sweden and the Kievan Rus' saint and grand princess Ingegerd Olofsdotter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnus the Good</span> King of Norway and Denmark

Magnus Olafsson, better known as Magnus the Good, was King of Norway from 1035 and King of Denmark from 1042 until his death in 1047.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olof Skötkonung</span> King of Sweden from c.995 to 1022

Olof Skötkonung, sometimes stylized as Olaf the Swede, was King of Sweden, son of Eric the Victorious and, according to Icelandic sources, Sigrid the Haughty. He succeeded his father in c. 995. He stands at the threshold of recorded history, since he is the first Swedish ruler about whom there is substantial knowledge. He is regarded as the first king known to have ruled both the Swedes and the Geats, and the first king in Sweden to have minted coins. In Sweden, the reign of Olof Skötkonung is considered to mark the transition from the Viking Age to the Middle Ages. He was the first Christian king in central Sweden. Norse beliefs persisted in parts of Sweden until the 12–13th century, with some keeping the tradition into modern times.

Emund the Old was King of Sweden from c. 1050 to c. 1060. His short reign was characterised by disputes with the Archbishopric of Bremen over church policies, and a historically debated delimitation of the Swedish-Danish border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ragnvald Ulfsson</span> Swedish noble (fl. c. 1100)

Ragnvald Ulfsson the Old was a jarl of Västergötland or Östergötland and was married to a sister of King Olav Tryggvason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigvatr Þórðarson</span> Icelandic skald (995–1045)

Sigvatr Þórðarson or Sighvatr Þórðarson or Sigvat the Skald (995–1045) was an Icelandic skald. He was a court poet to King Olaf II of Norway, as well as Canute the Great, Magnus the Good and Anund Jacob, by whose reigns his floruit can be dated to the earlier eleventh century. Sigvatr was the best known of the court skalds of King Olaf and also served as his marshal (stallare), even baptizing his son Magnus.

Austrfararvísur is a skaldic poem composed by the Icelandic skald Sigvatr Þórðarson c. 1019. It is written in the meter dróttkvætt.

Margaret of Sweden was Queen of Norway as the spouse of King Sverre of Norway.

Bjørn Stallare was an 11th-century Norwegian diplomat and civil servant during the reign of King Olaf II of Norway.

Euphemia of Rügen was Queen of Norway as the spouse of Håkon V of Norway. She is famous in history as a literary figure, and known for commissioning translations of romances.

Ingrid Ragnvaldsdotter was born a member of the Swedish royal family, became a member of Danish royalty by marriage and later was Queen consort of Norway as the spouse of Harald IV of Norway. Married four times, Ingrid had a number of children who played prominent roles in Swedish and Norwegian history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malmfred of Kiev</span> Queen of Denmark and Norway

Malmfred of Kiev was a Norwegian and Danish queen consort, wife first to King Sigurd I of Norway and second to king Eric II of Denmark.

Ingeborg Eriksdotter was Queen of Norway and the wife of King Magnus VI. She was born a Danish princess, daughter of Eric IV of Denmark. As queen dowager, she played an important part in politics during the minority of her son King Eirik II of Norway in 1280-82.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridget Haraldsdotter</span> Queen consort of Sweden

Bridget Haraldsdotter, also Brigida was Queen of Sweden as the spouse of King Magnus II.

Ingegerd Haraldsdotter was a Norwegian princess who, by her successive marriages, became queen of Denmark and Sweden. Her husbands were Olaf I of Denmark and Philip of Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisiv of Kiev</span> Norwegian queen consort (1025 – c. 1067)

Elisiv of Kiev was a Princess of Kiev and Queen Consort of King Harald III of Norway.

Ingerid Swendsdatter of Denmark was a Danish princess who became Queen of Norway as the spouse of King Olaf III of Norway.

Wulfhild of Norway was a Norwegian princess, and a duchess of Saxony by marriage to Ordulf, Duke of Saxony.

Tora Torbergsdatter was a Norwegian royal consort. She was the mother of two kings of Norway. It is possible, but unconfirmed, that she was also queen of Denmark or Sweden.

Ingegerd Olofsdotter of Sweden, also known as Irene or Anna, was a Swedish princess and the grand princess of Kiev from 1019 to 1050 as the wife of Yaroslav the Wise. She was the daughter of the Swedish king Olof Skötkonung by his wife Estrid of the Obotrites. She is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

References

  1. ↑ Astrid norsk drottning (Historiska världar) Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ Jesch, Judith (2012). Whaley, Diana (ed.). "Sigvatr Þórðarson, Poem about Queen Ástríðr". Poetry from the Kings' Sagas 1: From Mythical Times to C. 1035. 1: 645.
  3. ↑ Astrid Olavsdatter – utdypning (Store norske leksikon)
  4. ↑ Yaroslav the Wise (Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 5. 1993)
  5. ↑ Thunberg, Carl L. (2012). Att tolka Svitjod, p 35.
  6. ↑ Olav 2 Haraldsson Den Hellige – utdypning (Store norske leksikon)
  7. ↑ Rudiger 2020, p. 252.

Sources

Succession

Astrid Olofsdotter of Sweden
Born: Unknown Died: 1035
Norwegian royalty
Preceded by Queen consort of Norway
1019–1028		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.