Abel, King of Denmark
King of Denmark · Denmark · On the map · Historical Figures · Lived 1218 to 1252 · aged 34
Crowned king after swearing he didn't kill his brother for the throne - then dead himself two years later. Abel's reign lasted just long enough to make medieval Denmark very nervous about who actually ordered the hit.
Abel, King of Denmark is read about 58 times a day, in 42 languages.
A typical day, 30 days to 16 September 2026
The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 60 days, one point a day.
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About this person
Abel Valdemarsen was born around 1218, son of Valdemar II and Berengaria of Portugal, and became Duke of Schleswig in 1232. His relationship with his older brother, King Eric IV, soured into open conflict, and when Eric was murdered in 1250, suspicion fell directly on Abel. He took an oath denying involvement, cleared himself by medieval standards, and was elected king that same year. His reign proved the shortest of any Danish monarch since the 9th century: in 1252, barely two years in, he was killed during a military expedition in Frisia. The duchy passed to his descendants, who ruled Schleswig as the "Abel family" until 1375.
