- Hvide
Hvide was a
medieval Danishclan , and afterwards in early modern era aDanish noble surname of presumably one surviving branch of leaders of that clan. Before 16th century it was not used as surname. It signified the colorwhite .Medieval Hvide clan
The Hvide were influential in the Danish island of
Zealand , and occasionally in other close parts of the country, such as otherDanish islands and Skåne.A folktale of the clan name contrasts this clan against the "black" clan of Viking leaders of Skåne ("Svarte Skåning") who had
Thor as their chief god. The white islander clan were "protectees" of non-black godOdin .The Hvide leaders seem to have been among first to accept
christianity , and later, the clansmen regularly rose to highest positions of Danish church, including several catholicarchbishop s ofLund .Several leaders of the clan and of variety of its branches are known since early 12th century. At that time, a number of Hvide leaders were dubbed as "brothers" and as sons of mythical
Skjalm Hvide , earl of Zealand in latter half of 11th century; or as his grandsons. Such genealogy is however probably a mythical invention, them generally being more distant kinsmen with each other and "brothers" in the sense of being leaders of parts of the same clan.Family of
Stig Hvitaleder Lord Stig
Hvitaledr ("chieftain of the Hvide") was a magnate, and the clan leader, in mid-12th century. His first wife, Margrete Knudsdatter afHedeby , was sister of the future kingValdemar I of Denmark , a Hvide ally, and daughter of the "martyred"Knud Lavard , granddaughter of kingEric I of Denmark and his wifeBodil , a heiress of theLadejarl .The couple's daughter, Kirsten Stigsdatter, was married to king
Charles VII of Sweden .Family of
Asser Rog Brothers
Absalon ,archbishop of Lund , and lordEsbern Snare ,castellan of theKalundborg castle , are mentioned as sons of legendary Asser the rich.Galen clan Apparently the Galen, whose maternal forefathers were perceived a branch of Hvide clan, settled in Skåne. At least after continuing in cognatic lines, not agnatic. The "proto"-Galen magnates had originally their seat at
Knardrup in Zealand.Lord High Constable
Ebbe Sunesen , Lord of Knardrup (killed 1208), is on one hand counted as one of the proto-Galen, on the other hand traditionally regarded as a Hvide, and thus apparently was a relative of contemporary leaders of the Hvide clan. His seat was in northern Zealand (Knardrup manor), but he is documented to have possessed lands in Skåne too (for example, theHärlöv manor). After him, the Galen presumably increased their lands in Skåne and more or less moved to that province.Archbishop
Jakob Erlandsen is known to have been one of the brothers who were sons of lady Sidsel, the foremother of the Scanian Galen noble family, herself a descendant and heiress of that Knardrup branch of the Hvide clan.Litle family
The
Litle (deScania ) was a noble family which appears to have started as cognaticoffshoot of the proto-Galen branch of the Hvide clan, and settled to Skåne. Their foremother is mentioned to have been a daughter of the aforementioned Ebbe Sunesen, Lord of Knardrup and Härlöv.Prelate sThe Hvide clan and its relations seem to have dominated the Danish church for some century or more. Archbishops and bishops counted as sons of these clans included:
*
Absalon ,bishop of Roskilde , thenarchbishop of Lund
*Niels Stigsen , bishop of Roskilde
*Petrus Sunonis , bishop of Roskilde
*Andreas Sunonis , archbishop of Lund
*Peder Bang , bishop of Roskilde
*Jakob Erlandsen , archbishop of Lund
*Karl Eriksen Röde , archbishopPost-medieval noble family
In 153? king
Frederick I of Denmark and Norway ordered all nobles to take a surname. At that time, Roedkilde and Katteroe branches of the Hvide clan (according to legendary genealogies, descended from Lord High ConstableStig Andersen Hvide ) yet survived in male line, and they took the surname. These Hvide went extinct in male line already before beginning of 17th century.
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