ASSALONNE, archbishop of LUND (Absalon). — Primate of Denmark and Sweden, born in 1128 of a noble family, died on 21 March 1201 and was buried in the monastery of Sorò, founded by him, near Copenhagen. He completed his studies in Paris and, returning to his homeland in 1156, immediately took an active part in political life, as counsellor and strong supporter of the great King Valdemaro (1157–82) in the work of unifying the kingdom of Denmark. Bishop of Roskilde and Seeland in 1157, in 1177 he was designated for the primatial see of Lund, as successor to Archbishop Eskill. During the schism of 1159, A. supported Alexander III. A.’s work as a man of the Church and of the state was extensive: he contributed effectively to the spread and affirmation
of Christianity in the Scandinavian countries, founded monasteries and cities (the foundation of Copenhagen is to his credit), and greatly encouraged culture, particularly that of the great historian of medieval Denmark, Saxo Grammaticus, who dedicated his Gesta Danorum to A. and devoted a large part of the account to his patron. After Valdemaro’s death, A.’s influence was even greater under the new sovereign Canuto VI; he was the kingdom’s true political leader for 20 years.