Euphemia of Rügen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Euphemia of Rügen |
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|---|---|
| Queen consort of Norway | |
| Tenure | 1299–1312 |
| Born | c. 1280 |
| Died | 1312 |
| Burial | St Mary's Church, Oslo |
| Spouse | Håkon V of Norway |
| Issue | Ingeborg of Norway |
| House | Vitslav |
| Father | Vitslav II Prince of Rügen |
Euphemia of Rügen (born around 1280, died May 1312) was a queen in Norway. She was married to King Håkon V of Norway. Euphemia is remembered for her love of books and for helping to translate popular stories into Nordic languages.
Contents
About Queen Euphemia
Euphemia was likely the daughter of Vitslav II. He was the Prince of Rügen. Some older stories about her family have been proven wrong.
Becoming Queen
Euphemia married Håkon V of Norway in the spring of 1299. Just a few months later, Håkon's brother, King Eric II, passed away. This meant Håkon became the new king of Norway.
Their marriage was probably planned during a meeting in 1298. Prince Vitslav, Euphemia's father, helped make the agreement. Queen Euphemia and King Håkon lived at Akershus Castle in Oslo.
A Queen Who Loved Books
Queen Euphemia was very interested in culture and learning. She loved to read and had a very large collection of books. People said it was one of the biggest book collections in Europe at that time.
Euphemia helped bring new ideas about knights and noble behavior to the Nordic countries. She wanted to share stories from other parts of Europe.
The Euphemia Ballads
Queen Euphemia arranged for three famous French and German stories to be translated. These stories were about knights and adventures. Copies of these translations were sent to the Swedish court.
The three stories were:
- Herr Ivan lejonriddaren (translated in 1303)
- Hertig Fredrik av Normandie (translated in 1301 or 1308)
- Flores och Blanzeflor (likely translated in 1312)
Each story ends by saying that Queen Euphemia asked for it to be translated. These stories became very popular in both Norway and Sweden. They are known as the 'Euphemia ballads'.
Her Family and Legacy
Euphemia and Håkon had one child who survived, a daughter named Ingeborg of Norway. In 1312, Ingeborg married Duke Eric Magnusson of Sweden. He was the son of King Magnus III of Sweden.
Ingeborg and Eric had a son named Magnus Eriksson. He later became king of both Norway and Sweden. This meant Euphemia's grandson ruled both countries.
King Håkon and Queen Euphemia were buried in St. Mary's Church in Oslo. Later, their remains were moved to the Royal Mausoleum at Akershus Castle.
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Isabel Bruce |
Queen consort of Norway 1299–1312 |
Succeeded by Blanche of Namur |
