Queen Margrete I (1353-1412) and the Founding of the Nordic Union

This book presents the fascinating story of Queen Margrete I and her rise to power in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Her political ambitions culminated in the founding of the Nordic Union in 1397, which had vital impact on the history of Scandinavia for the next centuries. The book analyses the most central sources and gives a vivid picture of medieval society in Denmark during the late Middle Ages. At the same time the book describes the character of this dynamic woman, who is considered as one of the most important rulers in the Middle Ages. Only a very small part of the literature concerning Scandinavian medieval history has been published in English, and this book gives for the first time foreign readers the opportunity to read about the background to the founding of the Nordic Union. The text is well illustrated.

Vivian Etting, Cand.mag. (1984) in History, University of Copenhagen, is Curator of the Medieval and Renaissance collections at the National Museum of Denmark. She has publised several works about Nordic history in the Middle Ages.