Medieval women married when?

Φιλολoγικά/Philologica : Medieval women married when? · Assorted retorts from yahoo boards and elsewhere :... on Jailbait Now (Some States), Legal Back Then

I was taking two Nordic examples and to each adding wikiwise knowable relatives, not too far back or on, namely St Bridget of Vadstena (outside Sweden mostly known as St Bridget of Sweden) and Queen Margaret of the Three Kingdoms (or of Kalmar Union).

I started out with Swedish articles, since I believed it would be hard to find some of these in non-Swedish and non-Scandinavian, including English, articles. I am leaving Swedish and Danish text as a bonus for those knowing the languages, while resuming age relevant data in English after each such. If no resumé follows, age is not deducible from Swedish material.

Let's start with St Bridget:

I-1 Birgitta Birgersdotter, även känd som Heliga Birgitta, född omkring 1303 förmodligen i Finsta, Uppland, död 23 juli 1373 i Rom, Kyrkostaten, var en svensk katolsk predikant, författarinna, teolog samt ordens- och klostergrundare av Birgittinorden.

Några år senare, vid omkring tretton års ålder, giftes hon mot sin vilja bort med den artonårige Ulf Gudmarsson. Hon ville säkert hellre leva som jungfru och lyckades också övertala sin make att de första åren leva i avhållsamhet, men därefter födde hon åtta barn. Makarna bodde under dessa år på Ulfåsa vid sjön Boren i Östergötland.

Married 13 (1316), oldest (live?) child at 16 (1319).

II-1 Märta Ulfsdotter, född omkring 1319, död 1371, var en svensk hovdam. Hon var som hovmästarinna ansvarig för drottning Margaretas uppfostran och undervisning.

Her oldest son of first marriage, date of birth not mentioned. But she had two children with her first husband who died 1345 - when she was 26.

Her oldest daughter of second marriage was:

III-1 Ingegerd Knutsdotter, född 1356, död 1412; abbedissa i Vadstena kloster 1388-1403 - and as abbess, she was not married.

Next daughter:

III-2 Katarina Knutsdotter, död cirka 1412, hovmästarinna hos Filippa av England 1412 (Philippa of England being an English princess but Swedish Queen).

No marriage mentioned.

III-3 Ingrid Knutsdotter - neither articles, nor dates.

II-2 Cecilia Ulvsdotter, födelseår okänt, död 12 mars 1399 i Vadstena kloster, var en medlem av det svenska frälset, dotter till heliga Birgitta och en figur i Birgittalegenden. Nun, no date of marriage therefore.

Back before St Bridget?

Her mother was second wife of Birger Perssons, and she is given no birthyear and has no article of her own. However, back to St Bridget's generation, her sister:

I-2 Katarina Birgersdotter. Hennes födelse- och dödsår är okända, men hon omtalas som minderårig 14 mars 1315.

Hon vigdes före 20 september 1316 med Magnus Gudmarsson (Ulvåsaätten).

She had a daughter, Ingeborg:

II-3 Ingeborg Magnusdotter, född ca 1327, och dotter till Magnus Gudmarsson (Ulvåsaätten) och Katarina Birgersdotter (Finstaätten) och systerdotter till heliga Birgitta. Begravdes 1390 28/6 i Vadstena kloster (E). Ägde jord i Norra Vedbo härad (F).

No date of marriage given.

Here, I, II, III mark generations from St Bridget to that of grand daughters. 1, 2 etc mark persons mentioned in each generation. My own way of dealing with this. For next, I will be using a more traditional Sosa-Stradonitz marking. 1 = the peson herself, 2 = her father, 3 = her mother, anyone's father = 2*own number, anyone's mother 2*own number+1. Adding n:n for children, greatgrandchildren etc. and numbering them in each generation either lower case Roman if children of someone marked with Arabic, or in Arabic if children to someone numbered in lower case Roman numerals: and children of the person marked in order of birth.

So, now to Queen Margaret:

1) Queen Margaret (of three Kingdoms).

Margareta Valdemarsdotter föddes våren 1353 på Søborg på norra Själland som dotter till kung Valdemar Atterdag och hans hustru drottning Helvig av Slesvig. Hennes äldre syster Ingeborg Valdermarsdotter var gift med hertig Henrik Bödeln av Mecklenburg och hertiginna av Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

I januari 1359 trolovades Margareta med den norske kungen Håkan Magnusson, som 1362 blev kung i Sverige och samtidigt medregent med sin far Magnus Eriksson. Vigseln ägde rum den 9 april 1363 på Köpenhamns slott. - Betrothed at six, formally married at 10, very obviously not consumed yet, bears her only child in ... I början av december 1370 födde Margareta sitt enda barn, Olof, som i maj 1376 valdes till kung i Danmark efter sin morfar, Valdemar Atterdag som dött i oktober 1375.

So, she was 17 when bearling Olof.

2) King Valdemar Atterdag
3) Helvig av Slesvig - married King Valdemar in 1340, no birthdate given.

Daughter other than Queen Margaret:

3:iii Ingeborg Valdemarsdotter (1347-1370), gift med hertig Henrik Bödeln av Mecklenburg (1337/1338-1383)

Ingeborg Valdemarsdotter, född 1 april 1347, död före 16 juni 1370, hertiginna av Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Ingeborg fick överta äldre systern Margaretas tilltänkte make hertig Henrik Bödeln av Mecklenburg (1337/1338–1383) efter Margaretas död 1350. Ett bröllopskontrakt mellan Ingeborg och Henrik upprättades i Dornburg 23 oktober 1350. - marital contract in 1350, when she was 3 (!)

Ingeborg och Henrik gifte sig sedan före 3 juni 1362. - Married before this date in 1362, when she was 15 and a few months.

No article about her oldest daughter and her husband, here is about her second daughter:

3:iii:2 Maria av Mecklenburg (1363/1365–1402/1403), gift med hertig Vartislav VII av Pommern (stupad 1394/1395)

Maria av Mecklenburg, född någon gång mellan 1363 och 1367, men troligen senast 1365, död efter 13 maj 1402, var en hertiginna av Pommern. - Birth dates vary between 1363 and 1367, they say probably latest 1365.

Hon gifte sig 1380, före 23 mars, med hertig Vratislav VII av Pommern (stupad 1394 eller 1395) och fick med honom sonen Bogislav (född omkring 1382, död 1459), mer känd som den nordiske unionskungen Erik av Pommern, och dottern Katarina (född omkring 1390, död 1426), gift med pfalzgreve Johan av Pfalz (född omkring 1383, död 1443). Maria var även eventuell arvtagare till sin moster, den nordiska unionsdrottningen Margareta.

- Married early in 1380. Meaning, if she was born even a bit later in 1365, she was (oh, horror to the Nordic feminists!) just 14, and if she was born in 1367, she was 13 or just 12 and some.

She had, besides Erik of Pomerania a daughter too:

3:iii:2:ii dottern Katarina (född omkring 1390, död 1426), gift med pfalzgreve Johan av Pfalz (född omkring 1383, död 1443).

Katarina av Pommern, född omkring 1390, död i Gnadenberg den 12 mars 1426, var en pommersk furstinna, gift grevinna av Pfalz. - Born AROUND 1390.

Katarina gifte sig i Ribe den 15 augusti 1407 med pfalzgreve Johan av Pfalz (omkring 1383-1443). - Married at 17 or AROUND that date.

Paret fick följande barn: Kristofer av Bayern (1416-1448), nordisk unionskung - the one child named after 9 years of marriage.

4) Kristofer II
5) Eufemia av Pommern Eufemia av Pommern, född 1285, död 26 juli 1330, var en dansk drottning, gift 1300, 1306 eller 1307 med kung Kristofer II av Danmark (r. 1320–1326, 1329–1332). - Queen Margaret's paternal grandmother was married any age between 15 and 22.

6) Erik 2. af Sønderjylland (ca. 1288 – 12. marts 1325)
7) Erik 2. giftede sig i 1313 med Adelheid Heinrichsdatter af Holsten-Rendsborg (død januar 1350). - Marital age cannot be determined, since birthdate is not given on article about husband (she has none of her own)

8) Erik Klipping, Erik V Kristoffersson, född 1249, död 22 november 1286, var kung av Danmark 1259-1286. Han var son till sin företrädare kung Kristofer I (död 1259) och Margareta Sambiria av Pommerellen (död 1282).
9) Agnes av Brandenburg, drottning av Danmark och Danmarks regent som sonens förmyndare 1286-93, född 1257/1258, död 29 september 1304, begravd i Ringsted. Dotter till markgreve Johan I av Brandenburg (död 1266/1267) och Jutta av Sachsen (död 1287).

Born 57/58.

Agnes gifte sig första gången den 11 november 1273 i Schleswig med kung Erik V Kristoffersson av Danmark (1249-1286), mer känd som Erik Klipping.

Married 11.XI.1273, at, obviously, 16 or 15. Her husband was 8 years older. Her first son was not Christopher II, but his older brother:

Erik Menved (1274-1319), kung Erik VI Eriksson av Danmark - born 1274, year after marriage, which must therefore have been immediately consummated or within very few months. At 15 or even more 16, unlike 12, there was hardly any need to hesitate.

10) Bogislaw IV (Polish: Bogusław IV; died 19 February 1309 or 24 February 1309), of the Griffins dynasty, was Duke of Pomerania for thirty years.
11) He firstly married Matilda of Brandenburg-Stendal, daughter of John I, Margrave of Brandenburg. He married secondly Margarete of Rügen, daughter of Wizlaw II, Prince of Rügen. His children from his second marriage were:

And no birthdate or marital date for Margarete of Rügen are given. Euphemia was however her oldest daughter and child, born 1285, as said. Her father:

22) Vitslav II (c. 1240 – 1302), variously called Vislav, Vizlav, Wislaw, Wizlaw and Witslaw in English sources (German: Wizlaw II) was a prince of Rügen.

1285-1240 = 45 years for two generations. Actually, his article mentions that Margaret (born around 1270/71 – died 1318), married 1284 Duke Bogislaw IV of Pomerania-Wolgast.

Meaning, Margaret of Rügen was 15 or 14 when her daughter Euphemia was born.

12-15 no results.

16) Kristofer I (danska: Christoffer I), född 1219, död 29 maj 1259, kung av Danmark från 1252. Yngste son till Valdemar Sejr och drottning Berengaria, bror till Erik Plogpenning och Abel. Gift med Margareta Sambiria av Pommerellen. 17) Margareta "Sambiria" av Pommerellen, född 1230/1234, död 1 december 1282, var drottning av Danmark som gift med Kristofer I av Danmark (1219—1259), och Danmarks regent mellan 1259 och 1266 som förmyndare för sin son Erik V Klipping. Som regent fick hon tillnamnet "Spränghäst" och "Svarta Grete" på grund av sin viljestyrka och energi.

Dotter till Mechtild av Mecklenburg och Sambor II av Pommerellen, gift 1248 med Kristofer I av Danmark (1219—1259). - In other words, she was married between 14 and 18. And as her son was born next year (see 8!) marriage was immediately consumed.

18) Johan I av Brandenburg (tyska: Johann I. von Brandenburg), född omkring år 1213, död 4 april 1266, var tillsammans med sin bror Otto III av Brandenburg markgreve av Markgrevskapet Brandenburg i det Tysk-romerska riket från år 1220 till sin död 1266. 19) Jutta av Sachsen, född omkring 1240, död 23 december 1287. Dotter till hertig Albrekt I av Sachsen och Agnes av Thüringen (död före 1247). Jutta blev markgrevinna av Brandenburg i sitt 1255 ingångna äktenskap med markgreve Johan I av Brandenburg (död 1266/1267) och mor till danska drottning Agnes av Brandenburg.

Married AROUND 15. Daughter "9) Agnes av Brandenburg" born two to three years later. No other - or earlier - children mentioned in article. If you don't prefer to call it a stub.

20) Barnim I the Good (c. 1217/1219 – 13 November 1278) from the Griffin dynasty was a Duke of Pomerania (ducis Slauorum et Cassubie) from 1220 until his death. 21) "Between 1253 and 1254, Barnim I married secondly with Margareta (b. aft. 1231 - d. bef. 27 May 1261), probably a daughter of Nicholas I, Lord of Werle and member of the House of Mecklenburg,[4][5] although other sources identified her as a daughter of Otto the Child, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Historian Robert Klempin identified her as the widow of Vitslav I, Prince of Rügen, but this seems very doubtful from a chronological view.[6] They had one son: Bogislaw IV (b. bef. 1258 - d. 19 February 1309), co-ruler from 1276 and sole ruler after his father's death, sharing power with his younger half-brothers."

1253
1232
0011

1254
1232
0012

In other words, the mother of Boleslaw (10) was at most 12, and marriage was fruitful with him within at most 5 years.

22) Vitslav II (c. 1240 – 1302) ... as mentioned
23) Vitslav II married between 1263 and 1269 Agnes of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the daughter of Duke Otto I, the Child of Brunswick and Matilda of Brandenburg. The names of four sons and four daughters are known from the Vitslav's testament dated 27 December 1302: ...

But the age of Agnes of Brunswick-Lüneburg is not given.

So, let's resume:

Not mentioned if married - 2, before I lost count. Inapplicable (since monastic) - 2, before I lost count. Age not mentioned - 5, before I lost count. As is case with following more precise info too:

Married : 10 (formally), 12/16, 13, 15, 15/22, c.17

Oldest child : 14/18, 16, 17
Second daughter between 16 and 20,
Only (?) child around 26, at 35

Here I lost count. One thing is certain, the ancestors we had in the Middle Ages disagreed with today's Swedish feminists about whether it was normal or not to marry in early teens and get pregnant quick. Our ancestors thought so, even if they found it irksome especially bearing children, the feminists of today do not, irksome having become "undesirable" to them.* Our ancestors were Catholics, the feminists of today are Lutheran Modernists or at least as often clearly post-Christian (but not quite related to pre-Christian customs).

Hans Georg Lundahl
Nanterre UL
St. Jean-Baptiste de LaSalle
15.V.2017

* Note that previous to Reformation, unlike in Muslim countries, "our daughters" also could get around the irksome stuff by either becoming nuns (which might involve the other irksome stuff called celibacy and chastity, of course), or fidgeting about marriage, or sheer luck, and also - but this might be same as with some Muslims - by agreeing to post-pone consummation. Once Reformation said all should marry, goodbye with those solutions to a large part of Europe!