“Heir to his Name and Blood”

The Valdemarian Kings of Denmark and the Slavs, 1168–1241

This article examines the relations between the Valdemarian rulers of Denmark and their Slavic allies and subjects around the Baltic. The article examines John H. Lind’s work on the marriage alliances between the Danish royal family and the Ryurikid’s in the twelfth century and explore how Valdemar I, Cnut VI and Valdemar II utilised these and other connections in their relationship with Slavic elites. On this basis, the article argues that the relationships were stronger than has often been recognised and that the Valdemarian Empire in large part was created and maintained through the cultivation of such links with local elites.