The Queen and Hans...

Queen Margrethe I and son King Erik VII

The 13-years old Hans Bennick is in 1410 standing by theentrance to Bennicksgaard and sees an army with King Erik VII in front walk by. THe King has been sent by his mother, Queen Margrethe I (She is the mother of the Kalmarunions from 1397, which also is Hans Bennicks birth year).

South Jutland is back then from the Kingstream (Kongeåen) to the Ejder (Ejderen), but has been occupied from the south by the Holsteiners. King Erik has to force them back again. He succeds to free Als and Ærø, but he looses big in South Slesvig to the Holsteiners. Flensburg is occupied by both the Danes and the Holsteiners.

In 1412 the plague sperads in FLensburg. Several of the Holsteiners flee, while the Danes stay, because you do not leave a freind in need.

Queen Margrethe travels to Flensburg to peace negotiate, because she is better than King Erik to do so and it is a necessity now where the population not only are threadent by war but also the plague.

On 7 October 1412 three warships sailes into Flensburg Fiord. Hans sees the ships and Dannebrog wave from the mast. Now Hans knows that his beloved Queen is onboard. He runs down the dirt road to look at the ships.

After 14 days of nagotiations, Queen Margrethe I succeds in getting the Holsteiners out of Flensburg. North Slesvig and Flensburg is again a part of Denamrk. They Agreed on truth until 1416.

The Queen is beeing celebrated by the citizens of Flensburg. Hans and his father is in town to experience it. He is lucky to get near the queen, who smiles at him.

On 28 October the queens ships are sailing out of Flensburg Fiord. Hans runs again down the dirt road to wave goodbye to the Queen. He freezes. right in front of the Oxen Islands (Okseøerne), the ships throw their anker and takes down their sailes. Something must be wrong. He hurries into a small boat, that is moored to the bathing jetty of the farm. He quickly rows to the ships. On the deck he spotts a sailor and yells: "What is the matter, why do you not sail?"

The plague - The Toggenburg Bible - 1411

"Keep away. We have the plague onboard."

This does not intimidate Hans, and asks if he can help with anything. A young nobleman apears and answers: "Can you bring the Queen fresh milk? We are out, and she is very ill."
Hans rows on the silent fiord. A strange heat haze closes down on him. To the east the sky is blackandbluish, but Hans does not notice. He rushes back to the farm to get two big jars with fresh milk. When he rows back out to the ships, the tide runs into the fiord, which gives Hans a helping hand to get there faster.

At the Queens ships the nobleman and a writer of the Queen awaits. They guide him to the wooded island, Small Oxen Island (Lille Okseø). The Queen has been brought here and lies ill in her bed, inside a tent. She gratefully accepts the fresh milk, as if it was a holy drink.

Hans still breathes hard, his face blushes, but his eyes shine. He waits outside the tent. Suddently the curtains is lifted, and the nobleman welcomes him inside.

All are smiling and noding agreeingly. Here the words are unnecessary. The Queens eyes rest a long time on the young farmerboy, and in a breaf moment she wishes herself young and vibrant as him, in the atempt to displace her fear of death.

The Oxen Islands (Okseøerne)

The audience is over and the companions of the Queen are following Hans to his boat. The writer asks Hans of his name and adress, for he is making notes for the Queen of men of the Kingdom that are loyal and faithfull, and whos help the rulers of the kingdom can count on in times of need.

Hans rows back to the shore. He takes it very slowly on his way home along the dirt road, he almost steps backwards while he lokkes to the Oxen Islands (Okseøerne). Dark thunderclouds are now over the fiord. A lightning splits the sky over the islands. The storm lets loose, dust and sand swirles up Hans' legs, the water from the fiord is whiped to foam, the treetops roars like organs. Unhappy Hans throws himself to the ground and lets him get soaked by the rain, while he bursts into tears.

Only in the center of the storm over the island where the Queen is, there is no splitting lightnings. It is very quiet. Suddently the storm stops, and Hans walks home with restlessness and anxiety.

At sunset the morning after Hans walks down the dirt road and looks to the islands. He sees the flags on the ships go to the top of the mast, his heart beats fast, the hope glows, but suddently it falls to the ground, as he sees the flags go down half the way on the mast.