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Sweyn Forkbeard

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Reign	Denmark: 986-February 3, 1014 Norway: 999- 1014 England: December 25, 1013-February 3, 1014
Born	c.960 Denmark
Died	February 3, 1014
Buried	Roskilde Cathedral
Married	Gunhilda
Parents	Harald Bluetooth Gunhild

Sweyn I "Forkbeard" (Sven Otto Haraldsson; Danish: Svend Tveskæg, originally Tjugeskæg or Tyvskæg, Norwegian: Svein Tjugeskjegg) (c. 960 – February 3, 1014). Sveyn succeeded his father Harold I as king of Denmark, probably in late 986 or early 987. Sweyn had coins made with his likeness, being the first Danish king to do so. The inscription read "Zven, Rex ad Dener" which translates as "Sven, king of [the] Danes". The year of his birth is unknown, but he is believed to have been born before his father accepted Christianity in the early or mid-960s. When the royal family converted Sweyn is said to have been given the Christian name Otto in honour of the German emperor. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Sweyn, from a collection of imaginary portraits of English monarchs drawn on the 18th Century by an unknown artist. ... Events March 2 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks End of the reign of Emperor Kazan of Japan Emperor Ichijo ascends to the throne of Japan Explorer Bjarni Herjólfsson becomes the first inhabitant of the Old World to sight North America Births Deaths March 2 - Lothair, King of... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events February 14 - Pope Benedict VIII recognizes Henry of Bavaria as King of Germany July 29 - Battle of Kleidion: Basil II inflicts not only a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, but his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of shock... Events Silesia is incorporated into territory ruled by Boleslaus I of Poland Pope Silvester II succeeds Pope Gregory V Deaths December 16 - Saint Adelaide of Italy (b. ... Events February 14 - Pope Benedict VIII recognizes Henry of Bavaria as King of Germany July 29 - Battle of Kleidion: Basil II inflicts not only a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, but his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of shock... December 25 is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 6 days remaining. ... Events Danish invasion of England under king Sweyn I. King Ethelred flees to Normandy, and Sweyn becomes king of England. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events February 14 - Pope Benedict VIII recognizes Henry of Bavaria as King of Germany July 29 - Battle of Kleidion: Basil II inflicts not only a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, but his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of shock... Events Edgar the Peaceable crowned King of England. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events February 14 - Pope Benedict VIII recognizes Henry of Bavaria as King of Germany July 29 - Battle of Kleidion: Basil II inflicts not only a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, but his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of shock... Roskilde (population 52,572) is an ancient city in Denmark, situated in the island of Zealand, 30 km west of Copenhagen. ... Sigrid the Haughty, Gunhilda, Sigrid Storråda, Świętosława, (967 - 1014) was the daughter of mythical Burislav (almost certainly Mieszko I of Poland and Dubrawka). ... Harold Bluetooth Gormson (Danish Harald Blåtand, Norwegian Harald Blåtann) (ca 935- November 1, 986), sometimes Harold II, succeeded his father Gorm the Old as king of Denmark in 958 (or 959) and was king of Norway for a few years, probably around 970. ... Sigrid the Haughty, Gunhilda, Sigrid Storråda, Świętosława, (967 - 1014) was the daughter of mythical Burislav (almost certainly Mieszko I of Poland and Dubrawka). ... Events Edgar the Peaceable crowned King of England. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events February 14 - Pope Benedict VIII recognizes Henry of Bavaria as King of Germany July 29 - Battle of Kleidion: Basil II inflicts not only a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, but his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of shock... Harold Bluetooth Gormson (Danish: Harald BlÃ¥tand, Old Norse: Haraldr blátönn, Norwegian: Harald BlÃ¥tann, German: Harald Blauzahn), d. ... Events March 2 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks End of the reign of Emperor Kazan of Japan Emperor Ichijo ascends to the throne of Japan Explorer Bjarni Herjólfsson becomes the first inhabitant of the Old World to sight North America Births Deaths March 2 - Lothair, King of... Events Hugh Capet, Count of Paris, crowned King of France Kukulcan conquers Chichen Itza Births Deaths May 21 King Louis V of France Categories: 987 ... 1¢ euro coin A coin is usually a piece of hard material, generally metal and usually in the shape of a disc, which is issued by a government to be used as a form of money. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ...

11th century historian Adam of Bremen, whose Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum is strongly anti-Sweyn, claims that Sweyn Forkbeard was deposed by king Eric the Victorious of Sweden, who ruled Denmark until his death in 994 or 995. This is highly doubtful; Adam's writings regarding Sweyn and his father are compromised by his (Adam's) desire to emphasize Sweyn's father Harold as a candidate for sainthood, and he claims that Sweyn, who was baptized along with his father, was a heathen. Adam of Bremen (also: Adam Bremensis) was one of the most important German medieval chroniclers. ... Eric the Victorious (VI), or Erik Segersäll, (985?- 995), was king of the Swedes during the last two decades of the 10th century. ... Events Births Canute the Great (approximate) (+ 1035) Deaths Leopold I, Margrave of Austria Categories: 994 ... Events (Erik Segersäll) is succeeded by (Olof Skötkonung), the first baptized ruler of Sweden. ... General definition of saint In general, the term Saint refers to someone who is exceptionally virtuous and holy. ... Baptism is a water purification ritual practiced in certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism. ... Heathen is a term used both to describe a person who does not follow an organized religion, and also a modern practitioner of Heathenry. ...

According to Adam Sweyn was punished by God for supposedly leading the uprising which led to king Harold's death, and had to spend "fourteen years" abroad, an obvious biblical reference. Adam puports that Sweyn was shunned by all those with whom he sought refuge, but was finally allowed to live for a while in Scotland. The Scottish king at the time was apparently known in Europe as a heathen and a murderer, and Adam's intention is obviously to show that Sweyn belonged with heathens and murderers and couldn't rule a Christian country. He only achives succes as a ruler once he accepts Christ as his saviour. The term God is capitalized in the English language as a proper noun when used to refer to a specific monotheistic concept of a Supreme Being in accordance with Christian, Jewish (sometimes as G-d - cf. ... The Bible (sometimes The Book,Good Book, Word of God, or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βιβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, plural of βιβλιον, biblion, book, originally a diminutive of βιβλος, biblos, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos, meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material), is the... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (Latin: No one provokes me with impunity) (Scots: Wha daur meddle wi me) Scotlands location within the UK Languages with Official Status1 English Gaelic Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... World map showing Europe (geographically) When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second-smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... Christ is the English representation of the Greek word Χριστός (transliterated as Khristós), which means anointed. ...

No other western European source supports Adam's allegations, however, and while some sort of conflict between Danes and Swedes may have taken place during Sweyn's reign, the idea of him being deposed is completely without foundation. It also seems improbable that a weak monarch who had only just regained his throne would have undertaken a large expedition like the raid against England in 994. And furthermore, Sweyn Forkbeard is known with a high degree of certainty to have presided over a meeting between two of his earls on the Danish island of Sejerø near Zealand's northeastern tip in 993, at least a year before the death of king Erik and Sweyn's supposed "return" to Denmark. The meeting is believed to have taken place because of an apparent feud between the earl of Bornholm and the earl of Scania, and the king himself came sailing to Sejerø (the probable site of the Battle of Svoldr seven years later) with a large fleet of 60 ships. Western Europe is distinguished from Eastern Europe by differences of history and culture rather than by geography. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... An Earl as a member of the British peerage ranks below a Marquess and above a Viscount. ... Sejerø is a Danish island in the Kattegat close to Zealand. ... Zealand (Danish: Sjælland) is the largest island of Denmark. ... Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea. ...   SkÃ¥ne? (also known as Scania) is the southernmost historical province (landskap) of Sweden. ... The Battle of Swold was a naval battle that took place on September 9, 1000 between Norway and the other Scandinavians. ...

King Sweyn was never a heathen, but he did enlist priests and bishops from England rather than from Hamburg, and this must have given Adam of Bremen further cause to dislike him. Sweyn must have known that once the archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen had gained influence in Denmark, the German emperor Otto II would not be far behind; his Slavic neigbours to the south-east had all but been annexed by Germany once Otto's father Otto I had their lands divided in to bishoprics and put under the "care" of the Holy Roman emperor. Roman Catholic priest LCDR Allen R. Kuss (USN) aboard USS Enterprise A priest or priestess is a holy man or woman who takes an officiating role in worship of any religion, with the distinguishing characteristic of offering sacrifices. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... Hamburg is Germanys second largest city (after Berlin) and, with the Hamburg Harbour, its principal port. ... In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop heading a diocese of particular importance due to either its size, history, or both, called an archdiocese. ... Otto II ( 955 – December 7, 983, Rome), was the third German ruler of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty. ... The Slavic peoples are the most numerous ethnic and linguistic body of peoples currently living in Europe. ... Annexation is the legal merging of some territory into another body. ... In some Christian churches, the diocese is an administrative territorial unit governed by a bishop, sometimes also referred to as a bishopric or episcopal see, though more often the term episcopal see means the office held by the bishop. ... The Holy Roman Emperor was, with some variation, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire, the predecessor of modern Germany, during its existence from the 10th century until its collapse in 1806. ...

Sweyn Forkbeard seems to have married king Erik of Sweden's widow after Erik's death, gaining some measure of influence in Sweden through Erik's underaged son Olof. The name of the queen is not known; the ambitious Sigrid the Haughty of legend is purely fictitious. Coin minted for Olof Skötkonung in Sigtuna Olof of Sweden or Olof Skötkonung/Skottkonung (the meaning of the cognomen is disputed) was the son of Eric the Victorious and Sigrid the Haughty. ... Sigrid the Haughty, Gunhilda, Sigrid Storråda, Świętosława, (967 - 1014). ...

Following the death of Norway's king Olaf I in the Battle of Svolder, Sweyn established Danish control over a part of Norway, with Eirik Håkonsson Earl as his vassal. Sweyn was probably behind most of the raids against England in 1003-1005, 1006-1007, and 1009-1012, following the St. Brice's Day massacre of England's Danish inhabitants in November 1002. The king acquired massive sums of Danegeld, and in 1013 Sweyn himself led the Danish fleet in a full-scale invasion. Olaf Tryggvason has been elected king, a painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo Olaf Tryggvason (969–September 9? 1000) (Old Norse: Óláfr Tryggvason, Norwegian: Olav Tryggvason) was son of Tryggve Olafsson, king of Viken (Vingulmark and Ranrike), and great-grandson of Harald Fairhair. ... The naval Battle of Svolder or Swold took place on 9 September 1000 in the western Baltic Sea, between Norway and the other Scandinavians. ... Eirik HÃ¥konson, (circa 963-1028), earl of Lade (Trøndelag). ... Events Sweyn I of Denmark begins his first invasion of England. ... Events Malcolm II succeeds Kenneth III as king of Scotland. ... Events Aelfheah (St. ... Events Aethelred buys two years of peace with the Danes for 36,000 pounds of silver. ... Events February 14: First known mention of Lithuania, in the annals of the monastery of Quedlinburg. ... Events Mael Morda starts a rebellion against Brian Boru in Ireland, which would eventually end in 1014 at the Battle of Clontarf. ... Events November 13 - English king Ethelred gives order to kill all Danes in England. ... The Danegeld was an English tax raised to pay off Viking raiders (usually led by the Danish king) to save the land from being ravaged by the raiders. ... Events Danish invasion of England under king Sweyn I. King Ethelred flees to Normandy, and Sweyn becomes king of England. ...

The contemporary Laud Chronicle states that "before the month of August came king Sweyn with his fleet to Sandwich. He went very quickly about East Anglia into the Humber's mouth, and so upward along the Trent till he came to Gainsborough. Eorl Uhtred and all Northumbria quickly bowed to him, as did all the folk of Lindsey, then the folk of the Five Boroughs. (...) He was given hostages from each shire. When he understood that all the people had submitted to him, he bade that his force should be provisioned and horsed; he went south in full force, and entrusted his ships and the hostages to his son Cnut. After he came over Watling Street, they worked the most evil that a force might do. They went to Oxford, and the town-dwellers soon bowed to him, and gave hostages. From there they went to Winchester, and did the same, then eastward to London." American deli sandwiches An italian sandwich The sandwich is a food item typically consisting of two slices of bread between which are laid one or more layers of meat, vegetable, cheese, or other fillings, together with optional or traditionally provided condiments, sauces, and other accompaniments. ... Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ... Humber is also the name of one of the ranges of cars manufactured by the Rootes Group Humber is also the name of a river in Newfoundland, Canada, as well as a river and a college, both in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Trent is the name of several places: Trento in Italy, famous for the C16 Council of Trent trent logan Trent, Texas, USA Trent, South Dakota, USA Rivers: River Trent in the UK, or one of several other other Trent Rivers Other: Trent jet engine family manufactured by Rolls-Royce plc... Gainsborough is a town in Lincolnshire, England. ... This article is about a fictional character. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of an Anglian kingdom which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, and of the much smaller earldom which succeeded the kingdom. ... Lindsey is a traditional subdivison of Lincolnshire in England, which includes most the urbanised areas. ... The Five Boroughs of New York City The Five Boroughs is a colloquialism often used by residents of New York City to unambiguously refer to the city itself, as opposed to any particular borough or to the greater metropolitan area. ... For information on the fictional Shire of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, see Shire (Middle-earth) A shire is an administrative area of Great Britain. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Watling Street was a Roman road which went from Dover on the southeast coast of England and is generally believed to have terminated at Viroconium (now Wroxeter in Shropshire). ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... Location within the British Isles Winchester Cathedral as seen from Cathedral Close Arms of Winchester City Council King Arthurs Round Table Winchester is a city in southern England, with a population of around 35,000. ... The clock tower of the Palace of Westminster, which contains Big Ben London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ...

But the Londoners are said to have destroyed the bridges that spanned the river Thames ("London Bridge is falling down"), and Sweyn suffered heavy losses and had to withdraw. The chronicles tell that "king Sweyn went from there to Wallingford, over the Thames to Bath, and stayed there with his troops; ealdorman Aethelmaer came, and the western thegns with him. They all bowed to Sweyn and gave hostages." Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... London Bridge is falling down is a well-known traditional nursery rhyme. ... Map sources for Wallingford at grid reference SU6089 Wallingford is a small town in Oxfordshire in southern England. ... The Palladian-style Pulteney Bridge and the weir at Bath. ... An Ealdorman, or Alderman, was the prior magistrate of a British shire in A. D. 900 to A. D. 1100. ... Thegn or Thane, is an Anglo-Saxon word (þeg(e)n) meaning an attendant, servant, retainer or official. ...

London had withstood the assault of the Danish army, but the city was now alone, isolated within a country which had completely surrendered. Sweyn Forkbeard was accepted as King of England following the flight to Normandy of king Ethelred the Unready in late 1013. London had finally surrendered to him, and the Witan declared Sweyn "full king" on Christmas day. Mont Saint Michel is a historic pilgrimage site and a symbol of Normandy Normandy is a geographical region in northern France. ... Ethelred II (Old English: Æþelred) (c. ... The Witenagemot (or Witan) was a political institution in Anglo-Saxon England which operated between approximately the 7th century and 11th century. ...

Sweyn based himself in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, and began to organize his vast new kingdom, but he died in Gainsborough on February 3rd 1014, having ruled England unopposed for only five weeks. His body was subsequently returned to Denmark. He was succeeded as King of Denmark by his elder son, Harold II; the Danish fleet proclaimed his younger son Canute as King of England, but they and he returned to Denmark, with Ethelred being restored. Later, Canute ruled in Denmark, England, Norway and some parts of northern Germany. Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the East Midlands of England. ... Events February 14 - Pope Benedict VIII recognizes Henry of Bavaria as King of Germany July 29 - Battle of Kleidion: Basil II inflicts not only a decisive defeat on the Bulgarian army, but his subsequent savage treatment of 15,000 prisoners reportedly causes Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria to die of shock... Harold II of Denmark (c. ...

Sweyn Forkbeard's nickname, which was probably used during his lifetime, refers to a long, pitchfork-like moustache, a "tjuge" in Old Norse, not to a full beard. Such a moustache was fashionable at the time, particularly in England. A pitchfork next to a compost bin Pitching hay A pitchfork is a tool with a long handle and long, thin, widely separated pointed tines (also called prongs) used to lift and throw loose material, such as hay, leaves, grapes, or other agricultural products. ... A moustache (sometimes spelt mustache in the United States) is an outgrowth of hair above the upper lip. ... Old Norse or Danish tongue is the Germanic language once spoken by the inhabitants of the Nordic countries (for instance during the Viking Age). ...

Harold Bluetooth Gormson (Danish: Harald Blåtand, Old Norse: Haraldr blátönn, Norwegian: Harald Blåtann, German: Harald Blauzahn), d. ... This is a list of Danish monarchs, that is, the Kings and ruling Queen of Denmark, including Regents of the Kalmar Union. ... Harold II of Denmark (c. ... This article is a list of rulers of Norway up until the present, including: The Norwegian kingdom (with the Faroe Islands) The Union with Iceland and Greenland (1262-1814) The Norwegian kingdom (with Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands 1262-1814) The Union of Sweden and Norway (1319-1343) The... Haakon Sigurdsson Jarl (d. ... Olaf Tryggvason has been elected king, a painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo Olaf Tryggvason (969–September 9? 1000) (Old Norse: Óláfr Tryggvason, Norwegian: Olav Tryggvason) was son of Tryggve Olafsson, king of Viken (Vingulmark and Ranrike), and great-grandson of Harald Fairhair. ... Olaf Tryggvason has been elected king, a painting by Peter Nicolai Arbo Olaf Tryggvason (969–September 9? 1000) (Old Norse: Óláfr Tryggvason, Norwegian: Olav Tryggvason) was son of Tryggve Olafsson, king of Viken (Vingulmark and Ranrike), and great-grandson of Harald Fairhair. ... This article is a list of rulers of Norway up until the present, including: The Norwegian kingdom (with the Faroe Islands) The Union with Iceland and Greenland (1262-1814) The Norwegian kingdom (with Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands 1262-1814) The Union of Sweden and Norway (1319-1343) The... Illustration in wrought-iron of Olavs life on the door of a Stave church in Hardemo, Nerike, where Olav baptized locals during his escape Olav II Haraldsson ( 995 – July 29, 1030), king from 1015–1028, (known during his lifetime as the Stout and after his death as Saint Olav... Ethelred II or Æþelræd Unræd (c. ... This is a list of British monarchs, that is, the monarchs on the thrones of some of the various kingdoms that have existed on, or incorporated, the island of Great Britain, namely: England (united with Wales from 1536) up to 1707; Scotland up to 1707; The Kingdom of Great Britain... Ethelred II or Æþelræd Unræd (c. ...

For litterary sources see professor Niels Lund: "Harald Blåtands Død" [The Death of Harold Bluetooth], Roskilde Museum's publishing house, Denmark 1997.