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- Svend Tveskæg (aka Swegn/Swein Forkbeard) was king of Denmark afterhaving defeated his father, Harald Blaatand, in 986, and remained theking of Denmark through to his death in 1014. Whether Svend is the sonof Queen Tove or, more probably, one of Harald Blaatand's many mistressesis not known. For a time in his youth he is said to have lived with hissister Gunhild, and her husband Palnig/Palne Toke, in the the territorythat the Danes held in England.
Svend had imported clergymen and monks from England. Svend was lookedupon unfavourably by the Church in Rome, due to his strong resistance tothe German Bremer Church. This must have stemmed from the fact that hehad issued letters to the Bishops in Aarhus, Ribe, Schleswig, and Odense,confuring on them the right to extend their influence into what was thenGerman territory! However, the Bremer Church collapsed after the deathof its powerful archbishop, Adaldag, in 988. The Bishop of Ribe,Odinkar, was a relative of the royal family. He had been educated inEngland, France, and also in Bremen. He was very competent, and managedto gather all the Danish bishops under his churchly domain.
Svend had ambitions to conquer England, and thus spent a great deal oftime, and energy, there early in his reign. However, he was forced tocome back to Denmark in order to deal with political differences withKing Olav Trygvesen of Norway. Legend states that his was the result ofa personal dispute between his wife Sigrid and the Norwegian king.
This dispute ended in 1000 when Svend united with the fleets of Earl(Jarl) Erik, of Norway, and of King Olof, of Sweden, at the "Battle ofSvold". It is not known for certain where the battle was held, possiblyit was located near Rügen or maybe at Hven in the Øresund. Togethertheir forces defeated the Norwegian fleet, and King Olav himself waskilled. After defeating the Norwegian king, Svend made himself the kingof Norway.
Now he could turn his attention back to England. It appears that he usedthe Viking fortresses of Trellesborg, Fyrkat, Nonnebakken, and Aggersborgas bases for his forays to England. After many battles with the Englishthe Vikings demanded ever increasing bribes from the English king toleave them in peace. This culminated in 1005-1006 with the enormousbribe of about 10 tons of silver. By 1013 Svend had conquered much ofEngland; although he only reigned over that territory for two years. Heis known in English lore as "Swein Forkbeard".
Alfred the Great is recognised as the first king of all England, butoften wrongly presented as such from 871. However, he did notsuccessfully beat the Vikings before 895. Svend was in control of theEngland during 1013-1014. He is the father of Knud den Store (aka Canutethe Great), the first to really unit England as one kingdom. Vikings hadlarge areas under their control, gaining and lossing some, until Knudmanaged to gain full control in 1016.
Svend was first married to Gunhild of the Vends. Gunhild was exiled toPoland by Svend Tveskæg to the advantage of Sigrid Storråda; she wasbrought back to Denmark again by her son after Svend Tveskæg's death.Svend very likely also had a number of mistresses.
This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,Ontario, copyright 2006. [2]
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Anebasen — Ole Thyge Plannthin
ca. 960 - 1014 (54 år)
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