Harald _____

Familie/Ægtefælle/Partner: Ukendt. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1/G2 d-not

Notater:

Jon Jonsen Litle (aka Joen Lille) was Chancellor to the king (Konglig
Kansler), and a member of the privy council for both King Erik Klipping
and King Erik Mænved. Jon was a Knight (Ridder), in 1258 he is known to
have been the owner of Tomarp estate (aka Tommerup) in north-western
Skåne. Named in 1262 as messanger (sendebud) for Paven. Also held
Tommerup and Hørningsholm. Was regent (rigsforstander) for Denmark, and
"Gældker" (Kongens højeste embedsmand = King's highest officer) in
Skåne. In 1298 he was "Drost", and as such his seal can be found on many
documents. See "Galenslægten", page 156.

This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,
Ontario, copyright 1990-2002.

Familie/Ægtefælle/Partner: Gorm den Gamle _____. Gorm (søn af Hardeknud _____) blev født før 875 i Danmark; døde cirka 958 i Jelling, Jylland, Danmark. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: d-note

Notater:

Dana-ást betyder 'den som danerne elsker'. Han faldt på vikingetogt iVesterled. Han omtales i sagaerne, men det virker mest som frit digt.Et af sagnene beretter at Gorm havde lovet at dræbe den der bragte hambud om Knuds død. Da Thyre fik nyheden, smykkede hun kongshallen tilsorg, og fortalte Gorm en historie om en grå og en hvid høg. Da Gorm såspurgte hende om Knud var død, svarede hun de kendte ord: 'Det sagde I ogikke jeg, herre konge'.
(Kilde: Salmonsens Konversations Leksikon, 2' udg. 1915-1930)

Ifølge opkaldereglerne er det overvejende sandsynligt, at Gorms ældstesøn er opkaldt efter sin farfar.

Fra Steen Thomsens database dec 1997

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1 d-note

Notater:

It is unlikely that Harald's nickname "Blaatand" is connected to histeeth, as the oldest known version of his name is "Blatan" - but nobodyseems to know its meaning. According to "Nachkommen Gorms des Alten" (S.Otto Brenner, 1978) was first married to Gunhild (-965-) and second toTove (-970-); the mother(s) of Harald's children are uncertain.

Adam of Bremen wrote that Harald reigned for 50 years, but perhaps thiswas just his way of saying "many". Harald conquered Norway in 960, andthus became the King of both Denmark and Norway. The Roskilde Chroniclestell that Harald reigned for 15 years together with his father, Gorm; andalso relate a story about Bishop Poppo carrying red-hot iron withoutburning his fingers, and thus convincing Harald of Christ's superiorstrength over the old Norse gods, Odin and Thor. After which, circa 965,Harald decided to be baptized as a Christian. This story became widelytold, and can be seen depicted on church frescoes all over Europe. In965 the Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great granted tax exemptions to hisbishops in Schleswig, Ribe, and Aarhus - which could be interpreted asmeaning that he had transferred them to Harald.

The third addition to the embankment of the Viking fortress of Dannevirkeis dated to 968, and thus must have been done during Harald's reign. Hewas also responsible for the construction of other Viking fortresses:Trelleborg in 980-981, and also of Fyrkat, and probably also ofAggersborg in Skåne. He also had constructed a bridge, calledRavningbro, across the inlet at Vejle in 979. That he could undertakesuch massive construction projects attests to his having a strong andunited command over the population.

According to the annals, Harald - referred to as Duke (Hertug) - paid histaxes to Emperor Otto in 973. Otto died that same year, and since theDuke of Saxony, Herman Billung, had also just recently died, Haralddecided in 974 now was the time to wage a war to free Denmark from theoverlordship of the Germanic empire. The resulting war can be foundchronicalled in several annals, and in Snorri's "Heimskringla", whichtell of heavy battles at Dannevirke, ending with Danish defeat. Haraldnow has to pay taxes to Emperor Otto II, and the southern part ofSchleswig (from Dannevirke to the the Eider River) becomes part of Saxony.

In 982 Otto II suffered a defeat at the hands of the arabs, and both theSlavs and the Danes rebelled, trying to free themselves from the Germanicempire. Harald took back the land he had lost in 974, and refused to payany further taxes to the Germans. However the peace treaty, in which theEmperor relinquish Hedeby and the land north of the Eider, was not signeduntil the time of Harald's grandson, Knud den Store, circa 1025. Haraldhad fortified a fortress in Poland, called Jomsborg, against attacks fromthe Vends. In 975 his forces stationed at Jomsborg suffered a defeat atHjørungavåg and as a result he lost control of Norway.

On a Rune-stone located in what is now the Jelling churchyard is carvedthe following inscription in old Norse:

(Translated to modern Danish:)
"Harald Konge bød gioere kumler disse efter Gorm fader sin og efter Thyramoder sin, den Harald som sig vandt hele Danmark og Norge og gjordedanerne kristne."

(Translated to English:)
"King Harald raised these Rune-stones to honour his father Gorm and hismother Thyra, the Harald who won all of Denmark and Norway, and made theDanes christians."

The text on Harald's Jelling-stone ends with (but may have been addedlater): "the Harald who won all of Denmark and Norway". However, theFrankish annals tell us that Denmark was a complete country long beforeGorm and Harald. Skåne, Jylland, and the islands in-between, had beenruled by the same king now and then, for instance: under King Godfred inthe early 800s. By 811-813 the Danish kingdom encompassed an area from:the Eider River in the south, to Skåne in the east, to Vestfold (OsloFjord) in the north. Also, the travelogues of Attar and Wulfstan fromthe end of the 800s tell of a Denmark consisting of: Oslo Fjord, theprovinces of Bohus, Halland and Skåne, the Danish islands, and Jyllandpeninsula down to the Eider River; at that time Blekinge belonged toSweden, and Bornholm had its own king. But it would be safe to say it isonly from the time of Harald that the kingdom of Denmark seems to havebecome a stabile entity.

So there is no reason to believe that either Gorm or Harald gatheredtogether several small kingdoms into one country known as Denmark. Thetext from Harald's Jelling-stone could be interpreted as meaning: "theHarald who recovered for himself Denmark and Norway". There is somecircumstantial evidence that Gorm lost Skåne and Norway, as well as hislife, in 958 and that what Harald accomplished was merely a re-conquest.But the standard explanation is that Harald held the lands from thebeginning, and that what he won was merely the area around Haithabu, in983, which he had first lost to Emperor Otto II.

Harald's son Svend Tveskæg led an uprising against his father in 986.During a battle Harald was wounded, and is said to have fled toJomsburg. It is recorded that he hid in a little town named variouslyas: Iumne, Julin, Hyumsburgh, Iumneta, Vineta, which today is known asWolin, and is located on the eastern outflow of the Oder River. A listof names to be prayed for tells us that he probably died on November 1,986 or 987.

(Sources: "Det danske Rige i den ældre Vikingetid", Erik Kroman, 1976,pages 115-123; "Da klinger i Muld", Steen Hvass and Birger Storgaard,1993; "Ottar og Wulfstan", Niels Lund, 1983.)

This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,Ontario, copyright 2006.

Familie/Ægtefælle/Partner: Ukendt. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Familie/Ægtefælle/Partner: Gyrith _____, of Sverige. Gyrith (datter af Olof I Björnsson Ring) blev født før 945 i Sverige; døde efter 960. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: HV

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1/HV

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1

Thyra blev gift med Styrbjörn den Starka _____ cirka 975. Styrbjörn (søn af Olof I Björnsson Ring) blev født før 955 i Sverige; døde i 985 i Fyrisvall, Upsala, Sverige. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Thyra blev gift med Boleslaw I Chrobry _____, the Brave cirka 985. Boleslaw (søn af Mieszko I _____ og Dubrawka _____, of Bohemia) blev født i 966 i Greater Poland (Poland); døde den 17 jun. 1025 i Poland. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Thyra blev gift med Olav I Trygvesen i 998 i Tønsberg, Vestfold county, Norge. Olav blev født cirka 968 i Norge; døde den 9 sep. 1000 i Died in the sea battle of Svold. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1 d-note

Notater:

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.

Familie/Ægtefælle/Partner: Ukendt. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Svend blev gift med Gunhild _____, of Poland cirka 985. Gunhild (datter af Mieszko I _____ og Dubrawka _____, of Bohemia) blev født cirka 965 i Greater Poland (Poland); døde efter 1014 i Danmark. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Svend blev gift med Sigrid Storraada _____, of Götaland cirka 995. Sigrid (datter af Toste _____) blev født før 965 i Götaland region, Sverige; døde før 1013 i Roskilde, Sjælland, Danmark. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1

Familie/Ægtefælle/Partner: Sigrid _____. Sigrid blev født før 975; døde efter 1001. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Beskæftigelse: Nun

Andre Begivenheder og Egenskaber:

• Ane-nr.: G1/G2

Estrid blev gift med Ulf Sprakling i 1018 i Roskilde Cathedral, Sjælland. Ulf (søn af Thorgils Sprakling og Sigrid _____) blev født cirka 995 i Danelaw region, England; døde i dec. 1026 i Roskilde, Sjælland, Danmark; blev begravet i Roskilde Cathedral, Sjælland. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]

Estrid blev gift med Robert le Diable _____ cirka 1027 i Roskilde Cathedral, Sjælland. Robert blev født før 1005 i Normandy (France); døde i 1035 i Died on pilgrimage. [Gruppeskema] [Familietavle]