Danish Kings Flashcards
Harald Bluetooth’s reign
958-986 Denmark
963 - 974 Norwegian region
Gorm the Old
Harald Bluetooth’s dad
Pagan
Buried wife (Thyra in Jelling)
Harald Bluetooth Religion
Originally Pagan
Baptised as Christian in 965
Made Christianity the real religion of Denmark
His most important achievement
Harald’s Reasons For Conversion
Impressed by Priest
Too hard to resist spread of Christianity
Gorm struggled to defend Denmark against German Christians
Missionaries visiting from Germany and England since 700s
3 Statements of Christianity at Jelling
Built a Church in the centre
Moved Gorm from the mound to the Church
Commissioned a Christian runestone
Harald’s Defences
Built walls around markets including Hedeby
968 Strengthened the land that meets Germany
974 Germans overpowered defences
Harald’s Trelleborg Fort
Built in 980
Built in a circle with a ditch
Gateways are at 4 compass points
Streets meet precisely at the centre
Four identical buildings in each corner
3 more forts with ordinary men as well as soldiers
Built to show power or for military needs
Harald’s Death
In 985 or 986
His son Svein rose a rebellion against him and he died in battle
Buried in a Christian cathedral
Svein Forkbeard’s Rule
986 - 1014 Denmark
1000 - 1014 Most of Norway
1013 - 1014 (weeks) England
Svein’s Early Danish Achievments
983- Recaptured Hedeby
986- Seized Danish throne
Tolerant of Pagans
Svein’s Continuing Harald’s success
Mints money to support trade
Thought southern Germans were the greatest threat
Invited English Christians to help lead the Danish church
Guaranteed security of foreign traders
Svein in Englamd
993 - Joined forces with Olaf Tryggvason (Norwegian)
Olaf attacked 991 and gained 10,000 lbs of silver as Danegeld
993 - Raided Sussex and overwintered
994 - Ethelred offered Olaf money which he took and returned to Norway without Svein
Then crowned himself king of Norway
Ethelred
Started reign of England in 978 aged 12
Svein with Sweden
Swedish King Eric took over Denmark while he left
995 - Eric died and Svein married his widow Sigrid
Created an alliance between Sweden and Denmark
Svein in Norway
New allies were the Swedes
Spent 5 years at war with Olaf
Defeated him in the year 1000
Svein and Swedish king shared out the land
Massacre in England
Attacked while trying to escape
Massacre of St Brice’s day November 1002
Ethelred ordered a surprise attack on all Danes (not in Danelaw)
Brought terrible revenge
Svein’s Fury 1003
Raided south west England
Svein’s Fury 1004
Attacked East Anglia
Svein’s Fury 1005
A famine occured so no attacks took place
Svein’s Fury 1006-1007
Attacked Kent and Hampshire
Overwintered
Bought of with 36,000 lbs of silver
Thorkell the Tall
1008 - Ethelred ordered building of ships ready in 1009
Most of fleet lost in storm
Thorkell lead Viking attacks on defenceless coast
1011 - Burnt Canterbury
1012 - Thorkell agreed to fight for Ethelred for 48,000
Danish Conquest 1013
Svein outraged at Thorkell’s turning
Sailed a full army lead by himself
Set a base in the heart of Danelaw
After the fall of Bath, Ethelred and Thorkell fled to France
25th December 1013 - Svein named king of England
Cnut’s rule
1016 - 1035 - King of
England
Denmark
Norway
Parts of Sweden
Orkney Islands
Became king aged 18
Regaining the English Crown
Upon Svein’s death Ethelred was recalled
Harald (His uncle) ruled over Denmark
1015 - Large army of 160 ships sailed to England
April 1016 - Ethelred died, was succeeded by his son Edmund
Cnut defeated Edmund in the battle of Ashingdon
1016 - Cnut was king of England
Cnut Taking Control
40 ships to defend against Viking raids
Raised an army to defend against rebels
Taxed Anglo-Saxons for the money
Executed Anglo-Saxon leaders
Issued Strict practical laws
1017 - Married Emma, sister of Duke of Normandy which guaranteed peace
Cnut and the Church
Tolerated Pagans
Built a good relationship with English church
Exempt Canterbury from geld payments as an apology for the murder of an archbishop in 1012
