Danish Kings

Question 1

Harald Bluetooth’s reign

Answer 1

958-986 Denmark
963 - 974 Norwegian region

Question 2

Gorm the Old

Answer 2

Harald Bluetooth’s dad
Pagan
Buried wife (Thyra in Jelling)

Question 3

Harald Bluetooth Religion

Answer 3

Originally Pagan
Baptised as Christian in 965
Made Christianity the real religion of Denmark
His most important achievement

Question 4

Harald’s Reasons For Conversion

Answer 4

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

Question 5

3 Statements of Christianity at Jelling

Answer 5

Built a Church in the centre
Moved Gorm from the mound to the Church
Commissioned a Christian runestone

Question 6

Harald’s Defences

Answer 6

Built walls around markets including Hedeby
968 Strengthened the land that meets Germany
974 Germans overpowered defences

Question 7

Harald’s Trelleborg Fort

Answer 7

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

Question 8

Harald’s Death

Answer 8

In 985 or 986
His son Svein rose a rebellion against him and he died in battle
Buried in a Christian cathedral

Question 9

Svein Forkbeard’s Rule

Answer 9

986 - 1014 Denmark
1000 - 1014 Most of Norway
1013 - 1014 (weeks) England

Question 10

Svein’s Early Danish Achievments

Answer 10

983- Recaptured Hedeby
986- Seized Danish throne
Tolerant of Pagans

Question 11

Svein’s Continuing Harald’s success

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Svein in Englamd

Answer 12

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

Question 13

Ethelred

Answer 13

Started reign of England in 978 aged 12

Question 14

Svein with Sweden

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Svein in Norway

Answer 15

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

Question 16

Massacre in England

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Svein’s Fury 1003

Answer 17

Raided south west England

Question 18

Svein’s Fury 1004

Answer 18

Attacked East Anglia

Question 19

Svein’s Fury 1005

Answer 19

A famine occured so no attacks took place

Question 20

Svein’s Fury 1006-1007

Answer 20

Attacked Kent and Hampshire
Overwintered
Bought of with 36,000 lbs of silver

Question 21

Thorkell the Tall

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Danish Conquest 1013

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Cnut’s rule

Answer 23

1016 - 1035 - King of
England
Denmark
Norway
Parts of Sweden
Orkney Islands
Became king aged 18

Question 24

Regaining the English Crown

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Cnut Taking Control

Answer 25

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

Question 26

Cnut and the Church

Answer 26

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