Denmark Flashcards
Kanhave Canal
726, Samso Island, 11m / 1km
Not maintained after being built
Danevirke renewed
737 (main and north rampart)
Also underwater barrier in Schlei Fjord (next to what became Hedeby)
Ribe
c. 700
Symmetrical plots suggests top-down organisation
Saxon King Widukind fled to “Sigfred king of the Danes”
777
Franks conquer Saxony
804
Godfred destroys Reric
808
Was a Slavic trading centre
Strategic trade route for Charlemagne
Moved traders to Sliesthorp, which became Hedeby (c. 811)
Godfred has the king of the Obodrites killed
809
Godfred ravishes Frisia
810
200 ships, Frisia pays over 100 p
Skills of Godfred
- cavalry and a large fleet
- Understood value of merchants and tolls
- Public works
- capable of great feats e.g. moving the people of Reric
- clearly formidable to the Franks
Successor of Godfred
his nephew Hemming
Civil war after Hemming
d. 812, Sons of Godfred vs. Harald Klak and Reginfred
Response of Frankia to civil war in Denmark
aggressive policy 814-840 under Louis
Repulsed in attack 815
Frankish aggressive policies
- threatening military campaigns
- political negotiations
- supporting exiles
- extending patronage to willing Danes in return for support
- sending missionaries
Success of Frankish attempts in Denmark?
- Harald Klak couldnt hold onto power even with Frankish support
- Converting Harald Klak may have been a mistake as made Danes more antagonistic towards him as a Frankish puppet
Horik
Sole ruler of Denmark c. 827
Horik and Louis the Pious
Louis tried to have Horik overthrown
Horik took advantage of the revolt of Louis’ sons to attack 830
Danish attacks on Frankia
long Frankish coast, lots of attacking by sea
Viking attacks on Lothar
840-843 when Charles the Bald and Louis the German revolted
Frankish attempts at Conversion of Denmark
not very successful
845 Danish raid on Hamburg
Crucial Danish raids
845 Hamburg - destroyed Anskar’s cathedral
845 Paris
Ninth Century Sources
Wulfstan - English, centres Sjælland
Othere/Otter - Norwegian, centres Jutland
Otto’s troops don’t attack
968
Ordered to attack Slavs but ‘bc. a war with the Danes loomed’ Widukind
dux of the Obodrites is murdered
Thrasco, 809 in Reric by the men of Godfred
Harald Klak baptised
826 by Louis the Pious as his godfather