Svein invading England
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 Svein (Svend I) "Forked Beard Tveskågg" Haraldsson
King of Denmark, and King of England (only 5 weeks)
b. about 960 Jelling, Veijle, Denmark
baptised as "Otta Svein" after his godfather, Emperor Otta [Snorre 149]
d. 3 Feb 1014 Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England
buried: Roskilde Cathedral, Denmark

1st mistress:  unknown   [Danish Kings - Snorre]*


1/2m. Sigrid S. (Storrrada) Skogarsdottir- Toste "the Haughty"*
b. 950 Of, Sweden
d.  997 Roskilde, Denmark
buried: Cathedral Roskilde, Roskild, Denmark
her father:  Skoglar Toste (a nobelman of Sweden)*
her mother: mother of Swedish king Olaf*

m. Swytoslawa Gunhild  Mieszko (Polski) Danmark 998 (she may more legendary than real)
b. 972 Poznan, Lubelskie, Poland
d. after 2 Feb 1014
her father:                                Mieszko I Piast
her mother: Dubravka, Princess of P. Bohemia

*records of marriages and births based on FMG analysis

"The ruling families of Scandinavia had many close relationships.  Olaf Skötkunug of Sweden was Svein's stepson: Olaf Tryggvason of Norway was his brother-in-law.  Svein's sister Thyri had first been married to Styrbjorn Starki, the unsuccessful invader of Swede, and after his death was bestowed on Boleslav (Burizleif) the Pole, king of the Wendland, whom she detested, first because he was a heathen and second because he was old.  In her distress she (Thyri) fled to Norway and married Olaf Tryggvason, who was neither.  Two other marriages deserve mention, the first that of Olaf Tryggvason's sister to Rognvald earl of Västergotland, a natural enemy of the king of Sweden, who was thus pushed further in king Swein's direction; and second the marriage of Swein's daughter Gyda to his ally jarl Eirik, the exiled son of jarl Hakon of Norway.  The pieces were now on the board, the player confronting each other, and it was the king of Norway's move."   [Jones 137]

Note: Swietoslawa, is perhaps identical to the legendary Sigrid the Haughty (b. 968/72 - d. ca. 1016), perhaps married firstly with Eric VII, the Victorious, King of Sweden and later wife of Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark by whom she is said to have been mother of Canute the Great, King of Denmark, Norway and England.

There is a hypothesis who stated the existence of another daughter of Mieszko I who was married with a Pomeranian Slavic Prince; she could be the daughter of either Dobrawa or one of his previous pagan wives.[12] Also, exist the theory (apparently recorded by Thietmar and supported by Oswald Balzer in 1895) that Vladivoj, who ruled as Duke of Bohemia during 1002-1003, was another son of Dobrawa and Mieszko I;[1] although modern historians rejected this hypothesis, the Bohemian historiography still supported the Piast parentage of Vladivoj.

987 - Harald Gormsson "Bluetooth" had a falling out with his son Svein over claims for part of the kingdom.  This turned into a full scale war after which Svein gathers support of some of the Jomsborg vikings just northwest of Roskilde.  Apparently Svein is forced to retreat but during the battle "Bluetooth"is wounded.   He dies probably near Sjaelland and his body is buried at Roskilde, now supposedly under one of main pillars of the Roskilde Cathedral.  Svein, according to Saxo is taken prisoner to Jomsberg island fortress where he is threatened with torture to make peace.  There is some theory that part of the reason for the rebellion may have stemmed from his forced labor for major building projects of forts, bridges and churches. This may have simply been a rational used by his son to take power.  Much of the building costs for these enterprises probably came from his raids in England and France. [Sawyer 163]


Saxo Gramanitcus records  on Harald Gormson's Death:   

"Svein, King Harald's son, who afterwards call Tjuguskeg (forked beard), asked his father King Harald for a part of his kingdom; but now, as before, Harald would not listen to dividing the Danish dominions, and giving him a kingdom. Svein collected ships of war, and gave out that he was going on a viking cruise; but when all his men were assembled, and the Jomsborg viking Palnatokehad come to his assistance he ran into Sealand to Isafjord, (presently Isefjord N. side of Sjaelland/Sealand) where his father had been for some time with his ships ready to proceed on a expedition. Svein instantly gave battle, and the combat was severe. So many people flew to assist King Harald, that Svein was overpowered by numbers, and fled.  But King Harald received a wound which ended in his death: and Svein was voted King of Denmark.  At this time Sigvalde was earl over Jomsborg in Vindland.  He was a son of King Strutharald, who had ruled over Skane. Heming, and Thorkel the Tall, were Sigvalde's brother, were also chiefs among the Jomsborg vikings: and also Vagn, a son of Ake and Thorgunna, and sister's son of Bue and Sigurd.  Earl Sigvalde had taken King Svein prisoner, and carried him to Vindland, to Jomsborg, wher he had forced him to make peace with Bruizlief, the king of the Vinds, and to take him as the peace-maker between them.  Earl Sigvalde was married to Astrid, a daughter of King Bruizleif; and told King Svein that if he did not accept his terms, he would deliver him into the hand of the Vinds.  The king knew that they would torture him to death, and therefore agreed to accept the earl's mediation.  The delivered this judgment between them that King Svein should marry Gunhilid, King Burizleif's daughter; and King Burizleif again Thyre, a daughter of Harald, and King Svein's sister; but that each party should retain their own dominions, and there should be peace between the countries.  Then King Svein returned home to Denmark with his wife Gunhild.  Their sons were Harald and Knut (Canute) the Great.  At that time the Danes threatened much to bring an army into Norway against Earl Hakon."    [Snorre. "Heimskringla" translated-157-159]

 Svein became the King of Denmark in 985 and in 1000 conquered Norway.  In 1002 Ethelred "the Unready or counseless" conquered several areas of northern England and ordered the massacre of Danish settlers including Svein's relatives. Some of those slain were relatives of Svein. Consequently Svein invaded. He demanded and received payment to keep from invading Ethelred's England. Ethelred had to establish the first tax in England to pay the bribe. Finally Svein had just had enough and he drove Ethelred out to Normandy and Svein now became the King of England as well. The Saxons fought back and did recapture some land. When Svein dies Ethelred makes peace with Svein's son, Canute who fled to Denmark in fear of retribution to become King of Denmark. Ethelred died in 1016 and Canute fights with William Ironside, who lost, and Canute The Great wins the crown of England.  Canute's empire came apart shortly after his death.  England gains independence in 1042 and Norway in 1047. [Durant 4/483-485]

  985  -  Svein I becomes King of Denmark
1002  -  Svein I becomes King of Norway
1013  -  Svein I becomes King of England



1014 - Knut "the Great" becomes King of England
1018 - Knut "the Great" becomes King of Denmark

"As a Prince of Denmark, Cnut (son of Sven I "Forkbeard") won the throne of England in 1016 in the wake of centuries of Viking activity in northwestern Europe. His accession to the throne in 1018 brought the crowns of England and Denmark together. Cnut maintained his power by uniting Danes and Englishmen under cultural bonds of wealth and custom, rather than by sheer brutality. After a decade of conflict with opponents in Scandinavia, Cnut claimed the crown of Norway in Trondheim in 1028. The Swedish city Sigtuna was held by Cnut." [wikipedia.org]

 Cnut the Great, son of Sven I
photo courtesy of wikipedia.org  

England had been at peace for a hundred years when the Vikings started invading again.  Knut/Cnute Svensson "Cnute the Great"  had

Snorre names "Astrid, a daughter of King Svein Forkbeard" as wife of Earl Ulf.  Morkinskinna names “the lady Ástrídr…sister of two kings, Knútr the Great and Óláfr the Swede” as daughter of “King Sveinn Forkbeard…and Sigrídr en stórráda” who had previously been married to King Eirikr enn sigrsæli” and wife of “Jarl Úlfr sprakalegge [Snorre]

The Chronicon Roskildense records the succession of "Sven, regis Gambliknut ex sorore nepos filius Estrid et Ulf", adding that he had "filios filiasque ex diversis mulieribus" [Danish Kings]

Snorre records the marriage of Eirik and Gyda, daughter of King Svend, in 996 According to Brenner Gyda was either illegitimate or the daughter of one of King Svend's marriages.  In Europäische Stammtafeln, she is King Svend's legitimate daughter, presumably by his first marriage as she is shown as the eldest child.  m (996) EIRIK Håkonsson Jarl, son of HÅKON Sigurdsson Jarl (-in England [1023]).  Regent in Norway 1000-1015.  Jarl in Northumbria 1015.  [Danish Kings]

1014, Feb 3  - After several years of harassment of England by other vikings Svein I sets sail toward the Sandwich Islands.  He travels down the east coast of England to Humber and up the river Trent to Gainsborough. He gained here the allegiance of Earl Uhtrid and all Northumbria.  Soon submitted Lindsey and the Five Boroughs which meant virtually all of Danelaw England under his control.  He left "his ships in the charge of his son Knut at Gainsbourgh and took a mounted army through English Bercia where for the first time they were allowed to harry, received the submission of Oxford and Winchester, and then attacked London." After his initial failed attack he left to get submission of the West country.  Without support of other areas of England London submits and Svein I becomes King of England. 

Five weeks later on February 3, 1014 he dies and leaves the new kingdom to his 18 year old son Knut (soon to be known as "The Great".  Although without much experience Knut continues to build and shore up control.  [Jones 369)

Elroy's Brief History of Jutland, Denmark

Source:

FMG -    Danish Kings - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy-
                 http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/DENMARK.htm#_Toc196361191
Jones, Gwyn.  A History of the Vikings, Revised Ed. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, England. 1984
Nationalmuseet, Jellingprojektet
Roskell, R. C., L. Clark, C. Rawcliffe, ed. The History of Parliament, the House of Commons 1388-1421, ed. , 1993
Roskilde Cathedral History - http://www.roskildehistorie.dk/index.htm
Snorre Sturlason. (translation out of Icelandic), Samuel Laing) The Heimskringla of  The Norse Kings, vol. 1 Norroena Society, London, 1907.  - https://babel.hathitrust.org
wikitree.com

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