Encyclopedia > Sweyn I of Denmark

Article Content

Sweyn I of Denmark

**Sweyn Forkbeard**

Rank:	16th
Ruled England:	December 25, 1013-February 2, 1014
Ruled Denmark:	985-February 2, 1014
Predecessor:	Ethelred II, Harald Bluetooth, and Harald II
Date of Birth:	960
Place of Birth:	Denmark
Wives:	Gunhilda[?] and Sigrid the Haughty[?]
Buried:	Roeskild Cathedral[?]
Date of Death:	February 2, 1014
Parents:	Harald Bluetooth and Gunhild[?]

Sweyn I "Forkbeard" (sometimes Svein Haraldsson; in Danish, Svend Tveskæg) (circa 965 - February 3, 1014) succeeded his father Harold I as king of Denmark in 986. After recovering his throne (991) following a brief Swedish invasion, Sweyn established Danish control over a part of Norway (1000).

After participating in a Norwegian-led raid against England in 994-995, Sweyn embarked on a series of full-scale invasions (1003-1005, 1006-1007, 1009-1012 and 1013) following the St. Brice's Day[?] massacre of England's Danish inhabitants (November 1002). By December 1013 he was England's effective ruler following the flight to Normandy of king Ethelred the Unready.

Svein died on at Gainsborough[?] in Lincolnshire, having ruled England unopposed for only five weeks, and his body was returned to Denmark. He was succeeded as King of Denmark by his elder son, Harold II[?], and as King of England by his younger son Canute the Great. His son, Canute the Great, ruled in Denmark and England and some part of northern Germany.

Preceded by: Ethelred II	List of British monarchs	Succeeded by: Ethelred II
Preceded by: Harald Bluetooth	List of Danish monarchs	Succeeded by: Harald II[?]
Preceded by: Harald II	List of Norwegian monarchs	Succeeded by: Olav Tryggvasson in 995, then by Saint Olaf in 1015

All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!