Canute - King of England, Denmark, and Norway
King Gorm, "the Old," (c. 940-958) of Denmark married Thyre. Thyre was thought to have died before Gorm. Gorm was paid 2,000 pounds of gold and silver to leave Frisia and the Rhineland alone during his raids.
Generation Two
King Harold Bluetooth succeeded his father King Gorm circa 958 or 959, at age 25. Harold re-established Danish control over Norway. Harald died circa 985-987. His descendants were part of what would be known as the Gorm Dynasty. Harold was baptized, in 965, as a Christian.
Harold raised a runic monument to his parents at Jelling, Jutland, Denmark. The Jelling Dynasty restored Denmark to its leading position in Scandinavia. Harold claimed to bring Christianity to Denmark, but the German monk Ansgar, Archbishop of Hamburg and Bremen went on missions to Denmark and Sweden between 826 and 865. He apparently converted many, but they still worshipped their old gods. Next to the Jelling monument, was a church which was built in 1100. Under this church was three earlier churches, and one was thought to have been built in the time of Harold Bluetooth. The earliest church was the largest. Most likely the largest timber church in all of Scandinavia. It is thought that the churchyard contains the remains of King Gorm, which was exhumed from its pagan burial place in a nearby mound. If this is truly the burial place of Gorm, he was 5 foot, seven inches tall, and his garments were of the highest quality. No one has found the remains of Queen Thyre.
Generation Three
Sygryda Swietoslawa (also called Gunnhild of Poland), (daughter of Mieszko I, Prince of the Polonians), married King Svei "Tjugeskjegg" or "Forkbeard" King of Denmark (c. 984-1014). Svein's foster father was a man called Palnatoki.
In 980, Swein raided Southampton, England, with Olaf Trggvason, the grandson of Harald Finehair of Norway. They cooperated again in 994, when they attacked London. This attempt was twarted. Svein was King of England (Northumbria and East Anglia) from 1013 until his death, at Gainsborough, on February 3, 1014.
In 1001 the Danes harassed Ethelred who paid Svein 24,000 pounds of silver. Then Ethelred ordered all Danish people to be slain on St. Brice's Day (November 13th). This mass murder infuriated the Danish King Svein, for among those killed was his sister, Gunnhild. Svein returned and attacked England. Ethelred could not cope with this. In a battle off Sandwich, in 1009, the Vikings burned 80 of Ethelred's vessels. Another 20 defeated to the enemy and Ethelred "went home." Ethelred deserted his forces and fled to his nearest redoubt.
On August 1, 1009, the Danes anchored their ships in Sandwich and looted Ethelred's realm far and wide, and collected 36,000 pounds of silver.
In Autumn 1011, the Vikings of King Svein reached Canterbury and seized, among other prisoners, the elderly archbishop, whom they pelted with stones and the severed heads of cattle, before crushing his skull with an ax.
In Summer 1013, Svein's attacks continued. At this time, he advanced to York and Northumbria, and he secured allies from the Danish cheiftains. Svein's men then took Oxford, Wincester, Bath, and London. Ethelred fled again to Normandy, and Svein proclaimed himself King. He had conquered England. Svein prevented other Vikings from getting enough wealth and prestige to overturn his throne. In 995, Olaf Tryggvason, a Norwegian, tried to establish himself as King of Norway. In 1000, at the Battle of Svold, Olaf lost both his kingdom and his life.
Five weeks later Svein was dead, at age 55. His son, Knut (Cnut), was his heir and he was only 18 years old, at the time. However, unlike Ethelred, he seemed to take to war easily.
Generation Four:
Knut II (Canute II, the Great) was born circa 995, and died November 12, 1035, at approximately 40 years of age. Canute was King of England (1016-1035), King of Denmark (1018-1035), and King of Norway (1028-1035). He had children by two known women:
By 1014, "All the nobility of England" was destroyed by Knut (Canute) at the battle of Asingdon. Knut founded the Anglo-Norse dynasty, when he proclaimed himself King of England. Knut's old enemy Olaf's son was crowned King of Norway. Olaf's son was known a Magnusm "the Good."
After his father's death, Knut continued his campaigns. In 1015, Knut sailed from Scandinavia with 200 ships to claim his father's legacy. He began with finishing off the remains of Ethelred's army. Ethelred's son, Edmund, raised a force to fight him, which was put down. Knut levied the highest single Danegeld in history at this battle. He received 82,000 pounds of silver from throughout the realm, of which 10,000 came from London alone. The money was used to pay off Knut's troops.
Knut then stayed as King of England, and England was in peace for a quarter of a century. Knut was baptized a Christian and he restored the monasteries and consecrated churches. He then declared Christianity the faith of the land, and required the population to support the church with silver and crops. Knut endowed many churches and monasteries with lavish gifts. Knut and Emma presented a huge cross made of silver and gold for one of the altars.
Knut's laws made western Europe's first inheritence tax. A certain percentage of the estate of an earl went, upon his death, to the king; low-ranking nobles paid less. Taxes were also raised to defend the realm and pay for his professional soldiers and seaman. 3,000 pounds were collected annually to pay the wages of the seamen on Knut's warships.
Knut died, in his bed, in 1035, at the age of 39 or 40. Knut's heirs did not live up to his legend. They fought each other and lost the Crown of England to the son of Ethelred, Edward the Confessor. However, since he refused to consummate his marriage, he produced no heirs, and his line died out.
Generation Five:
Written and Researched by Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska
Svein Alfivassonc. 1030-1036 was deposed. Svein's enemy was Harald Hardraade ("the Ruthless"), of the lineage of King Harald Finehair. Harold was the half-brother of the former Norwegian King, Saint Olaf Haraldsson. Harald (c. 880-930) founded the Norwegian kingdom and reigned for 50 years.
Harold I, "Harefoot" or "Hasenfuss" B: circa 1015, King of Denmark and England (1037-1040). Harald died in /1039/1040.
Harthaknut (Knut III) 1018-1042. Harthaknut was the brother of Harold I. Harthaknut was King of England in 1040-1042. After Harthacnut's death, Athred'sson Edward returned from his exile, in Normandy, and the Wessex line was restored.
Though this line died out with Harthacnut, its claim to the English throne was later revived by the Norwegian king, Harald Sigurdsson, who had inherited it from his nephew, Magnus the Good, King of Denmark and Norway from 1042-1047. Sven Estridsson, nephew of Canute, became king after Magnus (1042-1047), King of Norway.
Gunnhild was born in 1019 and died in 1038, in childbirth. She married Henry III, King of England, in 1035. Henry was the son of Roman Emperor, Conrad II, the enemy of Knut's grandfather..
Alfred
Edward the Confessor, of the House of Wessex (1042-1066), spent his exile, after 1016, at the Norman court and after becoming king himself in 1042, he introduced a number of Normans into England, notably his nephew Ralph the Timid as earl of Hereford and Richard Champart of Jumieges as bishop of London and Archbishop of Canterbury. After Edward, Harold II, son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex took the throne on 1066.
Edward was childless and William I, the Conquerer, of the House of Normandy, took the throne from his throne from 1066-1087.
William II, Rufus, son of William I took the throne from 1087-1100.
Sources:
Hall, Richard. The World of the Vikings. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2007.
Haywood, John.
Sawyer, Peter. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Tyerman, Christopher. Who's Who in Early Medieval England. London: Shepheard-Walwyn Publishers LTd., 1996.
Wernick, Robert. The Vikings. Alexandria, VA.: Time-Life Books, The Seafarers Series, 1978.
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This page was last updated on June 27, 2007