Sven Ier of Denmark

Svein Ier (towards 960 - February 3rd 1014), known as with the beard fourchue is king of Denmark and England, and suzerain of Norway. In norrois, its language: Sveinn; in English: Sven Otto Haraldsson; in Danish: Svend Tveskæg, initially Tjugeskæg or Tyvskæg; in Norwegian: Svein Tjugeskjegg; in Swedish: Sven Tveskägg; in French Sven or Svein or Svend .

Origin

The birth date of Svein is unknown, but it is supposed that it was born before his/her father does not marry the Christian religion, towards the beginning or half of decade 960. Her mother, Aesa the Dressmaker, was the girl of a poor farmer in whom Harald with the blue Tooth had made halt. It would then have been raised by Palna-Toki, chief of the Vikings of Jomsborg, which would have then pushed to be made recognize of force like heir by the king. It is told that during its conversion, Svein takes the Christian name of Otto in the honor of the emperor Otton I {{er}} of the Saint Germanic Empire (crowned in 962).

Nickname

Its nickname of “Barb fourchue”, probably used from alive sound, would come to him from its moustache cut in fork ( tjuge as old Norwegian), then particularly with the mode in England. Moreover, he is the first Danish monarch to have made strike coins with his effigy, under the inscription Zven, Rex AD Dener (Sven, king of the Danes).

Reign

After being itself opposite with him, Svein succeeds his/her father, Harald '' with the blue tooth '', as a king of Denmark, probably towards end 986 or beginning 987. It launches the first forwarding against England in 994. He married shortly after Sigrid, the widow of king Eric of Sweden, thus gaining influence in Sweden via the son of Eric, Olof. Following the death of the king Olaf I {{er}} of Norway to the battle of Svoldr, Svein can control in 1000 the south of Norway through Eirik Håkonsson, its vassal. It is supposed that Svein is behind forwardings against England of 1003 - 1005, 1006 - 1007, and 1009 - 1012 in reprisals of the massacre of the Danish inhabitants in England of which his sister and her brother-in-law, of the Saint-Brice, the November 13rd 1002. It starts finally a massive invasion of 1013 in which it takes part in person.

According to the chronicles of the time, “before August king Svein with his fleet came to Sandwich. He very quickly reaches the neighborhoods of the east of Anglia and goes up along the Trent until reaching Gainsbourgh. Earl Uhtred and all the Northumbrie are prosternent in front of him just like those of Lindsey then those of the Five Boroughs One leaves him hostages of all countered. When it understands that all were subjected, it asks so that its army be restocked and so that him mountings are given, then it leaves towards the south and entrusts its fleet and its hostages to his son Cnut (in French: Silk worker). While arriving at Watling Street, they make all the evil which an army can make. They go to Oxford where the inhabitants prosternent themselves soon in front of him and hostages give him. From there, they continue with Winchester, make in the same way, then in the east, towards London”.

But it is told that the Londoners destroy the bridges on the the Thames (what would have inspired the English counting rhyme London bridge is falling down , “the bridge of London fall”). Svein suffers consequently from severe losses, and must beat a retreat. It will conquer Wallingford, then Bath where it stations its troops.

London resisted the Danish invasion, but is found insulated and completely encircled by the conquered grounds. Svein Barbe fourchue is accepted as king d' Angleterre after the escape in Normandy of the king Ethelred Malavisé, towards end 1013. London then makes its tender and the Witan declared Svein king the Christmas Day.

Svein settles in Gainsborough, in the Lincolnshire where it starts to organize its new kingdom, but it dies the February 3rd 1014, after only 5 weeks of reign on England. Its skin is repatriated in Denmark and his/her son Harold II succeeds to him as a king de Danemark, while its young person wire is proclaimed by his fleet king d' Angleterre under the name of Canute (Knud I {{er}}). But this last returns a time to Denmark after the return of Ethelred of Normandy. Finally, Knud will reign on England, Denmark, Norway as well as part of the Germany of north.

Polemics

In the 11th century, a historian of the name of Adam of Bremen publishes the Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum in which it supports that Svein would have been détrôné by Eric the Victorious, king of Sweden which reigns then on Denmark until its death into 994 or 995. He also charges to Svein the revolt which costs the life his/her father and supports that, punished by God for this action, he had to undergo a 14 years exile. Everywhere where he seeks refuge, he is badly accommodated, except in Scotland, where the king, pagan and fatal, likes himself in his company. It is only when Sweyn recognizes Christ as true saver who it can again become again monarch.

But it would seem that no other source supports these allegations (except those which are based on work of Adam of Bremen). Moreover, it is established with quasi-certainty that Svein is present at a meeting with two of its vassal on the Danish island of Sejerø into 993 to solve a quarrel, that is to say at least a year before the end of the exile whose Adam speaks about Bremen.

Moreover, Adam of Bremen underlines with insistence that Svein is pagan, whereas this one was baptized with his/her father at the time of the christianization of Denmark, invited many priests of Hamburg to come to England.

It would thus seem that the Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum is a work of pure propaganda, but it happens that it is held up to defend for various political ideologies (the anglophone page is suspectée of not-neutrality).

Simple: Sweyn I off Denmark

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