Sweyn Forkbeard

European history classrooms in America often talk about the Danish King Cnut (Canute) and his conquest of England. The modern world also hears about Cnut's grandfather, Harald Bluetooth, from whom the wireless protocol Bluetooth™ gets its name.

Whom we don't hear enough about is the generation sandwiched between these two familiar names, Harald's son and Cnut's father, Sweyn Forkbeard, who managed to be King of Denmark, King of Norway, and King of England (although in England only for a little over a month). He also fathered two kings and a queen.

His birthdate is unknown, but in the mid-980s he was old enough to rebel against his father, Harald, driving Harald into an exile in which he died in either 985 or 986. Despite this treasonous act, the Encomium Emmæ Reginæ ("Encomium for Queen Emma"), written for Emma of Normandy (widow of Æthelred the Unready and later Cnut's wife), claims Sweyn was universally loved:

Sveinn, king of the Danes, was, I declare, as I have ascertained from truthful report, practically the most fortune of all kings of his time, ... The Divine Power granted him such great favor that even as a boy he was held by all in close affection, and was hated only by his own father. No fault of the boy deserved this: it was due only to envy. When he grew to be a young man, he increased daily in the love of the people, and accordingly, his father's envy increased more and more, so that he wished not in secret, but openly, to cast him out, affirming by oath that he should not rule after him.

Some reports say that it was Sweyn embracing Christianity that ultimately turned his father so against him that Sweyn had to depose Harald and take the throne. One German historian, Adam of Bremen, claimed Sweyn was a rebellious pagan, upset that his father embraced Christianity. We also read in some chronicles that Harald was baptized by a cleric named Poppo, who performed a miracle that convinced Harald that Christianity was true. (Other versions claim Poppo performed for Sweyn instead.)

We know about Sweyn's invasion of England in 1003. Now, Danes were frequently invading England, and had established an enormous foothold, an occupied area known as the Danelaw, an agreed-upon compromise between the Danes and Alfred the Great. Was there a reason why Sweyn felt he had to start ravaging other parts outside of the Danelaw?

He might have had a very good reason, we could even say a legitimate reason, because of an incident in November of 1002. Tomorrow we'll learn about the St. Brice's Day Massacre.