The Children of Sweyn, Part 2

After the death of King Canute IV of Denmark, he was succeeded by his brother Olaf (c.1050 - 1095). Olaf's reign suffered through several consecutive years of very dry springtimes that led to extremely poor growing seasons, which were followed by so much rain in the fall that fields were flooded. The people were reduced to digging for roots to eat. King Olaf I was given the nickname "Hunger" because of this.

The famines were attributed to the unjust murder of Canute, a very saintly man, and helped contribute to his eventual canonization. The contrast between Olaf and his predecessor was noted by the people.

Canute had given Olaf trouble previously. When Canute prepared a fleet to attack England, Olaf was at the assembly point while Canute was delayed. Olaf became the unofficial leader of the waiting Danish fleet, and Canute felt Olaf was taking on too much authority. Olaf in turn was concerned about Canute's son becoming Canute's successor, when Olaf wanted his own chance to be king.

Canute had Olaf arrested by their brother Eric and exiled to Flanders. When news came that Canute had been killed, Olaf was proclaimed king at a council meeting in Denmark, and Olaf was brought back.

When the land was suffering, some religious beliefs held that a sacrifice was needed to turn the tides of their god's favor. Olaf died on 18 August 1095, we do not know how. Saxo Grammaticus (writing decades after the event) reports that Olaf "willingly gave himself to lose the land of its bad luck and begged that all of it (guilt) would fall upon his head alone. So offered he his life for his countrymen." He was a human sacrifice to help Denmark, so Grammaticus believed.

Eric, the brother who was given the responsibility by Canute to get rid of Olaf, became the next king of Denmark. Eric I of Denmark (c.1056 - 1103) was called Eric the Good, or the Evergood. The famines that were such a part of Olaf's reign were over during Eric's.

Saxo Grammaticus records that he was a powerful man who could hold his ground while four men tried to move him, and he was well-liked and a good speaker. He was a man of the people, mixing among them and greeting everyone. He avoided clashing with his nobles, but was ruthless to pirates and robbers.

He managed to get Canute canonized while on a visit to Rome, and achieved his father Sweyn's dream of an archbishopric for Denmark. He traveled to Constantinople where he became ill; he died on Cyprus in July 1103, where he was buried. The illustration is of a memorial stone for Eric in Viborg, Denmark.

Fortunately for Denmark, there were still plenty of Sweyn's illegitimate sons left who could be king, and the crown passed to Niels, who reigned for 30 years. He will be tomorrow's story.

The Children of Sweyn, Part 1

King Sweyn II of Denmark (c.1019 - 1076) had two wives and numerous mistresses, resulting in about 20 children. His first wife was Gyda of Sweden, who we are told by later chronicles was the daughter of King of Sweden Anund Jacob and Queen Gunnhildr Sveinsdóttir. The marriage was short-lived, and Adam of Bremen suspects she was poisoned by Thora, a concubine of Sweyn. His second marriage was to Gyda's mother, Gunnhildr, after Anund Jacob died (c.1050). Although they had a son (Sweyn), Bishop Adalbert of Hamburg ended the marriage by threatening excommunication because the husband was too closely related to his wife/mother-in-law. Gunnhildr returned to Sweden.

Sweyn never re-married that we know of, but that did not stop him from fathering children. His legitimate child by Gunnhildr died young. Of his known children, many survived and become known to history.

Harald Hen, born c.1050, became King Harald III after his father, reigning from 1076 to 1080. The election to succeed Sweyn was between Harald and his brother (who also became king) Canute IV of Denmark (later Canute the Saint). Harald's reign was challenged by his brothers, who were supported by Olaf III of Norway, who might have wanted to carry on the legacy of his father, Harald Hardrada, who hassled Sweyn for much of his reign.

Although Saxo Grammaticus, in his Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danish People"), calls Harald III weak and ineffective, another chronicler says he was beloved by the people. He started no new wars, he standardized Danish coinage, allowed public use of royal forests, and eliminated trial by combat and trial by ordeal, replacing them with the English system of calling other men to swear to your bona fides.

Upon his death, he was succeeded by his brother Canute the Saint (born c.1042; reigned 1080 - 1086). Canute was more ambitious than his brother, and led yet another Danish raid on England. Since his great-uncle Cnut was once king of England, Canute IV considered himself the rightful heir to that crown and considered William I "the Conqueror" a usurper.

Canute IV married Adela, daughter of Robert I of Flanders (an ally of Denmark). With the help of his father-in-law and Olaf III of Norway, he planned an assault on England and assembled a fleet of ships. At the same time, however, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV was being seen as a growing threat to Denmark and Flanders. The fleet never sailed, because Canute and Robert were afraid to leave Denmark and Flanders undefended against Henry's thoughts of expansion.

Canute was killed in 1086 by a lance thrust in his side during a peasant revolt. Canute had also been a devout advocate for the Church. A famine that followed his death was attributed to the unjust killing of a saintly man.  Miracles were attributed to him not long after. Pope Paschal II confirmed the "cult of Canute," and he became the first Dane to be canonized. (The illustration is of his statue in St. Peter's Church in Odense, Denmark.)

His successor was another illegitimate child of Sweyn's, Olaf Hunger, and his nickname was not in any way flattering. I'll explain tomorrow.