Sweyn II of Denmark
Encyclopedia
Sweyn II Estridsson Ulfsson ( – April 28, 1074 or 1076) was the King of Denmark from 1047 to 1074. He was the son of Ulf Jarl
and Estrid Svendsdatter. He was married three times, and fathered 20 children or more, including the five future kings Harald III Hen
, Canute IV the Saint
, Oluf I Hunger
, Eric I Evergood
and Niels
out of wedlock.
He was courageous in battle, but did not have much success as a military commander. His skeleton shows him to have been a tall, powerfully built man who walked with a limp.
, as the son of Norwegian Ulf Jarl
and Estrid Svendsdatter, the daughter of king Sweyn I of Denmark
and sister of king Canute the Great
. Sweyn grew up a military leader, and served under king Anund Jacob of Sweden
for a time. He pillaged the Elbe-Weser
area in 1040, but was caught by the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, who released him shortly thereafter.
Svend was made jarl
under Danish king Harthacnut, and led a campaign for him against Norway, but was beaten by Magnus I of Norway
. When Harthacnut died in 1042, Magnus claimed the Danish throne and made Svend his jarl of Jutland
. Sweyn fought for Magnus at the Battle of Lyrskov Heath in 1043. Sweyn won great reputation at Lyrskov Heath, and had the Danish nobles crown him king in Viborg
in Jutland. He was defeated by Magnus on several occasions, and fled to Sweden
where he eventually established a foothold in Scania
.
The war between Magnus and Sweyn lasted until 1045, when Magnus' uncle Harald Hardrada returned to Norway from exile. Harald and Sweyn joined forces, and Magnus decided to share the Norwegian throne with Harald. In 1047 Magnus died, having stated on his deathbed that his kingdom would be divided: Harald would get the throne of Norway, while Sweyn would be king of Denmark. Upon hearing of Magnus' death Sweyn said, "Now so help me God, I shall never yield Denmark."
was sacked in 1050, and Harald also sacked Aarhus
. Sweyn almost captured Harald in 1050, when Harald attacked the coast of Jutland and loaded his ships with goods and captives. Sweyn's flotilla caught up with the Norwegians and Harald ordered his men to throw out the captured goods, thinking the Danes would stop to get the goods. Sweyn ordered his men to leave the goods and go after Harald. Harald then ordered his men to throw the captives overboard. For them Sweyn was willing to let Harald slip away.
Sweyn came close to losing his life at the naval Battle of Nissan off the coast of Halland
in 1062. The fleets met at night and the Danes seemed to be winning, but when Norwegian reinforcements arrived, the Danes began to sail away. Ship after ship was captured and Sweyn at last was forced to abandon his own sinking ship and row to the coast with a few retainers. They reached land and stopped at the house of a peasant to ask for something to eat. "What was the terrible rumbling in the night?" she asked. "Didn't you know the two kings were fighting all night?" asked one of Sweyn's men. "Who won, then?" the woman asked. "Norwegians," came the reply. "It's a shame on us, for a king we already have. He limps and is timid." "No," King Sweyn explained, "Timid the king of the Danes is assuredly not,"defended another of the king's men, "but luck isn't with him and he lacks a victory." The housecarl brought the men water and a towel to wash themselves. As the king was drying his hands, the woman tore the cloth from him, "You should be ashamed of yourself for using the whole towel for yourself," she scolded. "The day will come when I will have your permission to use the whole cloth," was the king's comment. Her husband gave the king a horse and Sweyn continued on his way to Zealand.
Some time later the peasant was called to Zealand and given lands there for his service to the king, but his wife had to remain behind in Halland. Sweyn had a reputation for generosity and kindness that helped him on several occasions to win the trust of his people. Harald relinquished his claims to Denmark in 1064, in exchange for Sweyn's recognition of Harald as Harald III of Norway, and Harald sailed off to England to try to enforce his claim on the crown of England.
surname Estridsson after her, emphasizing his link to the Danish royalty. He also minted his own coins.
Sweyn sought to consolidate his power through links to the church as well as foreign powers, and actively sought the friendship of the Popes. He wanted his eldest son Knud Magnus crowned by the Pope, but he died on the journey to Rome. He also unsuccessfully pressed for Harald Bluetooth, the first Christian king of Denmark, to be sanctified
. He was an ally of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
against Baldwin of Flanders in 1049, and Sweyn assisted his son-in-law Gottschalk in the Liutizi Civil War of 1057.
After Harald Hardrada was defeated and killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge
and William the Conqueror
had conquered England, Sweyn turned his attention to England, once ruled by his uncle Canute the Great. He joined forces with Edgar Atheling, the last remaining heir of the Anglo-Saxon
royal house, and sent a force to attack king William in 1069. However, after capturing York
, Sweyn accepted a payment from William to desert Edgar, who then returned into exile in Scotland
. Sweyn failed another attempt in 1074/1075.
would fill the upper ranks of Denmark's churches with Germans, so he brought Anglo-Danes over from England to keep the Danish church independent. Under the influence of Sweyn, Denmark was divided into eight dioceses around 1060. He set the dioceses up by donating large tracts of land, with the Diocese of Roskilde
being the highest favoured one, as he had a good relationship with Bishop Vilhelm of Roskilde. When Archbishop Adalbert died in 1072, Sweyn was able to deal directly with the Holy See
.
He was determined to bring men to Denmark to teach him and his people Latin so they could converse with the rest of Europe on equal terms. Adam of Bremen
travelled to meet this learned king and came away with greater respect for the king's patience and wisdom. Sweyn encouraged the building of churches all over Denmark, and Adam of Bremen was astounded that there were 300 churches in Scania
alone, more than in all the other countries of the north put together.
Sweyn could be ruthless. One New Year's Eve
it was reported to the king that several of his guests and hired men had ridiculed him and talked behind his back. The king was so angry that he had them murdered in the church on New Year's Day. When the king arrived at Roskilde Cathedral
for mass
, his friend Bishop Vilhelm met him at the door and forbade the king and his party to enter. "You stand condemned before God, a murderer, who has defiled the house of God with blood!" cried the bishop and pushed the king back with his shepherd's crook
. He declared the king excommunicated from the church. The king's men drew their swords and stepped forward to hack the bishop down, but Bishop Vilhelm held his ground. "Let him be," shouted the king and withdrew to his farm. There he removed his New Year's fine clothing and weapons and dressed in sackcloth. Then he walked back to the cathedral in his bare feet and cast himself face down in front of the entrance. Bishop Vilhelm had just begun the mass when he was told the king lay humbled at the door. Bishop Vilhelm stopped the service and went to the door to hear the king's abject confession. When the bishop realized the king was truly repentant, he raised him up, lifted the excommunication and led him into the cathedral.
where he was interred in a pillar of the choir next to the remains of Bishop Vilhelm. Later he was called the "father of kings" because five of his fifteen sons became kings of Denmark.
Sweyn built a strong foundation for royal power through cooperation with the church. He completed the final partition of Denmark into dioceses by corresponding directly with the pope
, bypassing the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. During his reign hundreds of small wooden church
es were built throughout the kingdom, of which many were rebuilt as stone churches in the 12th century. Sweyn sought to create a Nordic Archbishopric under Danish rule, a feat which his son Eric I Evergood
accomplished.
Sweyn seems to have been able to read and write, and was described as an especially educated monarch by his personal friend Pope Gregory VII
. He is the source of much of our current knowledge about Denmark and Sweden in the 9th and 10th centuries, having told the story of his ancestry to historian Adam of Bremen around 1070.
, daughter of king Anund Jacob of Sweden. His second marriage, in 1050, was to Gunnhildr Sveinsdóttir, the stepmother of Gyda. The Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen ordered that the union be dissolved, which was effectuated by Pope Leo IX
. After Harald Hardrada's death, Sweyn married his widow Tora Torbergsdatter
. He took one mistress after another during his life. Sweyn fathered at least 20 children, of whom only one was born in wedlock.
With Gunnhildr:
With various concubines:
Ulf Jarl
Ulf was a Danish earl, in Scandinavia known as a jarl. As a Viking chieftain he participated in Cnut the Great's conquest of England as one of his most trusted men. He married Cnut's sister Estrid Svendsdatter and from c. 1024 he was his appointee as regent of Denmark, probably as the guardian of...
and Estrid Svendsdatter. He was married three times, and fathered 20 children or more, including the five future kings Harald III Hen
Harald III of Denmark
Harald III Hen was King of Denmark from 1074 to 1080. Harald III was an illegitimate son of Danish king Sweyn II Estridsson, and contested the crown with some of his brothers. He was a peaceful ruler who initiated a number of reforms. Harald was married to his cousin Margareta Hasbjörnsdatter, but...
, Canute IV the Saint
Canute IV of Denmark
Canute IV, later known as Canute the Holy or Canute the Saint , was King of Denmark from 1080 until 1086. Canute was an ambitious king who sought to strengthen the Danish monarchy, devotedly supported the Roman Catholic Church, and had designs on the English throne. Slain by rebels in 1086, he was...
, Oluf I Hunger
Olaf I of Denmark
Olaf I of Denmark was king of Denmark from 1086 to 1095, following the death of his brother Canute IV the Holy. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, and the third of Sweyn's sons to rule. He married Ingegard, the daughter of Harald III of Norway, but did not have any children...
, Eric I Evergood
Eric I of Denmark
Eric I Evergood , also known as Eric the Good, , was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, by his wife Gunhild Sveinsdotter, and married Boedil Thurgotsdatter.-Biography:...
and Niels
Niels of Denmark
Niels of Denmark was King of Denmark from 1104 to 1134, following his brother Eric Evergood, and is presumed to have been the youngest son of king Sweyn II Estridson. Niels actively supported the canonization of Canute IV the Holy, and his secular rule was supported by the clergy...
out of wedlock.
He was courageous in battle, but did not have much success as a military commander. His skeleton shows him to have been a tall, powerfully built man who walked with a limp.
Ascension to the throne
Sweyn was born in EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, as the son of Norwegian Ulf Jarl
Ulf Jarl
Ulf was a Danish earl, in Scandinavia known as a jarl. As a Viking chieftain he participated in Cnut the Great's conquest of England as one of his most trusted men. He married Cnut's sister Estrid Svendsdatter and from c. 1024 he was his appointee as regent of Denmark, probably as the guardian of...
and Estrid Svendsdatter, the daughter of king Sweyn I of Denmark
Sweyn I of Denmark
Sweyn I Forkbeard was king of Denmark and England, as well as parts of Norway. His name appears as Swegen in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and he is also known in English as Svein, Swein, Sven the Dane, and Tuck.He was a Viking leader and the father of Cnut the Great...
and sister of king Canute the Great
Canute the Great
Cnut the Great , also known as Canute, was a king of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden. Though after the death of his heirs within a decade of his own and the Norman conquest of England in 1066, his legacy was largely lost to history, historian Norman F...
. Sweyn grew up a military leader, and served under king Anund Jacob of Sweden
Anund Jacob of Sweden
Anund Jacob, Swedish: Anund Jakob was King of Sweden from 1022 until around 1050. He is believed to have been born on July 25, in either 1008 or 1010 as Jakob. When the Swedish Thing was to elect him the co-ruler of Sweden, the people objected to his non-Scandinavian name...
for a time. He pillaged the Elbe-Weser
Elbe-Weser Triangle
The region between Bremen , Hamburg and Cuxhaven forms the Elbe-Weser Triangle in northern Germany. It is also colloquially referred to as the Nasses Dreieck or "Wet Triangle"...
area in 1040, but was caught by the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, who released him shortly thereafter.
Svend was made jarl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
under Danish king Harthacnut, and led a campaign for him against Norway, but was beaten by Magnus I of Norway
Magnus I of Norway
Magnus I , known as the Good or the Noble, was the King of Norway from 1035 to 1047 and the King of Denmark from 1042 to 1047. He was an illegitimate son of king Olaf II of Norway, but fled with his mother in 1028 when his father was dethroned. In 1035 he returned to Norway and was crowned king at...
. When Harthacnut died in 1042, Magnus claimed the Danish throne and made Svend his jarl of Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
. Sweyn fought for Magnus at the Battle of Lyrskov Heath in 1043. Sweyn won great reputation at Lyrskov Heath, and had the Danish nobles crown him king in Viborg
Viborg, Denmark
Viborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula...
in Jutland. He was defeated by Magnus on several occasions, and fled to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
where he eventually established a foothold in Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
.
The war between Magnus and Sweyn lasted until 1045, when Magnus' uncle Harald Hardrada returned to Norway from exile. Harald and Sweyn joined forces, and Magnus decided to share the Norwegian throne with Harald. In 1047 Magnus died, having stated on his deathbed that his kingdom would be divided: Harald would get the throne of Norway, while Sweyn would be king of Denmark. Upon hearing of Magnus' death Sweyn said, "Now so help me God, I shall never yield Denmark."
Feud with Harald Hardrada
Harald, unwilling to relinquish Denmark, attacked Sweyn and fought a long war. HedebyHedeby
Hedeby |heath]]land, and býr = yard, thus "heath yard"), mentioned by Alfred the Great as aet Haethe , in German Haddeby and Haithabu, a modern spelling of the runic Heiðabý was an important trading settlement in the Danish-northern German borderland during the Viking Age...
was sacked in 1050, and Harald also sacked Aarhus
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
. Sweyn almost captured Harald in 1050, when Harald attacked the coast of Jutland and loaded his ships with goods and captives. Sweyn's flotilla caught up with the Norwegians and Harald ordered his men to throw out the captured goods, thinking the Danes would stop to get the goods. Sweyn ordered his men to leave the goods and go after Harald. Harald then ordered his men to throw the captives overboard. For them Sweyn was willing to let Harald slip away.
Sweyn came close to losing his life at the naval Battle of Nissan off the coast of Halland
Halland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
in 1062. The fleets met at night and the Danes seemed to be winning, but when Norwegian reinforcements arrived, the Danes began to sail away. Ship after ship was captured and Sweyn at last was forced to abandon his own sinking ship and row to the coast with a few retainers. They reached land and stopped at the house of a peasant to ask for something to eat. "What was the terrible rumbling in the night?" she asked. "Didn't you know the two kings were fighting all night?" asked one of Sweyn's men. "Who won, then?" the woman asked. "Norwegians," came the reply. "It's a shame on us, for a king we already have. He limps and is timid." "No," King Sweyn explained, "Timid the king of the Danes is assuredly not,"defended another of the king's men, "but luck isn't with him and he lacks a victory." The housecarl brought the men water and a towel to wash themselves. As the king was drying his hands, the woman tore the cloth from him, "You should be ashamed of yourself for using the whole towel for yourself," she scolded. "The day will come when I will have your permission to use the whole cloth," was the king's comment. Her husband gave the king a horse and Sweyn continued on his way to Zealand.
Some time later the peasant was called to Zealand and given lands there for his service to the king, but his wife had to remain behind in Halland. Sweyn had a reputation for generosity and kindness that helped him on several occasions to win the trust of his people. Harald relinquished his claims to Denmark in 1064, in exchange for Sweyn's recognition of Harald as Harald III of Norway, and Harald sailed off to England to try to enforce his claim on the crown of England.
Consolidation of power
Sweyn's connection to the Danish line of succession was his mother Estrid Svendsdatter, and he took the matronymicMatronymic
A matronymic is a personal name based on the name of one's mother, grandmother, or any female ancestor. It is the female equivalent of a patronymic. In patriarchal societies, matronymic surnames are far less common than patronyms. In the past, matronymic last names were often given to children of...
surname Estridsson after her, emphasizing his link to the Danish royalty. He also minted his own coins.
Sweyn sought to consolidate his power through links to the church as well as foreign powers, and actively sought the friendship of the Popes. He wanted his eldest son Knud Magnus crowned by the Pope, but he died on the journey to Rome. He also unsuccessfully pressed for Harald Bluetooth, the first Christian king of Denmark, to be sanctified
Sanctification
Sanctity is an ancient concept widespread among religions, a property of a thing or person sacred or set apart within the religion, from totem poles through temple vessels to days of the week, to a human believer who achieves this state. Sanctification is the act or process of acquiring sanctity,...
. He was an ally of Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
against Baldwin of Flanders in 1049, and Sweyn assisted his son-in-law Gottschalk in the Liutizi Civil War of 1057.
After Harald Hardrada was defeated and killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge
Battle of Stamford Bridge
The Battle of Stamford Bridge took place at the village of Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire in England on 25 September 1066, between an English army under King Harold Godwinson and an invading Norwegian force led by King Harald Hardrada of Norway and the English king's brother Tostig...
and William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
had conquered England, Sweyn turned his attention to England, once ruled by his uncle Canute the Great. He joined forces with Edgar Atheling, the last remaining heir of the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
royal house, and sent a force to attack king William in 1069. However, after capturing York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, Sweyn accepted a payment from William to desert Edgar, who then returned into exile in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. Sweyn failed another attempt in 1074/1075.
Relationship with the church
Sweyn feared that Archbishop Adalbert of HamburgAdalbert of Hamburg
This article is about Adalbert of Hamburg-Bremen. For other uses, see Adalbert .Adalbert of Hamburg-Bremen was a German prelate, who was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen from 1043 until his death...
would fill the upper ranks of Denmark's churches with Germans, so he brought Anglo-Danes over from England to keep the Danish church independent. Under the influence of Sweyn, Denmark was divided into eight dioceses around 1060. He set the dioceses up by donating large tracts of land, with the Diocese of Roskilde
Diocese of Roskilde
The Diocese of Roskilde is a diocese within the Evangelical Lutheran National Church of Denmark. The seat of the Bishop is Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde.-History:...
being the highest favoured one, as he had a good relationship with Bishop Vilhelm of Roskilde. When Archbishop Adalbert died in 1072, Sweyn was able to deal directly with the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
He was determined to bring men to Denmark to teach him and his people Latin so they could converse with the rest of Europe on equal terms. Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen
Adam of Bremen was a German medieval chronicler. He lived and worked in the second half of the eleventh century. He is most famous for his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum .-Background:Little is known of his life other than hints from his own chronicles...
travelled to meet this learned king and came away with greater respect for the king's patience and wisdom. Sweyn encouraged the building of churches all over Denmark, and Adam of Bremen was astounded that there were 300 churches in Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
alone, more than in all the other countries of the north put together.
Sweyn could be ruthless. One New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
it was reported to the king that several of his guests and hired men had ridiculed him and talked behind his back. The king was so angry that he had them murdered in the church on New Year's Day. When the king arrived at Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. The first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick, it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe...
for mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
, his friend Bishop Vilhelm met him at the door and forbade the king and his party to enter. "You stand condemned before God, a murderer, who has defiled the house of God with blood!" cried the bishop and pushed the king back with his shepherd's crook
Crosier
A crosier is the stylized staff of office carried by high-ranking Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Lutheran and Pentecostal prelates...
. He declared the king excommunicated from the church. The king's men drew their swords and stepped forward to hack the bishop down, but Bishop Vilhelm held his ground. "Let him be," shouted the king and withdrew to his farm. There he removed his New Year's fine clothing and weapons and dressed in sackcloth. Then he walked back to the cathedral in his bare feet and cast himself face down in front of the entrance. Bishop Vilhelm had just begun the mass when he was told the king lay humbled at the door. Bishop Vilhelm stopped the service and went to the door to hear the king's abject confession. When the bishop realized the king was truly repentant, he raised him up, lifted the excommunication and led him into the cathedral.
Death
King Sweyn died at his farm, Søderup, near Urnehoved Tingsted, near the town of Åbenrå. The Danish chronicles date his death to 1074, while some later sources argue that 1076 was his correct year of death. The king's body was carried to Roskilde CathedralRoskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. The first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick, it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe...
where he was interred in a pillar of the choir next to the remains of Bishop Vilhelm. Later he was called the "father of kings" because five of his fifteen sons became kings of Denmark.
Legacy
One of the legacies of King Sweyn was a fundamental change in Danish society which had been based on whether a person was free or a bondsman. Sweyn is often considered to be Denmark's last Viking king as well as the first medieval one. A strengthened church in alliance with the land-owning noble families begin to pit their power against the royal family. The peasants were left to fend for themselves.Sweyn built a strong foundation for royal power through cooperation with the church. He completed the final partition of Denmark into dioceses by corresponding directly with the pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
, bypassing the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. During his reign hundreds of small wooden church
Wooden church
Wooden church may refer to :*Articular church*Wooden Church , Hungary*Wooden Churches Trail around Puszcza Zielonka, west-central Poland*Wooden Church , Serbia*Carpathian Wooden Churches...
es were built throughout the kingdom, of which many were rebuilt as stone churches in the 12th century. Sweyn sought to create a Nordic Archbishopric under Danish rule, a feat which his son Eric I Evergood
Eric I of Denmark
Eric I Evergood , also known as Eric the Good, , was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, by his wife Gunhild Sveinsdotter, and married Boedil Thurgotsdatter.-Biography:...
accomplished.
Sweyn seems to have been able to read and write, and was described as an especially educated monarch by his personal friend Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
. He is the source of much of our current knowledge about Denmark and Sweden in the 9th and 10th centuries, having told the story of his ancestry to historian Adam of Bremen around 1070.
Issue
Sweyn's first marriage was to Gyda of SwedenGyda of Sweden
Gyda Anundsdotter of Sweden, also known as Guda and Gunhild , was a mediaeval and Viking age Swedish princess and Danish queen consort, spouse of King Sweyn II of Denmark.-Biography:...
, daughter of king Anund Jacob of Sweden. His second marriage, in 1050, was to Gunnhildr Sveinsdóttir, the stepmother of Gyda. The Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen ordered that the union be dissolved, which was effectuated by Pope Leo IX
Pope Leo IX
Pope Saint Leo IX , born Bruno of Eguisheim-Dagsburg, was Pope from February 12, 1049 to his death. He was a German aristocrat and as well as being Pope was a powerful secular ruler of central Italy. He is regarded as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, with the feast day of April 19...
. After Harald Hardrada's death, Sweyn married his widow Tora Torbergsdatter
Tora Torbergsdatter
Tora Torbergsdatter was a Norwegian royal consort. She was the mother of two kings of Norway. It is possible, but unconfirmed, that she was also queen of Denmark and Sweden....
. He took one mistress after another during his life. Sweyn fathered at least 20 children, of whom only one was born in wedlock.
With Gunnhildr:
- Svend Svendsen, who died young
With various concubines:
- Knud Magnus
- Harald III Hen of DenmarkHarald III of DenmarkHarald III Hen was King of Denmark from 1074 to 1080. Harald III was an illegitimate son of Danish king Sweyn II Estridsson, and contested the crown with some of his brothers. He was a peaceful ruler who initiated a number of reforms. Harald was married to his cousin Margareta Hasbjörnsdatter, but...
(d. 1080) - Canute IV the Saint of DenmarkCanute IV of DenmarkCanute IV, later known as Canute the Holy or Canute the Saint , was King of Denmark from 1080 until 1086. Canute was an ambitious king who sought to strengthen the Danish monarchy, devotedly supported the Roman Catholic Church, and had designs on the English throne. Slain by rebels in 1086, he was...
(d. 1086) - Oluf I Hunger of DenmarkOlaf I of DenmarkOlaf I of Denmark was king of Denmark from 1086 to 1095, following the death of his brother Canute IV the Holy. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, and the third of Sweyn's sons to rule. He married Ingegard, the daughter of Harald III of Norway, but did not have any children...
(d. 1095) - Eric I Evergood of DenmarkEric I of DenmarkEric I Evergood , also known as Eric the Good, , was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, by his wife Gunhild Sveinsdotter, and married Boedil Thurgotsdatter.-Biography:...
(d. 1103) - Ulf Svendsen (Ubbe) (d. 1104)
- Benedict Svendsen (d. 1086)
- Bjørn Svendsen, Duke of Nordalbingien from 1099 (d. 1100)
- Niels of DenmarkNiels of DenmarkNiels of Denmark was King of Denmark from 1104 to 1134, following his brother Eric Evergood, and is presumed to have been the youngest son of king Sweyn II Estridson. Niels actively supported the canonization of Canute IV the Holy, and his secular rule was supported by the clergy...
(d. 1134) - Sigrid Svendsdatter (d. 1066), wife of prince Gottschalk
- IngeridIngerid of DenmarkIngerid Swendsdatter of Denmark also called Ingrid, was a Danish princess and a Norwegian Queen consort, spouse of King Olaf III of Norway.Ingerid Swensdatter was the daughter of King Sweyn II of Denmark...
, wife of Olav III of Norway - Svend Svendsen
- Sweyn the CrusaderSweyn the CrusaderSweyn the Crusader was a Danish crusader. He was a son of the Danish king Sweyn Estridsen, and husband of Florine of Burgundy. He is famous for his participation in the First Crusade, which he primarily spent fighting the Turks. On his way to Jerusalem in 1097, he and 1,500 other Danish knights...
(d. 1097) - Thorgils Svendsen
- Sigurd Svendsen, died in war against the WendsWendsWends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
- Guttorm Svendsen
- Ømund Svendsen
- Gunhild Svendsdatter (Helene)
- Ragnhild Svendsdatter, wife of Sven Askelsson