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- Svend Estridsen (c.1019 - April 28, 1074 or 1076) succeeded Magnus 'the Good' to the throne in 1047 until his death. Svend had to fight against King Harald Haardraade of Norway in order to keep his throne. During his reign the church became a dominant factor in Denmark. After King Svend Estridsen's death in 1074, Denmark is from time to time split between his sons. The "Thing" (roughly: Parliament) in Sk?ne supports Knud den Hellige ("the Holy") against whom the Jutes revolt in 1086 and King Knud is murdered.
He was the son of Ulf Thorgilsson and Estrid Margarete Svendsdatter, daughter of Sweyn I of Denmark and sister of Canute the Great. He was married three times. His first name is also spelled as Sweyn, Sven, Svein and Swen and his last name as Estridson, Estridsson or Estrids?n.
Because of his relationship to Canute the Great he was a pretender to the throne from his early years. When king Harthacanute died in 1042, he claimed the Danish throne, but lost to Norway's King Magnus, who made Svend a jarl (earl or viceroy) instead. He soon rebelled against Magnus and had the Danish nobles crown him king, but was defeated by Magnus and fled to Sweden. The war between Magnus and Svend lasted until 1045, when Harald Hardr?de returned to Norway from exile. Harald and Svend joined forces and forced Magnus to share the throne with Harald.
In 1047 Magnus died, having stated on his deathbed that his kingdom would be divided up: Harald would get the throne of Norway, while Svend would be king of Denmark. Upon hearing of Magnus' death Sweyn said, "Now so help me God, I shall never yield Denmark." Harald, unwilling to relinquish Denmark, attacked Svend and fought a long war. Hedeby was sacked in 1050. That same year Svend almost captured Harald of Norway when he attacked the coast of Jutland and loaded his ships with goods and captives. Svend'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. Svend ordered his men to leave the goods and go after Harald. Harald then ordered his men to throw the captives overboard. For them Svend was willing to let Harald slip away.
Svend came close to losing Denmark and his life at the naval battle of Nis? off the coast of Halland. The fleets met a night and the Danes seemed to be winning, but when the Norwegians received reinforcement ships, the Danes began to sail away. Ship after ship was captured and Svend 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 Svend'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 Svend 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." A manservant brought the men water and a towel to clean 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 Svend continued on his way to Zealand. Sometime 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 win the trust of his people. Harald relinquished his claims to Denmark in 1064 and sailed away to England to try to enforce his claim on England's crown.
After Harald was defeated and killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge and William the Conqueror in turn defeated Harold Godwinson, Svend 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, Svend, accepted a payment from William to desert Edgar, who then returned into exile in Scotland.
Svend was loath to have the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen fill the upper ranks of Denmarks churches with Germans, so he brought Anglo-Danes over from England to keep Denmark Danish. He also 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 traveled to meet this learned king and came away with greater respect for the kings patience and wisdom. He encouraged the building of churches all over Denmark. Adam of Bremen reported that here were 300 churches in Sk?ne alone. When Archbishop Adalbert died in 1072, King Svend was able to deal directly with the Holy See for the division of Denmark into eight dioceses, including Roskilde and northern Jutland.
Svend could also 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 the 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 Vilhelmn had just begun the mass when he was told the king lay humbled at the door. Bishop Vilhelm stopped the service and went to he 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 Svend into the cathedral. They were fast friends ever after.
King Svend died at his farm, S?derup, near Urnehoved Tingsted, near the town of ?benr?. The king's body was carried to Roskilde where he was interred in a pillar of the choir next to the remains of Bishop Vilhelm. He was called after his death the "father of kings" because of his fifteen sons, five would become kings of Denmark. One of the legacies of King Svend was a fundamental change in Danish society which had been based on whether a person was free or a bondsman. A strengthened church in connection with the land-owning noble families begin to pit their power against the royal family. The peasants were left to fend for themselves.
Svend's second marriage was to Gunild, who was a stepmother of his former wife (whose name is unknown). The pope ordered that he dissolve the union, which he did, only to take one mistress after another during the rest of his life. Svend fathered at least 19 children, probably more, none of them were born in wedlock, nor are their mothers now known.
Svend is often considered to be Denmark's last Viking king as well as the first medieval one. His skeleton shows him to have been a tall, powerfully built man who walked with a limp. He 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 churches were built throughout the kingdom. Many of them still standing, although with later additions and changes in style. Adam of Bremen was astounded that there were 300 churches in Sk?ne alone, more than all the other countries of the north put together.
Svend seems to have been able to read and write, and 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.
This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 21 July 2015.
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1019 - 1074 (~ 55 år)
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