You can help us keep making these videos by supporting us via Patron: / historybox
Sweyn Forkbeard was born in around 960 in Denmark.
He was the son of Harald Bluetooth who was king of Denmark at the time.
When Sweyn was about 10 years old, his father also became King of Norway.
Sweyn had a younger sister Gunhilde who, as we saw in our previous video on AEthelred the Unready, played an important role in bringing Sweyn to England on his path of conquest.
Sweyn became King of Denmark in 986, when he was about 26. He also became king of Norway, though his rule there was interrupted.
But in 1013, aged 53, he conquered England and was crowned King.
Sweyn grew up in the court of his father, King Harald Bluetooth who is known as one of the first reigning Scandanavian kings to be baptised as a Christian.
When he was in his mid-20s Sweyn rose up against his father, deposed him and seized the throne.
Harald was driven in to exile and died shortly after this humiliation.
A 12th century chronicler claimed that Sweyn was a pagan who persecuted Christians, but the truth is opaque, especially when there are also accounts that he built churches in Denmark during this period.
Sweyn is also supposed to have recruited priests and bishops rom England, possibly because they were of Danish origin, living in England’s Danelaw.
For many decades during the reign of his predecessor in England, AEthelred the Unready, Viking raiders had harassed the English.
Rather than fighting them off, King AEthelred tried to bribe them into leaving him alone.
To that end he parted with tens of thousands of pounds worth of gold and jewels - worth many millions in today’s money - a course of action which mysteriously only seemed to encourage the Vikings to carry out more raids.
In 1013, having already extracted a huge amount of gold and jewels from these raids, he launched a full-scale invasion of England.
Sweyn and his invading army swept through the country, forcing the ruling King of England AEthelred into exile in Normandy.
On Christmas Day 1013, Sweyn was crowned King of England.
Basing himself in Lincolnshire, Sweyn set about organising his new kingdom, but just 41 days into his reign … he died.
Sweyn’s body was returned to Denmark where it was buried, possibly in Lund, located in southern Sweden.
Sweyn’s eldest son Harald II was declared King of Denmark, but his younger son Canute, was proclaimed King of England.
Canute however was driven from England and the nobility there welcomed back their exiled king AEthelred.
AEthelred only lasted another two years before he himself died.
Sweyn’s reign, though short, was extremely significant in the history of England.
As explored in our previous video, AEthelred’s decision to order the St Brice’s Day Massacre was possibly an event that ultimately led to the eventual Norman Invasion.
Without the threat of Sweyn’s invasion (which happened partly because he was bent on avenging his sister), it’s possible AEthelred would not have sought out a marriage with his last wife Emma of Normandy.
This marriage tied AEthelred - and thus the crown of England - politically to Normandy.
Emma and AEthelred’s union produced a son, Edward the Confessor, who would later become King of England and supposedly promise the English throne to a young contender … William I, later William the Conquerer, who was to obliterate the Anglo-Saxon line and set England on an entirely different historical course.
Even without that promise, AEthelred’s marriage to Emma gave William I a reason to think he was entitled to rule England.
In addition, if Sweyn had never been King of England, his second son Canute would not have had a claim to the English throne.
If you enjoyed today’s video please remember to like, share, subscribe and leave a comment if you have any questions, suggestions, or feedback.
#history, #historyfacts #KingsAndQueens #Royalty #anglosaxons #wessex
#englishhistory #britishhistory #anglosaxonbritain #animation #celtic #king #queen #kings #queens
#learning
#thelastkingdom #lastkingdom #destinyisall
Негізгі бет Sweyn Forkbeard - English monarchs animated history documentary
No video
Пікірлер: 22