Sweyn I "Forkbeard" (sometimes SveinHaraldsson; in Danish, Svend Tveskæg) (circa 965 - February 3, 1014) succeeded his father Harold I as king of Denmark in 986.
Svein died on at Gainsborough[?] in Lincolnshire, having ruled England unopposed for only five weeks, and his body was returned to Denmark.
He attempted to buy off the Vikings by payment of what was to become known as Danegeld; he had little choice in the matter since he was unable to place any trust in his generals.
In 1013, Ethelred fled to Normandy, seeking protection by his brother-in-law, Robert of Normandy[?], when England was over-run by SveinHaraldsson of Denmark and his forces.
Ethelred died on April 23, 1016, in London, where he was buried.
In 1013, Svein returned to England, not for more Danegeld, but with the idea of capturing the throne.
On this expedition, he took with him, his son, Knut Sveinsson, who would later rule England as Canute I. The thought of engaging Svein and his son, Knut, in battle apparently did not thrill Æthelred, and caused him to vacate his throne in favor of a safe haven in Normandy.
The vacant throne was seized by Svein, who held it for a mere five weeks.
The bridge fell into disrepair after the Romans left, but at some point either it was repaired or a new timber replacement constructed, probably more than once.
In 1013, the bridge was burned down by King Ethelred in a bid to divide the invading forces of the Dane SveinHaraldsson.
This episode reputedly inspired the well-known nursery rhyme London Bridge is falling down.
He attempted to buy off the Vikings by payment of what was to become known as Danegeld; he had little choice in the matter since he was unable to place any trust in his generals.
In 1013, Ethelred fled to Normandy, seeking protection by his brother-in-law, Robert of Normandy[?], when England was over-run by SveinHaraldsson of Denmark and his forces.
He returned in February, 1014, following the death of SveinHaraldsson.
Svein, King Harald's son, who afterwards was called Tjuguskeg (forked beard), asked his father King Harald for a part of his kingdom; but now, as before, Harald would not listen to dividing the Danish dominions, and giving him a kingdom.
Svein instantly gave battle, and the combat was severe.
The Danish king, Svein Tjuguskeg, was married to Gunhild, a daughter of Burizleif, king of the Vinds.
They were led by SveinHaraldsson (aka "Svein Forkbeard"), king of a united Demark, and his son Knut (whom the historians anglicise as "Canute"), or by Vikings of great reputation, such as Olaf Tryggvason or Thorkell the Tall.
The punishments of his nobles for acts that are not specified have to be seen in the context of Anglo-Saxon law and it is unlikely that his contemporaries would have seen Ethelred as particularly violent as a result.
Even if Svein's sister were one of the victims - and that contention is based on legend rather than evidence - it seems harsh to blame Ethelred's loss of England on that cause, if only for the fact that Svein had raided England before the 'massacre' and did not change his aims until 1013.
Svein Forkbeard’s sister and his brother-in-law, Pallig, were amongst those killed and this brought Svein to England to avenge their deaths.
Svein raided south and east England throughout the years 1003 and 1004, but took his army back to Denmark in 1005 when they could no longer support themselves because of a great famine in England.
Svein, though, died the next year and Aethelred saw a chance to regain his kingdom.
After King Harald Sigurdson's death the Danish king Svein let it be known that the peace between the Northmen and the Danes was at an end, and insisted that the league between Harald and Svein was not for longer time than their lives.
Messengers then went between with proposals for a peace; and the Northmen said they would either have the same league as was concluded between King Harald and Svein, or otherwise give battle instantly on the spot.
nygaard.howards.net /files/2/1529.htm (299 words)
Amazon.com: "Svein Asleifarson": Key Phrase page(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-08-09)
Svein Asleifarson AFTER he had taken Earl Rognvald's ships, Earl Paul went back to Orkney with a victory he could be proud...
As late as 1171, Orkney islanders with names as un-Scottish as Svein Asleifarson made seasonal raids westward towards the Hebrides and Ireland,...
Svein Asleifarson of Gairsey killed the pagan sorcerer Svein Breast-Rope, and around 1140 he locked up the sorceress Frakokk in her house,...
After the Romans left the bridge was neglected but again and again it was repaired and used for communciation.
However it was destroyed by King Ethelred in 1013 to stop the forces of Danish King Svein Haraldsson.The nursery rhyme ‘
London Bridge is falling down’ may be inspired by this historical fact.The bridge was again reconstructed but a storm destroyed it in 1091.Yet again the bridge was damaged by fire in the year 1136.
The bridge was not paid due attention after the Romans left, although it appears that at some point thereafter it was either repaired or replaced by a new timber bridge.
In 1013, King Ethelred burnt down the bridge to split apart the invading forces of the Dane SveinHaraldsson..
The reconstructed London Bridge was destroyed twice again – first by a storm in 1091 and then by fire again in 1136.
Dec 1136 - 4 Feb 1161 Inge I Haraldsson "Krokrygg" (b.
Dec 1136 - 10 Jun 1155 Sigurd II Haraldsson "Munn" (b.
www.worldstatesmen.org /Norway.htm (3459 words)
London bridge Hurry up to visit London city jenny london riddle sister(Site not responding. Last check: 2007-08-09)
The bridge was wiped out several times intentionally or by chance.
Once it was burnt down by King Ethelred in 1013 to bring a halt to invading armies of Dane SveinHaraldsson, whereas it was annihilated in 1091 by storm and in1136 by fire.
However, the most primitive record of the bridge dates back to the tenth century in Saxon Chronicles.
The Battle of Hafrsfjord therefore marks the end of Danish rule in Norway during this era (Guthmundsson,
Later Danish kings such as King Harald Gormsson, his son SveinHaraldsson (called Forkbeard), and his grandson Canute Sveinsson (the Powerful) all lay claim to overlordship in Norway, perhaps based upon the prior reign of King Guðröð.
In 873, Ívarr the Boneless died, heralding the beginning of a period of strife during which the Irish organized a number of groups together into a powerful force and ousted the Vikings from Dublin.
The largest of its kind is a 275 square feet specimen, carved in the side of a hill in Chipping Sodbury, near Bristol.
It happened for the first time in 1014 AD when King Ethelred and his Norwegian ally OlafHaraldsson attempted to divide the invading forces of the Danish king SveinHaraldsson.
The more popular version of the event probably refers to when Henry III granted the tolling rights to Queen Eleanor.
