Sweyn forkbeard biography samples
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Sweyn forkbeard biography samples
Sweyn Forkbeard
Most people have heard of the Danish king of England, Canute (Cnut the Great) who according to legend, tried to command the waves.
However it was his father Sweyn (Svein) who was the first Viking king of England.
Sweyn Forkbeard, England’s forgotten king, ruled for just 5 weeks.
He was declared King of England on Christmas Day in 1013 and ruled until his death on 3rd February 1014, although he was never crowned.
Sweyn, known as Forkbeard due to his long, cleft beard, was the son of Harald Bluetooth, king of Denmark and was born around 960 AD.
Viking warrior though he was, Sweyn was baptised a Christian, his father having converted to Christianity.
Despite this, Sweyn was a brutal man who lived in a brutal time; he was a violent warlord and warrior.
He started his life of violence with a campaign against his own father: in around 986 AD Sweyn and his ally Palnatoke attacked and deposed Harald.
Sweyn then turned his attention to England and in the early AD 990s