Post by 575 on Jun 20, 2021 9:41:33 GMT
Been off for some time got caught up on a Swedish Archeological Forum discussing new documents on the early Medieval history of Denmarks!
Its claimed that king Harold Bluetooths burial have been found in Poland during the late 19 cent. Also an Gesta regarding the life of the man in regard to have him canonized a Saint (well that was tried several times during Medieval time in Denmark us ending up with two of the Royal family getting the honour).
The interesting thing is that Adam of Bremen diocese apparently got his information about the years from Viking defeat at Louvain 891 to the ascent to the throne of Hardicnut around 935 mixed up - though it seems it was confusing times.
Adam beging by telling that past Louvain Sven Estridson said that Helgi ruled. Then some Olaf came from Sweden and ruled with his sons.
Adam then tells us that during the reign of (Conrad 911-918) Sven Estridson said that Helgi ruled. Then some Olaf came from Sweden and ruled with his sons Gurd and Gnupa and Sigtrygg then became King.
Adam then tells us of Hardicnut and Wurm (Gorm the Old) ruling Denmark and Wurm is defeated by king Henry the Fowler (919-36).
The new document Gesta Wulinensis ecclesiae pontificum reads that by 948 king Gorm (the Old) asked archbishop Adalbert by intermediary the Saxon Duke Herman Billung to fulfill the request of his deceased brother Hardicnut to send bishops to his lands. The reason being that 15 years prior (933) Hardicnut had requested the aid of King Henry the Fowler to defeat his enemies by which his son Sigtrygg had been killed. Adalbert granted the wish of course.
Another information is that Harold Bluetooth died at Wiejkowo east of Wolin in Pomerania 986 - the year of the Battle of Fyrisvalla (Uppsala, Sweden)
Why is this groundbreaking news?
For one it inform us that Hardiknut king of Denmark had a rebellion or civil war on his hands. Hardiknut wasn't the father but elder brother of Gorm the Old. Sigtrygg who is thought to have followed Gurd on the throne of Denmark in the wake of the defeat by Henry the Fowler 934 was actually the son of Hardicnut.
Theres speculation that Sigtrygg was in Normandy 943 and died there but that seems to have been the co-ruler of York/Northumbria Sigtrygg Caegg not the Danish Sigtrygg.
Second it inform us that Hardicnut was baptized or at least swore to obey God and respect the Imperial authority! This removes the claim by Adam that Gorm was a heathen and his son Harold Bluetooth a saint. The story of German bishops in Denmark is then a reality not a claim by the Emperor - and asked for by the Danish ruler!
Also it removes Harold B's claim to have christened his peoples as written on the large Jelling Stone.
So Denmark was a christian Kingdom since at least 933.
Third it also places the Kingdom of Denmark in the sphere of the HRE very early as a player.
Initially there isn't much hear of but as the Icelandic Volcano Eldga erupts 934-40 speawing sulphur into the skies of the Northern Hemisphere resulting in famine in France and Germany this is no surprise. As with the Laki eruption 1783-4 this would probably also have effects in Scandinavia making for very bad times. So the days of Gorms rule is a quiet time as the Sagas tells us.
Gorm dies 958 and seems to have been buried beneath the later church of Jelling where Harold Bluetooth builds a church and place the large Jelling Stone putting up a tall rhombic-shape palisade around it all.
Traditionally inclusive the Sagas Harold as king begins his scheming to conquer Norway 954 i.e. four years to the accepted death of Gorm 958. Now some researchers suspect it isn't Gorm in the burial under Jelling Church mainly because the skeleton is only 173 cm tall and Danish royalty should be much taller at least 180 cm. However king Sven Eskildsen and his sons Cnut the Saint and Benedikt measured 170-76 cm so the person may well be of the Royal line though others may have stood taller.
If it isn't Gorm Harold may have become king prior to 954 thus being King at the time of the conquest of Norway.
Having become king Harold is drawn into the feuds of the German nobility; 962 the nephew of Saxon Duke Herman Billung Wichmann asks Harold to support his rebellion from Saxony to make his feif independent but Harold declines probably because he is tied up in Norway.
Then 973 both Herman Billung and Emperor Otto I dies; this is too good to be true. Having finished the conquest of Norway some years prior - tradition says around 970 but Harold have the borderwall Dannevirke enlarged 968 - Harold calls upon his Jarl of Norway Haakon to support his annexation of Nordalbingia, Saxony north of the Elbe River. German reaction is swift with new Emperor Otto II arriving with his army and forcing Harold and Haakon out of Nordalbingia then forcing Dannevirke and extracting tribute from Harold.
Haakon sees his opportunity asking Harold for freedom of tribute as he have fulfilled his vassalge and makes Norway independent.
Harolds invasion of Germany isn't condemmed by the German church probably because it viewed it as an internal conflict of the Nobility which the Emperor would handle with the army mainly composed of Church diocese units. The Dukes of Counts were too unruly to support the Emperor in Medieval times. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Having got his slap on the face Harold stays home and starts building the circular Fortresses - Trelleborgs - to control internal trade and movement much to the annoyance of Danish nobility which boils over by 985/6 in rebellion against the king led by his son Sven Forkbeard.
