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'''Sweyn Forkbeard '''(Sweyn I)(959-1014 AD) was king of [[Denmark]], part of [[Norway]], and briefly king of [[England]]. Initially king of Denmark and parts of Norway, Swyen engaged in repeated raids of the English coast in response to

'''Sweyn Forkbeard''' (died 1014] was [[king]] of [[Denmark]] (c.985-1014) and, for a short time in 1013-4, was recognised as king of [[England]].

[[St. Brice's Day Massacre]], ordered by [[Ethelred the Unready]], in which many Danes including Swenn's sister were killed. Sweyn later invaded England, but only ruled England for a few weeks before his death. Ethelred resumed the throne.

 

He had been harrying England on and off for 20 years, attacks which intensified after his sister had been among the victims in the [[St. Brice's Day Massacre]] of Anglo-Danes in 1002. In 1013, “before August”, accompanied by his son, [[Canute]], he invaded. He arrived at [[Sandwich UK|Sandwich]] before sailing north, laying waste parts of the south-east and east  coast before raiding deep into the heart of England via the [[River Humber|Humber]] and [[River Trent]] and setting up a base at Gainsborough, [[Lincolnshire]].

 

He was quickly recognised as king by most of the residents of the [[Danelaw]]. Now, sure of local support he moved south. [[Oxford]] and [[Winchester]] surrendered immediately, most of England shortly after. London held out for a number of months but submitted at the end of the year.  King [[Ethelred the Unready]] fled to his wife’s family in [[Normandy]. Sweyn died about five weeks later, on February 3, 1014. His son, Canute, who had made a name for himself for cruelty and treachery, was too inexperienced to build on his father’s unconsolidated successes in England and sailed home – though not without a deal of pillage and other unpleasantness before he left the shores.

 

Ethelred was able to resume his reign.

 

‘’”Anglo-Saxon Chronicle”’’ trans. Anne Savage 1984 p157

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