1 MISC Ruler of all the Franks
Karl/Charles Martel Ruler of the Franks was born in 688. Died on 22 Oct741 in Quierzy.Charles Martel (circa 688-741), Carolingian ruler of the Frankish kingdomof Austrasia (in present northeastern France and southwestern Germany).Charles, whose surname means the hammer, was the son of Pepin of Herstaland the grandfather of Charlemagne. Pepin was mayor of the palace underthe last kings of the Merovingian dynasty. When he died in 714, Charles,an illegitimate son, was imprisoned by his father's widow, but he escapedin 715 and was proclaimed mayor of the palace by the Austrasians. A warbetween Austrasia and the Frankish kingdom of Neustria (now part ofFrance) followed, and at the end of it Charles became the undisputedruler of all the Franks.
Although he was engaged in wars against the Alamanni, Bavarians, andSaxons, his greatest achievements were against the Muslims from Spain,who invaded France in 732. Charles defeated them near Poitiers in a greatbattle in which the Muslim leader, Abd-ar-Rahman, the emir of Spain, waskilled. The progress of Islam, which had filled all Christendom withalarm, was thus checked for a time. Charles drove the Muslims out of theRhone valley in 739, when they had again advanced into France as far asLyon, leaving them nothing of their possessions north of the Pyreneesbeyond the Aude River. Charles died in Quierzy, on the Oise River,leaving the kingdom divided between his two sons, Carloman (circa715-754) and Pepin the Short.
1 _FA1
2 DATE 986-1014
2 PLAC King of Danmark, Norge & England
Svend Tveskæg (aka Swegn/Swein Forkbeard) was king of Denmark afterhaving defeated his father, Harald Blaatand, in 986, and remained theking of Denmark through to his death in 1014. Whether Svend is the sonof Queen Tove or, more probably, one of Harald Blaatand's many mistressesis not known. For a time in his youth he is said to have lived with hissister Gunhild, and her husband Palnig/Palne Toke, in the the territorythat the Danes held in England.Svend had imported clergymen and monks from England. Svend was lookedupon unfavourably by the Church in Rome, due to his strong resistance tothe German Bremer Church. This must have stemmed from the fact that hehad issued letters to the Bishops in Aarhus, Ribe, Schleswig, and Odense,confuring on them the right to extend their influence into what was thenGerman territory! However, the Bremer Church collapsed after the deathof its powerful archbishop, Adaldag, in 988. The Bishop of Ribe,Odinkar, was a relative of the royal family. He had been educated inEngland, France, and also in Bremen. He was very competent, and managedto gather all the Danish bishops under his churchly domain.
Svend had ambitions to conquer England, and thus spent a great deal oftime, and energy, there early in his reign. However, he was forced tocome back to Denmark in order to deal with political differences withKing Olav Trygvesen of Norway. Legend states that his was the result ofa personal dispute between his wife Sigrid and the Norwegian king.
This dispute ended in 1000 when Svend united with the fleets of Earl(Jarl) Erik, of Norway, and of King Olof, of Sweden, at the "Battle ofSvold". It is not known for certain where the battle was held, possiblyit was located near Rügen or maybe at Hven in the Øresund. Togethertheir forces defeated the Norwegian fleet, and King Olav himself waskilled. After defeating the Norwegian king, Svend made himself the kingof Norway.
Now he could turn his attention back to England. It appears that he usedthe Viking fortresses of Trellesborg, Fyrkat, Nonnebakken, and Aggersborgas bases for his forays to England. After many battles with the Englishthe Vikings demanded ever increasing bribes from the English king toleave them in peace. This culminated in 1005-1006 with the enormousbribe of about 10 tons of silver. By 1013 Svend had conquered much ofEngland; although he only reigned over that territory for two years. Heis known in English lore as "Swein Forkbeard".
Alfred the Great is recognised as the first king of all England, butoften wrongly presented as such from 871. However, he did notsuccessfully beat the Vikings before 895. Svend was in control of theEngland during 1013-1014. He is the father of Knud den Store (aka Canutethe Great), the first to really unit England as one kingdom. Vikings hadlarge areas under their control, gaining and lossing some, until Knudmanaged to gain full control in 1016.
Svend was first married to Gunhild of the Vends. Gunhild was exiled toPoland by Svend Tveskæg to the advantage of Sigrid Storråda; she wasbrought back to Denmark again by her son after Svend Tveskæg's death.Svend very likely also had a number of mistresses.
This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,Ontario, copyright 2006.
Sigrid Storraada , of Götaland
1 _FA1
2 DATE ABT. 995
2 PLAC Queen Danmark
1 MISC Queen of Sverige
Sigrud Tostesdatter, known as "Sigrid Storraada", was the daughter of aswedish nobleman and viking chief named Toste, known as "Skogul-Toste".Storråda can be translated to as: haughty, powerful, or bawdy. She wasfirst married to Erik VII Segersäll, the king of Sweden, who died circa994/995.Little is known of her outside of what was written of her in the oldnordic sagas; and the stories surrounding her were probably highlyembroidered. It is said that circa 995 she had two of her admirers,Harald Grænske and Vsevold of Kiev, burned to death. Evidently Harald,who had grown up in her father's household, had dared to behave toofreely towards the recently widowed queen. Harald's son later became theking of Norway, Olav den Hellige. The real Sigrid is a rather mysteriousperson, and it can not be said with absolute certainty that following thedeath of Erik, she was ever really married to Svend Tveskæg, the king ofDenmark.
According to legend King Olav Trygvesen of Norway was a christianconvert, and it seems that he took exception to the fact that Sigridstill honoured the old nordic gods. It is told that during a disputeover this Olav slapped Sigrid across the face. For this insult againsther person Sigrid sought revenge, and inflamed her husband, SvendTveskæg, and his son Knud to war against the Norwegian monarch. Olavfell at the battle of the Svold in September of 1000. The Svold,according to Icelandic tradition, is the narrow strait between the islandof Rügen and Pommerania in northern Germany; however, according to Adamvon Bremen the battle took place further north in the Sound betweenSealand and Sweden.
Sources: "Vikingatågen och runstenarna" by Åke Ohlmark, 1981, page 36;and "Dansk Biografisk Håndleksikon" by Dahl & Engelstoft, 1920-26.
This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,Ontario, copyright 2006.
1 MISC Jylland, Danmark
1 _FA1
2 PLAC Knight (Ridder)
1 MISC Coat of arms (Våben): transverse partitioned white & black
Niels Olufsen Bild is the fore-father of the Danish Bild surname, firstmentioned in 1288. In 1304 he was Chamberlain (Kammermester) and"Drost"(?) for King Erik.This database researched and compiled by Norman Lee Madsen, Toronto,Ontario, copyright 2006.
Henrich I den Skallede , of Stade
1 _FA1
2 PLAC Count of Stade
1 _FA1
2 PLAC Count
1 _FA1
2 PLAC Lieutenant
Foulques II the Good , of Anjou
1 _FA1
2 DATE 941
2 PLAC Count of Anjou
1 MISC Svaneke, Bornholm