Ruling royal house in Middle Age Scandinavia and England
Jelling dynasty
Jellingdynastiet
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Country
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Founded
| c.
916
(
916
)
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Founder
| Harthacnut I of Denmark
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Current head
| None; extinct
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Final ruler
| Cnut III & II
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Dissolution
| 1042
(
1042
)
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Branches
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The
Danish
House of Knytlinga
(
English
: "House of Cnut's Descendants") was a ruling
royal house
in
Middle Age
Scandinavia
and
England
. Its most famous king was
Cnut the Great
, who gave his name to this dynasty. Other notable members were Cnut's father
Sweyn Forkbeard
, grandfather
Harald Bluetooth
, and sons
Harthacnut
,
Harold Harefoot
, and
Svein Knutsson
. It has also been called the
House of Canute
, the
House of Denmark
, the
House of Gorm
, or the
Jelling dynasty
.
Under Harald Bluetooth's rule, he is said on a Jelling rune stone to have unified the territory that comprises modern-day Denmark under his rule, as well as Norway.
[1]
The latter claim is more tenuous, as he most likely only had periodic and indirect power over parts of modern-day Norway.
[1]
Under the House of Knytlinga, early
state formation
in Denmark occurred.
[2]
[1]
In 1018 AD the House of Knytlinga brought the crowns of Denmark and England together under a
personal union
. At the height of its power, in the years 1028?1030, the House reigned over
Denmark
,
England
and
Norway
. After the death of Cnut the Great's heirs within a decade of his own death and the
Norman conquest of England
in 1066, the legacy of the Knytlinga was almost lost to history.
Rulers of Denmark
[
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]
The ruling royal house built impressive ring fortresses, as well as implementing new military organizational innovations, and oversaw the Christianization of Denmark.
[1]
The ruling royal house also developed a model of royal power, which was consistent with later European kingdoms, as well as engaged in the first Scandinavian minting of coins.
[1]
According to Andres Dobat, the Jelling dynasty are an example of
stranger kings
, as the first rulers, Harthacnut I or Gorm, were likely foreign.
[1]
According to
Sverre Bagge
, the first signs of clear rules of succession in Denmark take place under the Jelling dynasty.
[3]
Rulers of England
[
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]
The House of Knytlinga ruled the
Kingdom of England
from 1013 to 1014 and from 1016 to 1042.
In 1013
Sweyn Forkbeard
, already the
king of Denmark
and of
Norway
, overthrew King
Æthelred the Unready
of the
House of Wessex
. Sweyn had first invaded England in 1003 to avenge the death of his sister
Gunhilde
and many other Danes in the
St. Brice's Day massacre
, which had been ordered by Æthelred in 1002.
Sweyn died in 1014 and Æthelred was restored. However, in 1015 Sweyn's son,
Cnut the Great
, invaded England. After Æthelred died in April 1016, his son
Edmund Ironside
briefly became king, but was forced to surrender half of England to Cnut. After Edmund died in November that same year, Cnut became king of all England.
Scotland
submitted to him in 1017, and
Norway
in 1028.
Although Cnut was already married to
Ælfgifu of Northampton
, he married Æthelred's widow,
Emma of Normandy
. He ruled until his death in 1035. After his death another of Æthelred's sons,
Alfred Aetheling
, tried to retake the English throne, but he was betrayed and captured by
Godwin, Earl of Wessex
, who supported Cnut's son,
Harold Harefoot
. Alfred was blinded, and died soon after.
Harold ruled until 1040, although his mother Ælfgifu may have ruled during part of his reign.
Harold initially shared England with his half brother
Harthacnut
, the son of Cnut and Emma. Harold ruled in
Mercia
and
Northumbria
, and Harthacnut ruled in
Wessex
. However Harthacnut was also king of Denmark (as Cnut III), and spent most of his time there, so that Harold was effectively sole ruler of England.
Harthacnut succeeded Harold as king of England (he is sometimes also known as Cnut II). He died two years later, and his half-brother
Edward the Confessor
became king. Edward was the son of Æthelred and Emma, and so with his succession to the throne the House of Wessex was restored.
England after the House of Knytlinga
[
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]
Edward the Confessor ruled until 1066. His brother in law,
Harold Godwinson
?the son of Alfred's betrayer?became king, provoking the
Norman conquest of England
in the same year. Harold II was the last
Anglo-Saxon
king to rule over England.
The
Normans
were descended from Vikings who had settled in Normandy, and although they had adopted the French language, their heritage was essentially Viking. In this manner, the Vikings ultimately (if indirectly) finally conquered and kept England after all.
In 1085?86 King
Cnut IV of Denmark
planned one last Danish invasion of England, but he was assassinated by Danish rebels before he could carry it out. This was the last time the Vikings attempted to attack Western Europe, and Cnut's death is regarded as the end of the
Viking Age
.
List of Danish kings of England
[
edit
]
- Sweyn Forkbeard
, 1013?14 (also king of Denmark 986?1014 and Norway 999?1014)
- Cnut
, 1016?1035 (also king of Denmark 1018?1035 and Norway 1028?1035)
- Harold Harefoot
, 1035?1040
- Harthacnut
, 1040?1042 (also king of Denmark 1035?1042)
Queens consort of England during Danish rule
[
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]
Family tree
[
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]
Main genealogy
[
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]
The parentage of
Strut-Harald
and
Gunnhild Konungamoðir
is disputed; both of them had issue. The existence of
Gunhild of Wenden
and
Sigrid the Haughty
is disputed, some details of their lives can be exchanged to each other or associated to another figures.
Relations with other families
[
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]
Cnut the Great family tree
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See also
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References
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Citations
[
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]
Sources
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]
External links
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]