National Church Systems Feudalization






Expansionist Policy of Christian Kings



The acceptance of christianity did not mean the men from the north had given up old Viking habits. Danish king SVEND FORKBEARD, from 997 on, raided England annually. In 1013, the English, in order to stop the raids, paid homage to him as King of England. Sven died soon afterward, and his son KNUT THE GREAT (Canute), after overcoming the opposition, was crowned King of England (1016) and of his native Denmark (1018). In 1028 he invaded Norway and had himself crowned King of Norway, too; however, his rule over Norway was of titular nature. He was succeeded by his son Hardiknut (1035-1042). The dynastic union of Denmark and England, however, did not last. Norwegian adventurer HARALD HARDRADA, after having been commander of the Varangian Guard in Constantinople and after having stayed in Kievan Rus, returned to Norway, claimed the Norwegian throne, continually raided Denmark and in 1066 invaded England, where he fell in the Battle of Stamfordbridge, in another attempt to establish an Empire.
The successors of Harald and Hardiknut concentrated on the consolidation and expansion of their inherited realms. Christian mission gave the Kings of Denmark and Sweden another excuse for warfare against pagan neighbours. The Danes conquered the Slavic island of RUEGEN, which was incorporated into the bishopric of Roskilde. The Swedes conquered FINLAND in a succession of crusades; the Danes conquered ESTONIA (1218). The Kings of Norway succeeded in establishing their sovereignty over ICELAND (1263) and GREENLAND.







Table : Scandinavian Kings durting the Early Christian, Pre-Feudal Period
source : Klaus-Juergen Matz, Regententabellen zur Weltgeschichte, Muenchen 1980, pp.199f (Dk), 231 (N), 248 (S)
KINGS OF DENMARK

Sven Forkbeard (986 - 1014)
Harald Svensson (1014 - 1018)
Knut the Great (1018 - 1035)
Hardiknut (1035 - 1042)
Magnus the Good (1042 - 1047)
Sven Estridsen (1047 - 1076)
Harald Hein (1076 - 1080)
St. Knud (1080 - 1086)
Olaf Hunger (1086 - 1095)
Erik the Good (1095 - 1103)
Niels (1104 - 1134)
Eric II. (1134 - 1137)
Eric III. the Sheep (1137 - 1147)
Sven (1147 - 1157)
Knut (1154 - 1157)
Valdemar the Great (1157 - 1182)
Knut VI. (1182 - 1202)
Valdemar II. the Victor (1202 - 1241)
Erik IV. Ploughpenny (1241 - 1250)
Abel (1250 - 1252) 		KINGS OF NORWAY

Olaf II. Haraldsson (St. Olaf, 1015 - 1030)
Knut the Great (1028 - 1035)
Magnus I. the Good (1035 - 1047)
Harald III. Hardrada (1047 - 1066)
Olaf III. the Silent (1066 - 1093)
Magnus II. (1066 - 1069)
Magnus III. Barefoot (1093 - 1103)
Oystein I. (1103 - 1122)
Sigurd I. the Pilgrim (1103 - 1130)
Magnus IV. the Blind (1130 - 1135)
Harald IV. Gille (1130 - 1136)
Inge Hookback (1136 - 1161)
Sigurd II. Mouth (1136 - 1155)
Oystein II. (1142 - 1157)
Hakon II. Broadshoulder (1161 - 1162)
Sigurd III. (1162 - 1163)
Magnus V. Erlingsson (1163 - 1184)
Sverre (1184 - 1202)
Hakon III. (1202 - 1204)
Guttorm (1204 - 1205)
Inge II. (1205 - 1217)
Hakon IV. the Old (1217 - 1263) 		KINGS OF THE SVEAR AND GOETAR

St. Eric (1150/1156 - 1160)
Karl VII. Sverkersson (1156/1160 - 1167)
Knut Ericsson (1167 - 1196)
Sverker II. (1196 - 1208)
Eric X. Knutsson (1208 - 1216)
Johan I. Sverkersson (1216 - 1222)
Erik XI. Ericsson (1222 - 1229)
Knut Lange (1229 - 1234)
Erik XI. Ericsson (2nd time, 1234 - 1250)
Birger Jarl regent 1250 - 1256
Valdemar Birgersson (1266 - 1278)



EXTERNAL
FILES 		Timeline 978-1066, from britannia.com
Biographies of Sven Forkbeard (986-1014), Knut the Great (1016-1035), Hardiknute (1035-1042) from britannia.com
The Era of Swedish Rule, from Library of Congress, Country Studies : Finland
DOCUMENTS Danmarks Regenter, from Dansk Møntt (Danish coins), many subfiles on every single king, in Danish, encyclopedic
REFERENCE The Danes conquer England, in : Historical Atlas of the Vikings, by John Haywood, London 1995 pp.120-127, illustrated, concise, scholarly


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on November 8th 2004

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