|
Harald I Bluetooth, deceased ca. 987, king of Denmark According to Adam of Bremen, Harald ruled along with his father Gorm the Old, and after his father’s death he ruled alone until the 980’s. At this time, his son Sweyn I Forkbeard raised a rebellion which lead to Harald’s death in Venden. According to Adam he was buried in Roskilde, allegedly in the church he himself had ordered built. However, Adam’s account is questionable, and the pillar in Roskilde Cathedral said to house Harald’s remains is empty. In the inscription on the larger one of the Jelling Stones Harald proclaims that he has conquered “all of Denmark and Norway”. In the span of a few years, from 979 till 981, a series of buildings – presumably related to the alleged unification of the regions – were erected: the expansion of Dannevirke, the Ravning-Enge Bridge and the large ring fortresses, e.g. Trelleborg (see also Denmark – history (the Viking Age)). Furthermore, the construction of the oldest stave church in Jelling is also attributed to Harald. Harald has, like previous Danish kings, had influence in southern Norway and through his earl Håkon Jarl Sigurdsson from Trøndelag, his reach might have extended further into the country. After 974 Håkon started opposing Harald. On the large Jelling Stone Harald also proclaims that he “christened the Danes”. The moment of Harald’s own conversion is uncertain. At the German clergyman Poppo’s trial of fire, mentioned in Widukind of Corvey’s Saxon Chronicles, the purpose was to make the Danes worship Jesus Christ exclusively. The nickname Bluetooth appears the first time in the Chronicon Roskildense from ca. 1140, and is assumed to be because Harald had a prominent blue (or black) tooth. |
|||||||||||||||||||||
