General Notes

0991
REFR
DATE 0940
RETO
DATE ABT 0985
BAPM
DATE ABT 0960
OCCU King of Denmark
ALIA byname HARALD BLUETOOTH, Danish HARALD BLÅTANDMerged General Note: He consolidated the Danish realm as aunitary kingdom. He inherited his father's kingdom, centered onJelling in Jutland.
Although he temporarily (974-83) lostsouthern Jutland to Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, Harold securedall Denmark under his control and extended his rule to much ofNorway. Baptized and thus introducing
Christianity into Denmark,he had the famous Jelling rune stone erected in his parents'memory. Harold was fatally wounded during a rebellion by his sonand successor, Svegn
I.==========================================Harald I, byname HARALD BLUETOOTH, Danish HARALD BLÅTAND  (b. c. 910--d.c. 985, Jumne, Den.), king of Denmark from c. 940 to c. 985,credited with the
first unification of the country.He was the son of Gorm the Old, the first significant figure ina new royal line centred at Jelling (North Jutland). Haraldcompleted the country's unification begun
by his father,converted the Danes to Christianity, and conquered Norway. AfterHarald's Baptism (c. 960) his father's pagan tomb wastransformed into a Christian place of worship with a churchbetween
two great mounds; and the newly appointed Jutlandbishops, under the Archbishop of Hamburg, organized thecountry's conversion. The expansion begun by Harald in Norwaywas continued by his son Sweyn I,
who conquered England in 1013.Under Sweyn's son Canute there grew up a greatAnglo-Scandinavian kingdom that included parts of Sweden.Related Propaedia TopicsThe History of MankindCopyright (c) 1996
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. All RightsReserved
RELG @N2390@
DANE Y
ROYL Y
DATE 22 MAR 1999