General Notes

Alias:<ALIA> /Bluetooth/
REFN: 4071AN
Alias:<ALIA> Herbastus /Forester/
REFN: P4072Alias:<ALIA> /Bluetooth/
REFN: P572
Harold Bluetooth Gormson (Danish: Harald Blåtand, Old Norse: Haraldr blátö
nn, Norwegian: Harald Blåtann, German: Harald Blauzahn), was born 911, t
he son of King Gorm the Old, king of Jutland (i.e. pensinsular Denmark) a
nd of Thyra=Thyre Danebod (supposed daughter of Harold Klak, Jarl of Jutla
nd, or daughter of a noblemen of Sunderjylland (Schleswig) who is suppos
ed to have been kindly disposed towards Christianity. He died in 986 havi
ng ruled as King of Denmark from around 958 and king of Norway for a few y
ears probably around 970.
His biography is summed up by this runic inscription in Old Norse : "Haral
tr kunukr bath kaurua kubl thausi aft kurm fathur sin auk aft thaurui muth
ur sina. sa haraltr ias sar uan tanmaurk ala auk nuruiak auk tani karthi k
ristna"[1]
Translation: "Harald, king, baDe these memorials to be made after Gorm, h
is father, and Thyra, his mother. The Harald who won the whole of Denma
rk and Norway and turned the Danes to Christianity"
Conversion and Christianisation of Denmark
Although his predecessors had accepted Christianity at the instigati
on of the Frankish Carolingian kings in 826, heathendom remained predomina
nt among Danes and northerners for centuries. His mother may have implant
ed in the boy's soul the first germs of faith which his father, a devout s
ervant of the Germanic pagan god Wotan, did his utmost to destroy. When Ha
rald converted around 965, he had the Jelling mounds - previously start
ed by his pagan father Gorm - adapted into Christian monuments honoring bo
th Gorm and Thyre. The Jelling monuments are said to have been a stateme
nt of Harald's new-found religion; it was thought that with these monument
s, he was trying to conduct a smooth transition from paganism to Christian
ity both for himself and his subjects. Christianity may have been impress
ed on him as a result of military pressure, but the stones have led some p
eople to believe that they represent a new-found love and confidence for h
is new religion.
Meanwhile the Christian religion became more and more deeply rooted amo
ng the Danes. Even a few members of the nobility (such as Frode, Vicer
oy of Jutland) embraced the faith and soon episcopal sees were establish
ed (Schleswig, Ribe, Aarhus). However the prominent part the Germans h
ad in these achievements as well as the lofty idea of the Roman Empire th
en prevailing led Otto I, the Great, to require Harold to recognize h
im as "advocatus", or lord protector of the Danish church, and even as "Lo
rd Paramount". It is easy to understand why the indignant king of the Dan
es replied to this demand with a declaration of war, and why the "empero
r" sought to force his "vassal" into subjection. The devastating expeditio
ns, which were pushed as far as the Lÿmfjord, enabled the emperor to be
at down all opposition (972), and to compel Harold not only to concluDe pe
ace but to accept baptism. Henceforth paganism steadily lost ground.
The Bishopric of Odense was established at Fünen (Fyen) in 980; the sacrif
icial grove at Lethra (on Zealand), which, until then, had been from ti
me to time the scene of human sacrifices, was deserted. King Harold mov
ed his royal residence to RoeskilDe and erected there a wooden church dedi
cated to the Holy Trinity. In the eleventh century it was replaced by a ba
silica, which in turn was soon torn down. Since about the year 1200 its si
te has been occupied by the Gothic cathedral of St. Lucius, the burial pla
ce of the kings of Denmark. Christian houses of worship were also bui
lt in many other places during Harold's reign; in these German and Dani
sh priests preached the gospel of the crucified and risen Saviour.
There is no doubt that Harold professed Christianity at that time: it is a
lso true that he contributed to its spread. But his moral conduct in ma