Svein Knutsson

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Svein Knutsson
Cnut the Great
MotherÆlfgifu of Northampton

Svein Knutsson (

Cnut the Great, king of Denmark, Norway, and England, and his first wife Ælfgifu of Northampton, a Mercian noblewoman. In 1017 Cnut married Emma of Normandy, but there is no evidence that Ælfgifu was repudiated, and in 1030 Cnut sent her and Svein as regents to rule Norway. However, their rule was considered oppressive by the Norwegians. They imposed new taxes and harsh laws that made them unpopular and they were expelled in 1034.[1][2][3][4]

Names

Svein Knutsson is also mentioned as Sveinn Alfífuson (

Sven and Sweyn, from the Anglo-Saxon Swegen. He was the second ruler of Norway by this name, after his grandfather Sweyn Forkbeard.[citation needed
]

Biography

In 1029

Kalv Arnesson were especially disappointed because they both believed that Cnut had promised they could take power.[6]

The 1030s were difficult years in Europe. Danish policy in Norway changed – there was closer royal involvement and strict regulations in many areas. This created the basis of a popular resistance against the new regime which can be characterised as being of the same ilk as that which Saint Olav had earlier come up against. According to the Sagas, Ælfgifu's and Svein's tax-demands and new laws created resentment.[citation needed]

Snorri writes that "King Svein brought in new laws on many subjects. They were modelled on Danish laws but some were much stricter. No man was allowed to leave the country without the King's permission; if he did so his property would become the King's. A person who committed murder would lose the right to land and property. If an outlaw was due an inheritance, the King would take it. At Christmas every farmer had to give the king a measure (between 15 and 20 litres) of malt from every hearth and the thigh of a three-year-old ox, this was called vinjartodde (land tax) in Old Norse, and also a bucket of butter."[7]

According to the

Viken. Tryggve, however, landed instead in Hordaland, then sailed to Rogaland to attack Sveinn's navy. The two fleets met off the island of Bokn
. Svein won the Battle of Soknasund and Tryggve Olavsson was killed.

Later that same winter Kalv Arnesson and

Magnus. When Magnus came to Norway the people sided with him and against the Danes. Svein had to flee home to Denmark where he died a short time later. Thus the King of Denmark had to give up his claim on Norway.[8]

As a character in Shakespeare

In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, there is a character called "Sweno, the Norways' king" based on Svein.[9]

Svein is a

back-story character in the first act of Macbeth, where Shakespeare calls him Sweno. His army arrived in Fife and began massacring Scots.[10] He besieged Macbeth in the castle of Bertha.[10] Duncan, the Scottish king, sent food and drink to the Norwegians, but laced it with a potion that caused them to become sleepy.[10] Macbeth then slaughtered Sweno's army, but Sweno himself escaped.[10] Canute and the Danes arrived to avenge this defeat, but they agreed to a truce:[10]

Sweno, the Norway's king, craves composition [treaty].
nor would we deign him burial of his men
till he disbursed at Saint Colme's-inch
ten thousand dollars to our general use.[11]

Family tree

References

  1. ^ Pauline Stafford, "Ælfgifu of Northampton", Oxford Online Dictionary of Biography, 2004
  2. ^ M. K. Lawson, "Cnut", Oxford Online Dictionary of Biography, 2005
  3. ^ Derry, T. K., A history of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland, University of Minnesota Press, 2000, p. 40.
  4. ^ Bjørn Bandlien. "Svein Alfivason". Store norske leksikon. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  5. ^ Ango-Saxon England (Frank Stenton, Oxford University Press, 3rd Edition 1971, p. 398.)
  6. ^ "Svein Alfivason". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
  7. Snorri Sturlasson: Heimskringla
    , Life of St. Olaf §240
  8. ^ Saga of Magnus the Good (Heimskringla, translated by Samuel Laing)
  9. ISBN 156308953X
    . "The playwright transposes in time a foray led by Sweyn Alfivason, son of Canute II of England and Denmark and Aelfgiva of Northhampton."
  10. ^ a b c d e Hudson, Henry,Introductions To Shakespeare's Tragedies, pp. 407–408.
  11. ^ Shakespeare, William, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Act I
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Kings of Wessex and England 802–1066" (PDF). The official website of The British Monarchy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-08-24. Retrieved 2015-07-05.

Other sources

Regnal titles
Preceded by
Cnut the Great (de jure)
as King of the Norwegians
Cnut the Great
 Succeeded by
Magnus the Good
Preceded by
Hákon Eiríksson (de facto)
as Regent of Norway
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