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Birth:          ABT 1020 England
Death:          28 Apr 1074 Soderup, Abrenraa, Denmark
Burial:         Hellige-Trefolg, Roskilde, Denmark

Notes
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=jweber&id=I17926
Sweyn II ESTRIDSEN, Danish SVEND ESTRIDSEN, Norwegian SVEIN ESTRIDSSON 
(b. c 1020, Denmark - d. 28 April 1074, Denmark), king of Denmark (1047-74) who 
ended a short period of Norwegian domination (1042-47).

The son of Ulf, a Danish earl, and Estrid, a sister of Canute I the Great, Sweyn fled to 
Sweden after his father was murdered in 1027 on orders of Canute. After the death of 
Canute (1035), when Hardecanute was ruling in Denmark and Magnus in Norway, the 
young kings agreed that whoever lived longer would rule both countries. Under this 
agreement Magnus became king also of Denmark in 1042 [when Hardecanute died] 
and appointed Sweyn viceroy. While Magnus was fighting the Wends (Slavs) in 1043, 
Sweyn, who was favoured by the Danish nobles, was proclaimed king, provoking a 
war over the Danish throne with Magnus and then with his successor, Harald III 
Hardraade (reigned 1045-1066).

Although Sweyn's forces were continually defeated, Harald's troops were mainly 
interested in plunder and failed to conquer Denmark. The two rulers recognized each 
other as sovereign in their respective countries in 1064 while Harald was preparing to 
attack England. Strengthened by Harald's death in 1066, Sweyn sponsored a 
successful Danish attack on England in 1069, aiding Anglo-Saxon rebels against 
William I the Conqueror. Although the Danish forces achieved a favourable position, 
Sweyn, by an agreement with William I in 1070 withdrew his troops.

On returning to Denmark, Sweyn worked to free the Danish Christian church from 
control by the archbishop of Bremen and by the English church, and he cooperated 
with Pope Gregory VII. Knowledgeable in history and geography, Sweyn was Adam of 
Bremen's main source on Scandinavian affars in the latter's valuable "Gesta 
Hammaburgensis ecclesiaue pontificum" (c. 1070-75; "History of the Archbishops of 
Hamburg-Bremen"). Five of Sweyn's sons succeeded to the throne, and his dynasty 
(the Valdemars) reigned for 300 years. [Encyclopaedia Britannica]

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Note: Svend had so many mistresses (Gunnhild-his cousin, Jutta, Jakob of Sweden, 
Tora, Gunnhild-widow of Anund Jakob, Elizabeth, and "others" - one of whom may 
have been a legitimate wife) that Royal Families of Medieval Scandinavia makes no 
attempt at assigning children (he had at least 17) to the various mistresses. I have 
purposely distributed the children among many of the different mistresses.

Parents
THORGILSSON Ulf (ABT  996 - 29 Sep 1027)
SVENSDOTTIR Estrid (ABT  997 - )

Siblings
ULFSSON Svend (Sweyn) II (ABT 1020 - 28 Apr 1074)

Marriage To TORBERGSDOTTIR Tora (ABT 1020 - AFT 1048)
    m.  

Notes

Parents
ARNESSON Torbert (Thorberg) (ABT  990 - ABT 1050)
ERLINGSDOTTIR Ragnhild (ABT  992 - )

Children by TORBERGSDOTTIR Tora ABT 1020 - AFT 1048
SVENDSSON Canute IV (ABT 1043 - 10 Jul 1086)

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