Notater
Treff 51 til 100 av 1,135
| # | Notater | Linket til |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Beggo (died 816) was the son of Gerard I of Paris and Rotrude, daughter of Carloman, son of Charles Martel. He was appointed Count of Toulouse, Duke of Septimania, Duke of Aquitaine, and Margrave of the Hispanic Marchin 806 and followed his father as Count of Paris in 815. In 806, William of Gellone abdicated and Charlemagne appointed Beggo to take his place in Toulouse and Gothia. He did not succeed his father in Paris, but was later placed in the comital office there, but did not live long after that. He married either Amaudru, illegitimate daughter of Charlemagne or her niece, Alpais or Alpheidis, illegitimate daughter of Louis the Pious. Their children were:
| Beggo Count of Paris (I501138)
|
| 52 | Berengar I (c. 845 – 7 April 924[1]) was the King of Italy from 887, and Holy Roman Emperor after 915, until his death. He is usually known as Berengar of Friuli, since he ruled the March of Friuli from 874 until at least 890, but he had lost control of the region by 896.[2] Berengar rose to become one of the most influential laymen in the empire of Charles the Fat, and he was elected to replace Charles in Italy after the latter's deposition in November 887. His long reign of 36 years saw him opposed by no less than seven other claimants to the Italian throne. His reign is usually characterised as "troubled" because of the many competitors for the crown and because of the arrival of Magyar raiders in Western Europe. He was the last emperor before Otto the Great was crowned in 962, after a 38-year interregnum.
| of Italy, Berengar I Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (I501169)
|
| 53 | Bergljot Håkonsdatter (født før 990 – død en gang etter 1050), datter av Håkon Sigurdsson, Ladejarl og Tora Skagesdatter. Bergljot var søster til jarlene Eirik Håkonsson og Svein Håkonsson, som hersker over Norge etter at Olav Tryggvason falt ved Svolder i år 1000. Einar Tambarskjelve hadde kjempet sammen med kong Olav ved Svolder mot Eirik Håkonsson. Bergljot ble gift med Einar en gang etter år 1000 for å bygge en politisk allianse og forsoning. Einar var en av de mektigste høvdingene i Trøndelag og i Norge. Alliansen var av stor betydning for å holde fred i landet. Det er svært lite vi vet om Bergljot. Hun og Einar fikk to barn, datteren Ålov Einarsdatter som senere ble gift med Tord Foleson, og sønnen Eindride Einarsson. Kongesagaen forteller at Einride hadde arvet morsslektas vakre trekk, og av den grunn må Bergljot ha vært anerkjent som vakker, skjønt sagaen sier det ikke direkte. Einar og Eindride blir drept av kong Harald Hardråde i 1050. Sagaen sier så:
Deretter nevnes hun ikke mer. | Håkonsdotter, Bergljot (I502086)
|
| 54 | Bergljot Toresdatter (født ca. 905, død ca. 962) var gift med Sigurd Håkonsson Ladejarl og mor til Håkon jarl som var norsk enehersker fra 970 til 995. Bergljot var datter av mørejarlen Tore Teiande (sønn av Ragnvald Mørejarl) og hans hustru Ålov Årbot, datter av Harald Hårfagre[1]. Julenatta, sannsynligvis 935, fødte Bergljot en sønn som ble øst vann over av kong Håkon den gode som var i julegjestebud hos Sigurd jarl. Kongen ga ham sitt eget navn, Håkon[2]. Håkon overtok jarletittelen etter at Sigurd jarl var drept av kong Harald Gråfell i 962 og etter at Håkon selv hadde drept sin onkel Grjotgard Håkonsson, sannsynligvis i 965 | Toresdatter, Bergljot (I501993)
|
| 55 | Bernard I (c. 950 – 9 February 1011) was the Duke of Saxony (973–1011), the second of the Billung dynasty, a son of Duke Herman and Oda. He extended his father's power considerably. He fought the Danes in 974, 983, and 994 during their invasions. He supported the succession of Otto III over Henry the Wrangler. In 986, he was made marshal and in 991 and 995 he joined the young Otto on campaign against the Slavs. He increased his power vis-à-vis the crown, where his father had been the representative of the king to the tribe, Bernard was the representative of the tribe to the king [1]. Bernard died in 1011 and was buried in the Church of Saint Michael in Lüneburg. Family In 990, Bernard married Hildegard (died 1011), daughter of Henry I the Bald, Count of Stade (died 976). They had the following issue:
and probably:
| Bernhard I Duke of Saxony (I500993)
|
| 56 | Bernard II (c. 995 – 29 June 1059) was the Duke of Saxony (1011–1059), the third of the Billung dynasty, a son of Bernard I and Hildegard. He had the rights of a count in Frisia. Bernard expanded the powers of the duke in Saxony and is regarded as the greatest of the Billungers. He was originally a supporter of Emperor Henry II and he accompanied him intoPoland and negotiated the treaty of Bautzen of 1018. In 1019–1020, he revolted and gained the recognition of the tribal laws of Saxony, something his father had just failed to do. He returned then to war with the Slavs (Obodrites and Lutici) and drew them into his sphere of power and influence through their leader, Godescalc (Gottschalk). He supported Conrad II in 1024 and his son Henry III, though he began to fear the latter for his closeness to the Archbishop Adalbert of Bremen, an inveterate enemy of the dukes of Saxony. Though he was a critical ally of the Danes, so fundamental to Henry's wars in the Low Countries, Bernard was on the brink of rebellion until the death of Adalbert. The remainder of his reign, however, was quiet. In 1045, he erected the Alsterburg in Hamburg. He died in 1059 and was succeeded without incident by his son Ordulf. He is buried in the Church of Saint Michael in Lüneburg. Family Bernard II, Duke of Saxony married to Eilika of Schweinfurt, daughter of Henry of Schweinfurt. They had:
| Bernhard II Duke of Saxony (I500987)
|
| 57 | Bertha of France (fl. ca. 800), also known as Bertha of the Holy Roman Empire, was daughter of Charlemagne, King of the Franks. Bertha was raised with her brothers and sisters in the royal household of Charlemagne, who had all of his children educated by tutors. An offer by Offa of Mercia to arrange a marriage between Bertha and his son, Ecgfrith, led to Charlemagne breaking off diplomatic relations with Britain in 790, and banning British ships from his ports. Like her sisters, Bertha never formally married; it has been speculated that Charlemagne did not want his daughters married for strategic reasons, fearing political rivalry from their potential husbands. Bertha was in a long relationship with Angilbert, a court official, which produced two children. During 794-5, Angilbert presented a poem as a court entertainment, praising the beauty and charms of Charlemagne's daughters; Bertha is praised in particular for having critical discernment and appreciation for poetry, which Angilbert points out is a cause for him to be concerned about how she might receive his poem.[1] Bertha's children with Angilbert were sons Hartnid, about whom little is known, and the historian Nithard, Abbott of St. Riquier. Angilbert ended his affair with Bertha and entered a monastery, becoming Abbott of St. Riquier. There he did penance, according a biography written by their son, Nithard.[2] Angilbert remained an important advisor to Charlemagne, however. The children of Bertha and Angilbert were likely educated in Charlemagne's court. Nithard was a distinguished soldier and politician, and acted as an advisor to Charles the Bald of France.[3] Following the death of Charlemagne, his successor, Louis the Pious, exiled his sisters to the convents that had been left for their inheritance by their father.
| of France, Bertha daughter of Charlemagne (I502156)
|
| 58 | Bertha (863-8 March 925 in Lucca) was the second illegitimate daughter of Lothair II, King of Lotharingia, by his concubine Waldrada.[1] She was renowned to be beautiful, spirited, and courageous. Ambition, coupled with her influence, involved her husbands in many wars. Between 879 and 880, she firstly married the Bosonid Theobald of Arles, who was a son of Hucbert, brother-in-law of Lothair II. With Theobald she had two sons: Hugh (882 – 10 April 947)[2] and Boso (885–936), and daughters Teuberga of Arles (890–948), and another daughter (d. after 924). Her second husband was Adalbert II of Tuscany, by whom she had two other sons, Guy (d. 3 February 929)[3] and Lambert (d. after 938), and a daughter, Ermengard. After the death of Adalbert II in 915, Guy became the count and duke of Lucca and margrave of Tuscany. His mother was his regent from his father's death until 916. Bertha died on 8 March 925 in Lucca. Bertha is also known for her curious correspondence to Caliph al-Muktafi in 906, in which she described herself rather grandly as "Queen of the Franks". Bertha's letter is of interest in that she appears to have little knowledge of Baghdad politics or culture, and it is for this reason that details of her correspondence were recorded by one of the Muslim chroniclers. Bertha was seeking a marriage alliance between herself and the Emir of Sicily, unaware that al-Mukfati has little influence over the Aghlabid colony in Sicily. Moreover, the letter was written in a language unfamiliar to the Caliph's translators, and the accompanying gifts (among them a multicoloured woollen coat) which no doubt indicated a largesse on Bertha's part, were unlikely to have impressed al-Muktafi beyond their novelty value.
| of Lotharingia, Bertha daughter of Lothair II (I501157)
|
| 59 | Bertila of Spoleto (c. 860 – December 915) was the wife of Berengar I of Italy, and by marriage Queen consort of Italy and Holy Roman Empress[citation needed]. She was the daughter of Suppo II (c. 835 – c. 885), and of Bertha (dead by 921). Her paternal grandfather was Adelchis I of Spoleto, second son of Suppo I and father of Suppo II. She married Berengar c. 880, becoming Queen of Italy in 888. However, her husband lost his throne in the following year to Guy of Spoleto. Berengar began to reassert his power in 896, after the fall of the Spoleto family, and the withdrawal of Emperor Arnulf from the peninsula; however, a defeat by a Magyar army, and the decision by the Italian nobles to appoint Louis of Provence as King of Italy, delayed the King and Queen's formal return to power until 905. Bertila became Holy Roman Empress, after her husband was crowned Emperor in 915[citation needed]. She died in the December of the same year. Bertila and Berengar had several children. By 915, their eldest daughter, Bertha, was abbess of San Salvatore in Brescia, where her aunt had once been a nun. Their younger daughter Gisela (882–910) married Adalbert I of Ivrea, who were the parents of Berengar II of Italy.
| of Spoleto, Bertila (I501167)
|
| 60 | Biagota was probably the wife of duke Boleslaus I of Bohemia. Michal Lutovský writes in his book Bratrovrah a tvůrce státu (Fratricide and country-maker) that only a few coins confirm the existence of Biagota. These coins are considered the oldest type of Přemyslid denar. An inscription can be read on them, BIAGOTACOIIIIX or BIAGOTACOVIIX, meaning BIAGOTA CONIVNX: wife Biagota. Possibly these coins were made on the occasion of marriage, but there is no proof for it. It is not even sure that Biagota was the mother of all four adult children of Boleslaus I (Dobrawa, Boleslaus II of Bohemia, Strachkvas and Mlada of Bohemia). Her origins are unclear. She could have originated from one of the German states of the Holy Roman Empire or from a Slavic country (Blahota or Bjegota was an old Bulgarian name). Both hypotheses could be right, corresponding to the contemporary practice of European rulers.
| Biagota Duchess of Bohemia (I501290)
|
| 61 | Boleslaus I the Cruel, also called Boleslav I (Czech: Boleslav I. Ukrutný) (c. 915 – 15 July, 967 or 972), was the ruler (kníže, "duke" or "prince") of the Duchy of Bohemia from 935 to his death. He was the son of Vratislaus I and the younger brother of his predecessor, Wenceslaus I. Boleslav is notorious for the murder of his brother Wenceslaus, through which he became Duke of Bohemia. Wenceslaus was murdered during a feast; at precisely that time Boleslav's son was allegedly born. He received a strange name: Strachkvas, which means "a dreadful feast". Being remorseful for what he had done, Boleslav promised to devote his son to religion and educate him as a clergyman. Despite the fratricide, Boleslav is generally respected by Czech historians as an energetic ruler who significantly strengthened the Bohemian state and expanded its territory. The pro-Christian religious policies pursued by Wenceslaus do not appear to have been a cause for Boleslav's fratricide, since Boleslav in no way impeded the growth of Christianity in Bohemia, and in fact actually sent his daughter Mlada, a nun, to the Pope in Rome to ask permission to make Prague a bishopric. One of Boleslav's major concerns was the tribute paid yearly to the German (East Frankish) kings as stated in the peace treaty Henry the Fowler had established with Boleslaus' brother Saint Wenceslaus I. He stopped the payment shortly after he ascended the throne, which led to the prolonged war with King Otto the Great. Boleslaus attacked an ally of the Saxons in northwest Bohemia in 936 and defeated two of Otto's armies (from Thuringia and Merseburg). Then war deteriorated to a border raids (the general pattern of warfare in this region at the time), reached its conclusion in 950 when Otto besieged a castle owned by Boleslavs' son, Boleslav signed a peace treaty with Otto. Despite being undefeated, he promised to resume the payment of the tribute. Five years later, the armies of Czechs and Germans allied against the Magyars in the victorious Battle of Lechfeld on 10 August 955. Boleslav had also helped Otto to crush an uprising of Slavs (Stojgněv and Nakon) on the Lower Elbe in Mecklenburg in 953.[1] Overwhelming invading Hungarians has the same benefits for Germans and Czechs. Less obvious is what Boleslav wanted to gain with his participation in the war against the oborite Slavic dukes in far north. Probably, Boleslav wanted to ensure that his powerful German neighbors did not interfere with him in spreading the Bohemian estates to the east.[2] After the Battle of Lech, the rest of the huge Magyar army turned to Bohemia, where it was crushed by Boleslav. Because of this victory, Boleslav freed Moravia from Magyar raids and expanded his territory to Upper Silesia and Lesser Poland. To strengthen the Bohemian-Polish alliance, Boleslav's daughter Dobrawa married the pagan Piast prince Mieszko I in 965, and helped bring Christianity to Poland. Boleslav's wife may have been Biagota. He was succeeded by his oldest son Boleslaus the Pious.
| Boleslaus I Duke of Bohemia (I501291)
|
| 62 | Bořivoj I (Czech pronunciation: [ˈbɔr̝ɪvɔj]) (c. 852 – c. 889) was the first historically documented Duke of Bohemia (c. 867 – c. 889) and founder of the Přemyslid dynasty. Bohemia was at these times subordinated to Great Moravia. As the head of the Přemyslids who dominated the environs of present-day Prague, Bořivoj declared himself kníže - in Latin dux, which means sovereign prince - around the year 867 A.D. His title was later translated by German scholars as "duke" of the Bohemians (Czechs). Although the German dukes of the era held the same title, the meaning of his title was in fact completely different. In contrast to the German dukes, the Czech dux denoted a sovereign ruler.[citation needed] Bořivoj was recognised as such around 872 by his overlord Svatopluk I ofGreat Moravia, who dispatched Bishop Methodius to begin the conversion of the Bohemian Slavs to Christianity (see Christianization of Bohemia). In 872 Bořivoj militarily supported Svatopluk in its dispute with East Francian king, Louis the German, and in south Bohemia they defeated the German armies. Bořivoj and his wife Ludmilawere baptised by Methodius (probably in 883), and the latter became an enthusiastic evangelist, although the religion failed to take root among Bořivoj's subjects. In the years 883/884 Bořivoj was deposed by a revolt in support of his kinsman Strojmír. He was restored in 885 only with the support of his suzerain Svatopluk of Moravia. When Bořivoj died about 4 years later, his sons still minors, Svatopluk took over the rule of Bohemia himself. As with most of the early Bohemian rulers, Bořivoj is a shadowy figure; exact dates for his reign and vital statistics cannot be established. Nonetheless, several major fortifications and religious foundations are said to have dated from this time. In old Czech legends he is said to have been son of a Bohemian prince named Hostivít.
| Bořivoj I Duke of Bohemia (I501297)
|
| 63 | Boso (Italian: Bosone; died after 940?) was a Burgundian nobleman who spent much of his career in Italy, where he became Margrave of Tuscany about 932. He ruled semi-autonomously and was a benefactor of the churches of his region. He lost his office in 936 and probably returned to Burgundy. Boso was the second son of Count Theobald of Arles and Bertha, illegitimate daughter of King Lothair II.[1] His elder brother Hugh was born in 880/1.[1] His family belonged to the highest ranks of the aristocracy of the Carolingian Empire and were related by marriage to the Carolingian dynasty and the Bosonids, the ruling family of Provence.[1] After Theobald's death (895), Boso's mother remarried to Adalbert the Rich, then margrave of Tuscany.[1] Boso and Hugh inherited their father's counties. After the Emperor Louis III was blinded by his foes in 905, Hugh assumed the regency in Provence and the county of Arles, while Boso took over the county of Avignon.[1] In 907, Hugh and Boso entered Italy with an army in support of their mother.[a] In 926, after Hugh had become King of Italy, he appointed Boso regent of Provence.[1] In 931 he brought Boso to Italy at the same time as he made his son, Lothair, co-ruler in order to strengthen his position against the powerful margrave Lambert of Tuscany.[1]Lambert was the reputed son of Adalbert and Bertha and half-brother of Hugh and Boso. According to Liutprand of Cremona, the rumours of the time had it that Bertha, unable to conceive, in order to safeguard her second husband's succession, had feigned pregnancy and presented as her own two sons, Lambert and Guy, who were actually the children of others.[1][b] In his earliest documented presence in Italy, Boso is found intervening on behalf of the Patriarchate of Aquileia on 17 October 931.[1] The first document recording his rank of "margrave" (marchio) dates to 1 July 932, when he persuaded the king to make a donation to the church of Saint Martin in Lucca.[1] According to Liutprand of Cremona, when Hugh forbade Lambert of Tuscany to call himself a half-brother of the king, the margrave challenged Hugh to a judicial duel, which he won. In order to obtain the march of Tuscany for himself, Boso convinced Hugh to arrest Lambert; who was subsequently blinded in prison.[1] A more likely explanation than Liutprand's is that Lambert refused give up his quasi-independence and as a result Tuscany was taken from him.[1][2] Few notices from Boso's rule in Tuscany have survived. Most deal with his interventions with the king on behalf of the churches of Lucca and Arezzo.[1] The last reference to Boso as margrave of Tuscany comes from 17 September 936, when he sent representatives to oversee an exchange of property by the diocese of Lucca.[1] Later that year, Hugh removed his brother from the march and placed his own illegitimate son, Hubert, there instead.[1][2] Liutprand claims that Boso was arrested on suspicion of plotting against the king at the instigation of his wife, Willa.[3][c] Another possible explanation is that he continued to act as autonomously as Lambert had and Hugh removed him in favour of a more pliant margrave.[1][2] Boso had married his daughter Willa, named for her mother, to Berengar of Ivrea, one of the most powerful margraves in the kingdom. This aristocratic axis may have seemed like a threat to Hugh, precipitating Boso's downfall.[1][4] In 940 a certain "illustrious count Boso" (inclitus comes Boso) made a donation to the monastery of Saint-Barnard-de-Romans. This is probably the same person as the margrave of Tuscany, since the monastery is known to have been patronised by Hugh and there were family possessions in the region.[1] By his wife, Willa, perhaps a daughter of Rudolph I of Upper Burgundy, Boso left behind four daughters: Richilda, Gisla, Willa and Bertha. This last married first Boso, son of Duke Richard of Burgundy, and second Raymond, the duke of Aquitaine.[1] It was to her that Hugh bequeathed his huge personal wealth and his Provençal possessions.
| of Tuscany, Boso Margrave of Tuscany (I501146)
|
| 64 | Cancor was a Frankish count, possibly of Hesbaye. In 764 he founded Lorsch Abbey together with his widowed mother Williswinda as a proprietary church and monastery on their estate, Laurissa (Lorsch). They entrusted its government to Cancor's cousin Chrodegang, Archbishop of Metz, son of Cancor's aunt Landrada. Chrodegang dedicated the church and monastery to Saint Peter and became its first abbot. The founders enriched the new abbey later by further donations. In 766 Chrodegang resigned the office of abbot owing to his other important duties as Archbishop of Metz. He then sent his brother Gundeland, another nephew of Cancor, to Lorsch as his successor. Cancor is probably related to the Robertians. His father's name may have been Rodbert, and Robert may have been his brother.
| Cancor Count of Hesbaye (I501096)
|
| 65 | Carloman II (c. 866 – 12 December 884), King of Western Francia, was the youngest son of King Louis the Stammerer and Ansgarde of Burgundy, and became king, jointly with his brother Louis III of France, on his father's death in 879. Some nobles advocated electing a sole king, but eventually both brothers were elected kings. Although doubts were cast upon their legitimacy, the brothers obtained recognition and in March 880 divided their father's realm at Amiens, Carloman receiving Burgundy and Aquitaine. However, Duke Boso had renounced his allegiance to both brothers and had been elected King of Provence. In the summer of 880 the brothers Carloman and Louis marched against him, took Mâcon and the northern parts of Boso's realm. They united their forces with those of Charles the Fat and unsuccessfully besieged Vienne from August to November. Only in the summer of 882, Vienne was taken after being besieged by Richard, Count of Autun. About the same time, in August 882, Carloman became sole king owing to his brother's death, but the kingdom was in a deplorable condition partly owing to incursions from the Norman raiders, and his power was very circumscribed. There were revolts of the feudal lords even in Burgundy. Carloman met his death while hunting on 12 December 884 and was succeeded in the rule by his cousin, the Emperor Charles the Fat.
| Carloman II King of Western Francia (I502177)
|
| 66 | Ceawlin (also spelled Ceaulin and Caelin, died ca. 593) was a King of Wessex. He may have been the son of Cynric of Wessex and the grandson of Cerdic of Wessex, whom the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle represents as the leader of the first group of Saxons to come to the land which later became Wessex. Ceawlin was active during the last years of the Anglo-Saxoninvasion, with little of southern England remaining in the control of the native Britons by the time of his death. The chronology of Ceawlin's life is highly uncertain. The historical accuracy and dating of many of the events in the later Anglo-Saxon Chronicle have been called into question, and his reign is variously listed as lasting seven, seventeen, or thirty-two years.[1] The Chronicle records several battles of Ceawlin's between the years 556 and 592, including the first record of a battle between different groups of Anglo-Saxons, and indicates that under Ceawlin Wessex acquired significant territory, some of which was later to be lost to other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Ceawlin is also named as one of the eight "bretwaldas", a title given in the Chronicle to eight rulers who had overlordship over southern Britain, although the extent of Ceawlin's control is not known. Ceawlin died in 593, having been deposed the year before, possibly by his successor, Ceol. He is recorded in various sources as having two sons, Cutha and Cuthwine, but the genealogies in which this information is found are known to be unreliable.
| Ceawlin King of Wessex (I501208)
|
| 67 | Cenred of Wessex was a member of the House of Wessex and a member of the direct male line from Cynric to Egbert. It is possible that Cenred ruled alongside his son Ine for a period. There is weak evidence for joint kingships, and stronger evidence of subkings reigning under a dominant ruler in Wessex, not long before his time.[1] Ine acknowledges his father's help in his code of laws,[2] and there is also a surviving land-grant that indicates Cenred was still reigning in Wessex after Ine's accession.[3][4] His father was Ceolwald of Wessex. Cenred had at least two other children: Ingild, the great-grandfather of Ealhmund of Kent, and the great-great grandfather of Egbert; and Cuthburh, who married Aldfrith of Northumbria, and became abbess of Wimborne. There may also have been another daughter who was married to Aethelfrith of Wessex, but this claim may have been substantiated to further Æthelheard of Wessex's claim to the throne.
| Cenred of Wessex (I501200)
|
| 68 | Ceolwald of Wessex was a member of the House of Wessex (see House of Wessex family tree). Although a member of the direct male line from Cynric to Egbert, Ceolwald was never king. His birth and death dates are unknown. His father was Cutha Cathwulf and his child Coenred of Wessex. Nothing more of him is known for certain. Some sites list him as married to Fafertach (620-644), daughter of Prince Finguine of Mumhan (603-644). Several list him as son of Princess Gwynhafar of Dumnonia (daughter of King Clemen ap Bledric).
| Ceolwald of Wessex (I501202)
|
| 69 | Charles Martel (c. 688 – 22 October 741; German: Karl Martell) was a Frankish statesman and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death.[2][3][4][5][6] The illegitimate son of the Frankish statesman Pepin of Herstal and a noblewoman named Alpaida, Martel successfully asserted his claims to power as successor to his father as thepower behind the throne in Frankish politics. Continuing and building on his father's work, he restored centralized government in Francia and began the series of military campaigns that re-established the Franks as the undisputed masters of all Gaul. In foreign wars, Martel subjugated Bavaria, Alemannia, and Frisia, vanquished the pagan Saxons, and halted theIslamic advance into Western Europe at the Battle of Tours.[7][8] Martel is considered to be the founding figure of the European Middle Ages. Skilled as an administrator and warrior, he is often credited with a seminal role in the development offeudalism and knighthood. Martel was a great patron of Saint Boniface and made the first attempt at reconciliation between the Papacy and the Franks. The Pope wished him to become the defender of the Holy See and offered him the Roman consulship. Martel refused the offer.[9][10] Although Martel never assumed the title of king, he divided Francia, like a king, between his sons Carloman and Pepin. The latter became the first of the Carolingians, the family of Charles Martel, to become king. Martel's grandson, Charlemagne, extended the Frankish realms to include much of the West, and became the first Emperor since the fall of Rome. Therefore, on the basis of his achievements, Martel is seen as laying the groundwork for the Carolingian Empire.[11] In summing up the man, Gibbon wrote that Martel was "the hero of the age," whereas Guerard describes him as being the "champion of the Cross against the Crescent." Martel was born as the illegitimate son of Pepin of Herstal and his concubine Alpaida.[14][15] He had a brother named Childebrand, who later became the Frankish dux of Burgundy. The brothers, being illegitimate, were not considered to be part of their father's paternal family, the Pippinids, who since the early seventh century had dominated the politics ofFrancia. After the reign of Dagobert I (629–639) the Merovingians effectively ceded power to the Pippinids, who ruled the Frankish realm of Austrasia in all but name as Mayors of the Palace. They controlled the royal treasury, dispersed patronage, and granted land and privileges in the name of the figurehead king. Martel's father, Pepin, was the second member of the family to rule the Franks. Pepin was able to unite all the Frankish realms by conquering Neustria and Burgundy. He was the first to call himself Duke and Prince of the Franks, a title later taken up by Charles.
| Charles Martel Duke and Prince of the Franks (I502179)
|
| 70 | Charles the Younger (ca. 772 – 4 December 811) was the second son of Charlemagne and the first by his second wife, Hildegard of Swabia.[1] When Charlemagne divided his empire among his sons, his son Charles was designated King of the Franks. His eldest half brother, Pippin the Hunchback, had been sent to the monastery of Prüm in 792 after having been involved in a rebellion against their father, Charlemagne.[2] Of his younger brothers, Carloman (renamed Pippin) and Louis the Pious, were appointed sub-kings of Italy and Aquitaine.[3] Charles was mostly preoccupied with the Bretons, whose border he shared and who rebelled on at least two occasions and were easily put down, but he was also sent against the Saxons on multiple occasions. Charles' father outlived him, however, and the entire kingdom thus went to his younger brother Louis the Pious, Pippin also having died. Around 789 it was suggested by Charlemagne that Charles the Younger should be married to Offa's daughter Ælfflæd. Offa insisted that the marriage could only go ahead if Charlemagne's daughter Bertha was married to Offa's son Ecgfrith. Charlemagne took offence, broke off contact, and closed his ports to English traders.[4] Eventually, normal relations were reestablished and the ports were reopened. Just a few years later, in 796, Charlemagne and Offa concluded the first commercial treaty known in English history. His father associated Charles in the government of Francia and Saxony in 790, and installed him as ruler of the ducatus Cenomannicus (corresponding to the later Duchy of Maine).[5] Charles was crowned King of the Franks at Rome December 25, 800, the same day his father was crowned Emperor. He killed Sorbian duke Miliduch and Slavic Knez, Nussito (Nessyta) near modern-day Weißenfels in a Frankish campaign in 806.[6] On 4 December 811, in Bavaria, Charles had a stroke and died. He left no children. In the Matter of France, Charles is fictionalized as Charlot.
| Charles the Younger King of the Franks (I502152)
|
| 71 | Chościsko (Polish pronunciation: [xɔɕˈtɕiskɔ]) is a legendary figure in a Polish prehistory, father of Piast the Wheelwright, the founder of the Piast dynasty. His name occurs in the first Polish chronicle, Cronicae et gesta ducum sive principum Polonorum[1] by Gallus Anonymus, where the author refers three times to Piast as the son of Chościsko. Chościsko's name is probably derived from Old Slavonic chost or chwost meaning tail.
| Chościsko (I502252)
|
| 72 | Conrad I the Elder (died 876) was the count of several counties, most notably the Aargau and Auxerre, around Lake Constance, as well as Paris from 859 to 862/4. He was also the lay abbot of Saint-Germaine in Auxerre. Conrad's father was Welf. He was one of the early Welfs, a member of the Bavarian branch, and his sister Judith was the second wife of Louis the Pious. In 858, he and his family — his wife Adelaide of Tours and his sons Hugh and Conrad the Younger— abandoned their sovereign Louis the German and went over to Charles the Bald, Judith's son. They were generously rewarded and Conrad was appointed to many countships. Louis the German confiscated his Bavarian fiefs and lands. The Miracula Sancti Germani calls Conrad Chuonradus princeps (prince, sovereign), when recording his marriage. By some accounts his wife re-married to Robert the Strong after his death.
| Conrad I Count of Auxerre (I501156)
|
| 73 | Cutha Cathwulf was the third son of Cuthwine and consequently a member of the House of Wessex. Although a member of the direct male line from Cynric to Egbert, (see House of Wessex family tree), Cathwulf was never king. He is said to have been born in c. 592 and his death date is unknown. His brothers were Cynebald and Cedda; his son was Ceolwald of Wessex; nothing more of his life is known. Due to the similarity of his name to his father's name, and the shadowy nature of early Anglo-Saxon genealogies, it appears that he was often confused with his father Cuthwine. For example, Caedwalla was said to be the son of Cedda and the grandson of Cutha, where Cutha here presumably refers to Cuthwine, since Cedda is also said to be the brother of Cathwulf, the name by which Cutha Cathwulf was more commonly known. Early life Cathwulf was born in tumultuous times. He was the third son of Cuthwine, son of Ceawlin, son of Cynric, the son of Cerdic, the first of the Saxons to come across the sea from Germany; and he and his people were still relatively out of place in a world dominated by the Britons. He was born in the final year of his father's time as prince of the Saxons. Ceawlin lost the throne of Wessex in June 592. The annal for that year in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reads, at least in part: “Here there was great slaughter at Woden’s Barrow, and Ceawlin was driven out.” Woden’s Barrow is a tumulus, now called Adam’s Grave, at Alton Priors, Wiltshire. His opponent was Ceol, the next king of Wessex, who ruled for six years. The origins of the battle are unclear; it is probable that nothing more than greed and a lust for power motivated Ceol. Cuthwine, then twenty-seven, was a commander in the fateful battle; but upon defeat, as the rightful heir to the throne, he fled the place along with his young sons. The following year (593) saw the deaths of Ceawlin and all his brothers in unclear circumstances, although most likely in another battle. Cuthwine escaped from this defeat also, and went into exile to the east with his young family. If Ceol and Ceolwulf made efforts to eradicate the members of the original branch of the ruling family, they were unsuccessful. At any rate the Cuthwines remained at large during this period, far from fugitives after the first few years of their supposed exile. Ceol, described as a ruthless leader, was a son of another prince called Cutha (the brother of Ceawlin and a son of Cynric) and hence a cousin of Cuthwine; and Ceolwulf, his brother, reigned for seventeen years after him. Great fragmentation of control among the West Saxons occurred at this time: Ceol and Ceolwulf were in control of Wiltshire, as opposed to the upper Thames valley where Cuthwine and his household were almost certainly based. Cathwulf had two brothers; Cynebald, born 585, and Cedda, born 590. The name of their mother is not recorded, but it is possible that she died in the tumult surrounding Cuthwine's flight into exile given that Cuthwine had no more children after that time. Later life Details about the activities of Cathwulf during most of his life in exile are very hard to come by. He and his brothers remained in a powerful position throughout the reign of Cynegils, son of Ceol; and then Cenwalh, son of Cynegils, became king. In the year 645 Penda of Mercia overran the kingdom (in return for Cenwalh's repudiation of Penda's sister) and was for three years king, sending Cenwalh into exile in East Anglia. Cathwulf is recorded as having been present at the negotiations along with his brothers (although some sources say it was Cuthwine, which could of course mean his father), but little more is known of his activities. Nevertheless, much can be deduced. If this experienced prince was not the sole ruler of Wessex during the years of Cenwalh's exile (naturally in a subservient position to Penda) then it is likely that he was a member of the ruling body; but, given the tangled diplomacy of the times and his eastern power base, it is equally likely that he aided Cenwalh in his successful attempt to regain the throne in 648. After this, he appears infrequently as a shadowy figure, apparently already passing into legend among the common people as a result of his long-held position against the (at times) brutal role of Ceol and his family. He probably died sometime during the second period of Cenwalh's reign, as he would have been past eighty by the year 672 when Cenwalh died, and there are no records of him doing anything in the turbulent times succeeding Cenwalh's death. It seems inconceivable that he would have lived to see the reinstatement of his line to the throne of Wessex. This enigmatic prince and his long roster of descendants were not forgotten by the West Saxons, however. When the line of Ceol finally became extinct, first Caedwalla of Wessex and then Ine of Wessex became king; the first a great-nephew, and the second a grandson of Cathwulf. Nowadays he occurs in many places simply as one of a long list of names in the descent from Egbert back to the dawn of time, but it is thanks to him that this continuous descent can be traced at all. Family and move to Devon In about the year 620 it appears that the upper Thames valley where the household of Cathwulf was based became too small to comfortably hold the three brothers. As the youngest, Cathwulf was the one who was forced to move - at any rate this is a sensible deduction given that he later turns up in what is now east Devon, on the western marches of Wessex and in constant conflict with Dumnonia. This was a Celtic tribe that inhabited Cornwall, although in Cathwulf's time their sphere of influence was much greater, extending over most of what is now Devon as well. The chronology of English dominance over Cornwall is unclear, but inevitably at about this time Cornwall came into conflict with the westerly-expanding kingdom of Wessex. There are no recorded charters or legal agreements showing Cornwall as part of Wessex. Furthermore, there is little economic, military, social, cultural or archaeological evidence that Wessex established control over Cornwall, certainly not in those early days. The Britons in Dumnonia were cut off from their allies in Wales by Ceawlin of Wessex's victory at Dyrham in 577, but since sea travel was easier than land, the blow may not have been severe. Clemen ap Bledric is thought to have been king when the Britons fought the Battle of Beandun (possibly Bindon near Axmouth in east Devon) in 614. The battle site suggests that the Dumnonian army was invading Wessex using the Roman road eastward from Exeter toDorchester and was intercepted by a West Saxon garrison marching south. The Flores Historiarum, attributed incorrectly to Matthew of Westminster, states that the Britons were still in possession of Exeter in 632, when it was bravely defended against Penda of Mercia until relieved by Cadwallon, who engaged and defeated the Mercians with "great slaughter to their troops". Geoffrey of Monmouth also details an account of the siege in his pseudo-historic Historia Brittonum, stating that Cadwallon made an alliance with the British nobility. From this circumstantial evidence comes further consolidation that the boundary between Wessex and Dumnonia ran through east Devon, more or less where Cathwulf was based. A theory can thus be deduced; that Cathwulf, unwelcome in the lands of his brothers or in the land closely controlled by the king Cynegils, was forced to move to the very edges of the kingdom. He and his people may even have been sent there in the hope that they would be killed by the Dumnonians. The date of the move is unclear, although if it was before 614 then Cathwulf would have been the West Saxon commander at the Battle of Beandun mentioned above. This seems likely. It is known that Cathwulf married a Dumnonian princess Gwynhafar, almost certainly a daughter of Clemen ap Bledric, as part of a (temporary, at least) alliance - probably the one mentioned above by Geoffrey of Monmouth, or maybe an earlier one. The marriage was perhaps unsuccessful, as he is believed to only have had one son, Ceolwald of Wessex.
| Cutha Cathwulf of Wessex (I501204)
|
| 74 | Desiderata or Ermengarda[1] was one of four daughters of Desiderius, king of the Lombards, and his queen, Ansa. She was married to Charlemagne, king of the Franks, in 770, probably to form a bond between the otherwise enemy states of Francia and Lombardy. The marriage was annulled in 771 and this hurt relations with Lombardy, presaging the war of 774. She had no known children and her ultimate fate is unknown. Although she is commonly referred to by the name Desiderata, it is now theorised that the name derives from an editorial error in a 19th-century copy of the Monumenta Germaniae Historica which capitalised the D indesideratam filiam (Latin for desired daughter). Even this error was sometimes compounded by a back formation to Desideria, a more probable first name (the feminine form of Desiderius, her father's name), or translated (as into French, Désirée). The noted Carolingian historian, Janet Nelson, hypothesised in the 1998 work After Rome's Fall that Desiderius' daughter was in fact named Gerperga. The reasoning used by Nelson hinges on the confusion that many contemporaries apparently had between her and Gerberga, the Frankish wife of Carloman who was brother of Charlemagne and his co-ruler from 768 to 771. Even Pope Stephen III seems to confuse the two and the chroniclers and annalists seem to believe that Gerberga fled, when her husband died, to the court of her father (she fled to Desiderius, who was definitely not her father). What is definite is that Desiderius and Ansa had three other daughters named Anselperga, Adelperga, and Liutperga. The commonality in the names of their daughters is the ending "-perga". Based on this, the author believes the confusion was caused because the two queens (wives of the two brothers Charles and Carloman) had the same name, namely Gerberga or Gerperga, which are respectively the Frankish and Lombard versions of themodern French name Gerberge.
| of the Lombards, Desiderata (I502137)
|
| 75 | Dobrawa (Dąbrówka) (Czech: Doubravka, Polish: Dobrawa) (ca. 940/45 – 977) was a Bohemian princess of the Přemyslid dynasty and by marriage Duchess of the Polans. She was the daughter of Boleslav I the Cruel, Duke of Bohemia, whose wife may have been the mysterious Biagota.[1][2] According to earlier sources, Dobrawa urged her husband Mieszko I of Poland to accept baptism in 966, the year after their marriage. Modern historians believe, however, that the change of religion by Mieszko was one of the points discussed in the Polish-Bohemian agreement concluded soon before his marriage with Dobrawa. Her role in his conversion is not considered now to be as important as it is often represented in medieval chronicles.
| of Bohemia, Dobrawa Duchess of Poland (I501288)
|
| 76 | Ealhmund was King of Kent in 784. The only contemporary evidence of him is an abstract of a charter dated in that year, in which Ealhmund granted land to the Abbot of Reculver.[1] By the following year Offa of Mercia seems to have been ruling directly, as he issued a charter [2] without any mention of a local king. There is a general consensus that he is identical[3] to the Ealhmund found in two pedigrees in the Winchester (Parker) Chronicle, compiled during the reign of Alfred the Great. The genealogical preface to this manuscript, as well as the annual entry (covering years 855–859) describing the death of Æthelwulf, both make king Egbert of Wessex the son of an Ealhmund, who was son of Eafa, grandson of Eoppa, and great-grandson of Ingild, the brother of king Ine of Wessex, and descendant of founder Cerdic,[4] and therefore a member of the House of Wessex (see House of Wessex family tree). A further entry has been added in a later hand to the 784 annal, reporting Ealhmund's reign in Kent. Finally, in the Canterbury Bilingual Epitome, originally compiled after the Norman conquest of England, a later scribe has likewise added to the 784 annal not only Ealhmund's reign in Kent, but his explicit identification with the father of Egbert.[5] Based on this reconstruction, in which a Wessex scion became king of Kent, his own Kentish name and that of his son, Egbert, it has been suggested that his mother derived from the royal house of Kent,[6] a connection dismissed by a recent critical review.[3] Historian Heather Edwards has suggested that Ealhmund was probably a Kentish royal scion, whose pedigree was forged to give his son Egbert the descent from Cerdic requisite to reigning inWessex.
| Ealhmund King of Kent (I501192)
|
| 77 | Egbert (also spelled Ecgberht, Ecgbert or Ecgbriht; 769 or 771 – 839) was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent. In the 780s Egbert was forced into exile by Offa of Mercia and Beorhtric of Wessex, but on Beorhtric's death in 802 Egbert returned and took the throne. Little is known of the first 20 years of Egbert's reign, but it is thought that he was able to maintain the independence of Wessex against the kingdom of Mercia, which at that time dominated the other southern English kingdoms. In 825 Egbert defeated Beornwulf of Mercia, ended Mercia's supremacy at the Battle of Ellandun, and proceeded to take control of the Mercian dependencies in southeastern England. In 829 Egbert defeated Wiglaf of Mercia and drove him out of his kingdom, temporarily ruling Mercia directly. Later that year Egbert received the submission of the Northumbrian king at Dore. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle subsequently described Egbert as a bretwalda, or "Ruler of Britain". Egbert was unable to maintain this dominant position, and within a year Wiglaf regained the throne of Mercia. However, Wessex did retain control of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey; these territories were given to Egbert's son Æthelwulf to rule as a subking under Egbert. When Egbert died in 839, Æthelwulf succeeded him; the southeastern kingdoms were finally absorbed into the kingdom of Wessex after Æthelwulf's death in 858.
| Egbert King of Wessex (I501190)
|
| 78 | Einar Meidell Hopp (født 1. desember 1899 i Bergen, død 18. mai 1956 i Bergen) var en norsk kringkastingsmann, og leder for NRKs avdeling i Bergen fra 1933 til sin død i 1956.[1] Han var utdannet ved handelshøyskolen i Berlin, og ble i 1926 ansatt som programsekretær ved det nystiftede, private Bergen Kringkastingselskap AS. Da NRK ble etablert i 1933, fortsatte han som NRKs avdelingsleder/programredaktør i Bergen.[2][3] Han var gift to ganger, sist 1932-56 med forfatteren Zinken Hopp (1905–87). Han var sønn av overlærer Kristian L. Hopp (1870–1954), som var ordfører i Bergen 1918–19.[4] | Hopp, Einar Meidell (I502421)
|
| 79 | Einar Tambarskjelve (født ca. 980, død ca. 1050; norrønt Einarr Þambarskelfir) er en av de mest omtalte personene i sagalitteraturen. Han omtales også av Saxo Grammaticus.[1] I store deler av Snorre Sturlasons Heimskringla er han nærmest en gjennomgangsfigur. Han bodde på Husby i Skaun sør for Trondheim.[2] I Heimskringla heter det om Einar Tambarskjelve at han var «den sterkeste mann og den beste bueskytter som har vært i Norge; det var ingen annen mann som kunne skyte så hardt som han; han skjøt med en butt pil så den gikk gjennom en råblaut oksehud som hang på en stang. Han var en framifrå skiløper, god i alle idretter og en modig kar, ættestor og rik var han også» og «den mektigste og gjeveste mann i hele Trøndelag».[3] Einar Tambarskjelve framstår som en politiker som ifølge sagaen spiller en avgjørende rolle både når det gjelder helliggjøringen av Olav Haraldsson i 1031 og ved gjeninnsettelsen av Magnus den gode som norsk regent i 1035. Slekt Ifølge Heimskringla[4] var Einar sønn av Eindride, sønn av Styrkår fra Gimsan (Gimse i Melhus) som var sønn av Reidar. I Heimskringla står det at Styrkår deltok i slaget i Hjørungavåg mot Jomsvikingene sammen med Håkon jarl.[5]Sønnen til Einar het også Eindride og var, ifølge en usikker kilde, gift med Sigrid Erlingsdatter, datter av Erling Skjalgsson på Sola.[6] Einar ble gift med Håkon jarls datter Bergljot[7] – søster til ladejarlen Eirik Håkonsson og Svein jarl – og hun fikk mange gårder og store veitsler i gave.[trenger referanse] Ekteskapet mellom Bergljot og Einar viser hvilke maktpolitiske funksjoner ekteskapsinngåelser hadde i nordisk middelalder. Slaget ved Svolder Ifølge sagaen[8] skal han allerede som 18-åring ha kjempet ombord på Ormen Lange sammen med Olav Tryggvason i slaget ved Svolder i år 999 eller år 1000. I Snorres skildring fra slaget (Olav Trygvassons saga - som på dette punkt ikke kan verifiseres gjennom andre kilder) heter det:«Einar Tambarskjelve sto bak i krapperommet på Ormen. Han skjøt med bue, og skjøt hardere enn noen annen. Einar skjøt etter Eirik Håkonsson Jarl, og pilen smalt i nakken på rorknappen rett over hodet på jarlen, og gikk inn like til surrebandene. Jarlen så på den, og spurte om noen visste hvem som skjøt, men i det samme kom det en ny pil, og det så nær jarlen at den fløy mellom siden og armen på han, og så inn i hodefjelen bak ham, slik at brodden sto langt ut på den andre siden. Da sa jarlen til en annen som noen sier heter Finn, men andre sier han var av samisk ætt, – det var en stor bueskytter – : 'Skyt den mannen i krapperommet du.' Finn skjøt, og pilen traff Einars bue på midten i det samme Einar spente buen for tredje gang. Da smalt buen i to stykker. Da sa kong Olav: 'Hva var det som smalt så høyt?' Einar svarte: 'Norge av din hånd, konge.' 'Det var vel ikke så stort smell', sa kongen, 'ta min bue og skyt med den', og så kastet han buen sin til ham. Einar tok buen, dro den straks ut forbi odden på pilen, og sa: 'For veik, for veik er kongens bue', slengte buen tilbake, og tok skjold og sverd og kjempet med.»[9] Einar skiftet side etter slaget. Olav Trygvason saga[trenger referanse]. Einar seilte med skipet Ormen Lange tilbake til Trondheimen som seierherren Eirik Håkonsson Ladejarl fikk. Politisk liv Einar sto i opposisjon til Olav den hellige og deltok i kampen mot han i slaget ved Nesjar sammen med Svein jarl – bror til Bergljot. Olavs flåte vant, men Svein nektet å innse at slaget var tapt og ifølge sagaen[trenger referanse] måtte Einar Tambarskjelve hive et anker ombord i skipet hans og hale han vekk fra kampplassen før han ga seg. Etter slaget ved Nesjar tilbragte Einar noen år utenlands, men kom tilbake og forlikte seg med Olav.[trenger referanse] Han fikk beholde gårdene sine og ble dermed den mektigste høvdingen i Uttrøndelag. I år 1023 drog Einar på pilegrimsferd til Roma og besøkte underveis Knut den mektige i England og fikk rike gaver av han.[trenger referanse] Han deltok ikke i slaget på Stiklestad, sammen med sønnen Eindride var han reist over til England for bl.a. å ta opp jarlespørsmålet med kong Knut.[trenger referanse] Men heller ikke med Knuts og hans sønn Sveins styre i Norge var Einar tilfreds, kan hende fordi han selv ikke ble jarl og dermed ikke fikk riksstyring i landet. Som reaksjon på de harde vilkårene Knut påla nordmennene gjennom Alfivalovene, stilte Einar seg i spissen mot Danskeveldet.[trenger referanse] Einar spilte en sentral rolle sammen med bispen Grimkjell i helliggjøringen av Olav Haraldsson.[trenger referanse] Grimkjel og Einar sørget i 1031 for at Olavs lik ble tatt opp, og sagaen forteller at hår og skjegg hadde vokst. De danske regentene prøvde å stritte i mot, men under ledelse av Einar ble de tvunget til å bøye av.[trenger referanse] Sammen med Kalv Arneson hentet han i 1035 heim Olavs sønn Magnus fra Gardariket og gjenopprettet dermed et selvstendig norsk kongedømme.[trenger referanse] Einar ble Magnus' rådgiver og den mektigste høvding i landet, han dominerte helt i Trøndelag. På kant med Harald Hardråde Han kom imidlertid i et spent forhold til etterfølgeren Harald Hårdråde og opptrådte som den rene småkongen i Trøndelag og unnså seg ikke engang for å trosse kongen på tinget.[trenger referanse] Snorre ser det slik at han verget retten for bøndene mot kongen. Einar sa like ut til kongen at «bøndene ikke ville tåle at han brøt lov og landrett mot dem».[trenger referanse]dikting? Både kongen og Einar følte seg utrygge på hverandre og Einar begynte å holde en stor styrke av huskarer (soldater) om seg, både heime og i særlig grad når han for inn til Nidaros. En gang "frelste" han til og med en tyv, anklaget på bymøtet i Nidaros, unna kongsmennene.[trenger referanse] Bare ved svik lyktes det Harald å drepe Einar og sønnen Eindride i Nidaroskaupangen.[trenger referanse] Ifølge sagatradisjonen[trenger referanse] ble likene deres jordet i Kristskirken (Nidarosdomen) ved siden av Magnus den gode. Drapet på Einar Tambaskjelve i 1050 «markerer den endelige avslutningen av vikingtida med jarledominansen i Trøndelag og overgangen til et styre med én konge og én gud. | Tambarskjelve, Einar (I502085)
|
| 80 | Eirik Bjodaskalle var ifølge sagaen en stormann på Jæren. Han bodde ifølge sagaen på Oprekstad, som muligens kan være identisk med gården Obrestad i Hå i det 10. århundre, og han levde i hvert fall i år 963. Eiriks far var Viking-Kåre. Han var morfaren til kong Olav Tryggvason. To barn er omtalt i sagalitteraturen:
Da Astrids mann Tryggve Olavsson ble drept rundt 963 flyktet hun med sin lille sønn Olav til sin far. Dronning Gunhild og Gunhildssønnene fulgte etter henne til Oprekstad, men Eirik klarte å få datteren og barnebarnet i sikkerhet. Astrid og Olav flyktet etterhvert til Astrids onkel Sigurd i Gardarike (Kiev).
| Bjodaskalle, Eirik (I501847)
|
| 81 | Eirik Blodøks Haraldsson Eiríkr blóðøx (ca. 885–954) var Norges konge ca. år 930–935. Han var en av de eldste sønnene av kong Harald Hårfagre. Han var den eneste av sønnene som hadde en mor av kongsætt: Ragnhild Eiriksdotter. Han vokste opp hos hersen Tore Roaldsson på Svanøy i Sogn og Fjordane. Blodøks-navnet Det gis to ulike forklaringer på tilnavnet «Blodøks»; dels forklares det, som i Ågrip, med at han tok livet av flere av brødrene sine. I Fagrskinna forklares tilnavnet derimot med hans aktivitet på vikingferder. Eirik dro som 12-åring ut på sin tids dannelsesreise; i hærferd med fem langskip som han fikk av faren sin. Han var fire år i hærferd i austerveg og deretter fire år ivesterveg: Først til Baltikum, rundt Danmark og sørover til Frisland; deretter herjet han i fire år i Skottland, Irland, Bretland (det vil si Cumbria eller Wales) og Bretagne. Så styrte han nordover til Finnmark og Bjarmeland, hvor han skal ha vunnet et stort slag.[2] Et kvad i Fagerskinna forteller at Eirik ble mottatt som en stor helt av de norrøne gudene i Valhall etter sin død. Samtidig beskriver sagaen ham som en veik og puslete ektemann, og selv om han vant flere slag, flyktet han like fullt fra Norge uten kamp da hans yngre halvbror Håkon den godeutfordret ham. Han ble også fordrevet fra kongedømmet sitt i Nord-England minst én gang før han falt.[3] «Eirik» var på den tiden et nokså vanlig navn i Sverige, men svært sjeldent i Danmark og Norge. Først senere ble navnet vanlig også her.[4] Tilnavnet «Blodøks» kan vise til en drapsmann generelt, men blod brukes også som metafor for slektskap og familie, og kan ha blitt knyttet til ham fordi han hadde drept flere av slektningene sine. Eirik var på ingen måte den eneste av sin samtids herskere som kjempet med brødrene sine om makten; men ifølge Heimskringla stod han og konen hans ansvarlige for drapene på fem av hans halvbrødre, og det var uvanlig. Imidlertid var flere av de omtalte kanskje slett ikke halvbrødrene hans. En del av de som ettertiden listet opp som sønner av Harald Hårfagre, tjente riktignok som underkonger for ham, og så kan sagaforfatterne 300 år senere ha tenkt at de nok også var sønnene hans, selv om dette ikke nødvendigvis har vært tilfellet. Noen kan ha blitt bevisst innlemmet i ætten hans på 1000-tallet, slik at konger som Olav Tryggvason og Olav Haraldsson kunne legitimere sin rett til den norske tronen ved å føre ættelinjen tilbake til Harald Hårfagre og samlingen av riket. Andre kan være innlemmet for å forverre inntrykket av Eiriks grusomhet. Drap på én bror kunne anses som en ulykke, mens drap på fem fremstod som uhyrlig.[5] | Haraldsson, Kong Eirik I Blodøks av Norge (I501967)
|
| 82 | Engelberga (or Angilberga, died between 896 and 901) was the daughter of Adelchis I of Parma and a member of one of the most powerful families in the Kingdom of Italy at that time, the Supponids. She became the wife ofLouis II, Holy Roman Emperor and remained the Holy Roman Empress to his death on 12 August 875.[1] As empress, she exerted a powerful influence over her husband. Born around 830, she likely spent her youth in Pavia.[1] She married Louis II on October 5, 851, but did not play a role in political life until after the death of his father, Lothair I, in 855. Upon his death, Lothair's kingdom was divided between his three sons[2] and, as the eldest, Louis received Italy and the title of emperor. In 856, the imperial couple were hosted in Venice by Doge Pietro Tradonico and his son Giovanni Tradonico.[1] A few years later, Engelberga began to exert her influence in a conflict between Pope Nicholas I and Archbishop John of Ravenna. Seen as insubordinate by the Pope, John was thrice summoned to appear before a papal tribunal. Instead, he took refuge in the imperial court at Pavia, where Engelberga attempted to intervene with Rome on his behalf. Though ultimately unsuccessful, the incident was the beginning of Engelberga's efforts to assert her influence as empress.[1] In 862, Louis's brother Lothair II sought to annul his marriage to Teutberga, as she had failed to bear him any children. The local bishops had blessed the annulment and Lothair's subsequent remarriage, but in November 863, Pope Nicolas summoned the bishops to Rome and excommunicated them for their violation of ecclesiastical law. The bishops fled to Louis's court and pled their case, resulting in the Emperor laying siege to the Holy See in January 864. Engelberga sent a communication to Nicholas, guaranteeing his safety if he were to come to court to negotiate with her husband. Their meeting resulted in an agreement whereby the bishops were allowed to return and the siege was ended.[1] In subsequent years she was granted additional titles by her husband, due in large part to her diplomatic role. In 868, she became abbess of San Salvatore, Brescia, a convent with a history of royal abbesses. In January 872, the aristocracy tried to have her removed, as she had not borne the emperor any sons. Instead, Louis opened negotiations with Louis the German, King of East Francia, to make him his heir. In order to sideline Engelberga, the nobility elected Charles the Bald, King of West Francia, on Louis's death in 875. Boso V of Arles, a faithful of Charles, kidnapped Engelberga and her only surviving daughter, Ermengard. He forced the latter to marry him in June 876, at the same time he was made Charles' governor in Italy with the title of dux. With Engelberga's backing, Boso declared himself King of Provence on 15 October 879. Subsequently, Engelberga was banished to Swabia. After Charles the Fat's forces took Vienne in 882, Engelberga was allowed to return to Italy. In 896, she became abbess of her own foundation of San Sisto in Piacenza, but died shortly afterward.
| Engelberga (I502130)
|
| 83 | Erling Skjalgsson (trolig født en gang mellom 960 og 975, død 1027 eller 1028) var herse og lendmann. Han bosatt på den nordlige delen av Jæren, kanskje i dagens Sola kommune. Som svoger til Olav Tryggvason var Erling blant Norges mektigste menn. Han er kun omtalt i et fåtall kilder, og ikke i noen skriftlige kilder fra hans egen samtid. Det kan være at noen av skaldekvadene[1] om Erling Skjalgsson, er samtidige eller nær samtidige. Noen av kildene gir motstridende opplysninger. Familie Erlings familiebakgrunn er lite kjent. Hans far kalles Torolv Skjalg[2] (skjalg betyr «skjeløyd»).[3] Morens navn er ukjent. Han kan ha vært gift to ganger.[trenger referanse] Han hadde trolig datteren Ragnhild og kanskje også flere av de andre barna, i første ekteskap.[trenger referanse] Hvem som var Ragnhilds mor forteller ikke kildene noe om. Erling giftet seg etter 995 med Astrid, som var søster til Olav Tryggvason.[4] Kildene opplyser ikke hvem som var mor til Astrid, om hun var Olavs hel- eller halvsøster. Fagrskinna forteller at Erling hadde sønner, men oppgir ikke navnene. Snorre mente at Erling og Astrid hadde seks barn.[5] Fødselsårene for barna er ukjent. Barna som Heimskringla omtaler er: Aslak Erlingsson gift med Sigrid eller Gunhild[6] Sveinsdatter – datter av Ladejarlen Svein Håkonsson, Skjalg Erlingsson, Sigurd Erlingsson, Lodin Erlingsson, Tore Erlingsson og Ragnhild Erlingsdatter gift med Torgeir eller Torberg Arneson. Erling var blant annet morbror til Asbjørn Selsbane.[7] Erlings datter Ragnhild hadde datteren Tora Torgeirsdatter. Hun var Harald Hardrådes “medhustru”, som ble mor til Olav Kyrre. På denne måten nedstammet de senere norske kongene fra Erling Skjalgsson..[8] Et senere tillegg til Fagrskinna (Arnmødlingatal) og Tåtten om Eindride og Erling, gir noen tilleggsopplysninger om Erling Skjalgssons familie som avviker fra eldre kilder, men de blir ikke regnet som pålitelige. Erlings bosted Vi har ikke tilstrekkelig kilder til å slå fast nøyaktig hvor Erling bodde. Fagrskinna viser ikke til noen geografisk plassering, men om han var Olav Tryggvasons lendmann for Østlandet[12] har han nok da bodd der. Ågrip omtaler Erling i Olav Haraldssons styringstid, som Erling på (norrønt á) Sola,[13] - så han kan ha flyttet til Sola senere. Den legendariske Olavssagaen omtaler ham som Erling av (norrønt af) Sola.[14] Preposisjonsbruken kan vise til usikkerhet om han faktisk bodde på Sola, eller om han bare eide Sola - som ensetegård eller hovedgård. De fleste viser til at Erling bodde på Sola, og gjerne en gård nær Sola Ruinkirke. Andre viser til at Erling Skalgsson trolig bodde i Stavanger, kanskje på det som nå er Kongsgård. Grunnlaget for diskusjonen er blant annet teksten iHeimskringla[15] om at Aslak Erlingson bodde «øst på Sola». Noen mener at Sola kan ha vært et gammelt navn for hele Stavangerhalvøya, mens andre mener at Sola den gang var omtrent som i dag. Om Heimskringla her har noen historisk kildeverdi for en detaljerte stedsangivelse er også uvisst. Peder Clausson Friis (død 1614) har i sin oversettelse av Heimskringla, ved en anledning skrevet at Erling Skjalgsson var å treffe i "byen".[16] Teksten på gammelnorsk er "til bæjar", som en kan oversette både med byen eller bøen (garden). Om en har ment at Erling bodde i Stavanger er uvisst.
| Skjalgsson, Herse Erling på Sola (I501780)
|
| 84 | Ermengard (also Ermengarda, Ermengarde, or Irmingard) was the only surviving daughter of Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor. In 876, she married Boso, from the Bosonid, Count of Vienne, who declared himself King of Provencein 879. In May 878, she and her husband sheltered Pope John VIII, who was taking refuge from the Saracens, in Arles. After her husband's coup d'état in October 879, she helped defend his cities from her Carolingian relatives. In 880, she successfully defended Vienne itself, the capital, from the combined forces of Charles the Fat and the co-ruling kings of France, Louis III and Carloman. In August 881, the newly crowned Emperor Charles the Fat pillaged and burned Vienne, forcing Ermengard and her children to take refuge in Autun with her brother-in-law Richard, Duke of Burgundy. Meanwhile, Boso fled into Provence. On Boso's death in January 887, the Provençal barons elected Ermengard to act as his regent, with the support of Richard. In May, Ermengard travelled with her son Louis to the court of Charles the Fat, and received his recognition of the young Louis as king. Charles adopted Louis as his son and put both mother and son under his protection. In May 889, she travelled to Charles' successor, Arnulf, to make submission anew. Through her marriage to Boso, Ermengard also had two daughters and one son:[1]
| of Italy, Ermengarde (I502131)
|
| 85 | Ermengarde of Hesbaye (or Irmengarde) (c. 778 – 3 October 818) was Queen of the Franks and Holy Roman Empress as the wife of Emperor Louis I. She was Frankish, the daughter of Ingeram, count of Hesbaye, and Hedwig of Bavaria. In 794/5 Ermengarde married Louis the Pious, king of Aquitania, king of Franks, king of Italy, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. She had six children:
She died at Angers, France on 3 October 818. A few years after her death, her husband remarried to Judith of Bavaria, who bore him Charles the Bald.
| of Hesbaye, Ermengarde (Irmengarde) Empress of the Holy Roman Empire (I501119)
|
| 86 | Ermengarde of Tours (German: Irmingard von Tours) (d. 20 March 851) was the daughter of Hugh of Tours, a member of the Etichonen family,[1] which claimed descent from the Merovingian kings. In October 821 in Diedenhofen (Thionville), she married the Carolingian Emperor Lothair I of the Franks (795–855).[1] In 849, two years before her death, she made a donation to the abbey Erstein in the Elsass, in which she is buried. Lothair and Ermengarde had nine children:
| of Tours, Ermengarde (I501117)
|
| 87 | Ermentrude of Orléans (27 September 823 – 6 October 869) was Queen of the Franks by her marriage to Charles the Bald, Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia. She was the daughter of Odo, Count of Orléans and his wife Engeltrude. She and Charles married in 842. Their children were:
Ermentrude had a gift for embroidery and an interest in religious foundations. Her husband gave her the Abbey of Chelles. She separated from her husband after he executed her rebellious brother William in 866, and retreated to life in a nunnery. Ermentrude was buried in the Basilique Saint-Denis, Paris, France.
| of Orleans, Ermentrude Queen of the West Franks (I501131)
|
| 88 | Fastrada (765–794) was an East Frankish noblewoman.* Fastrada (also spelled Fastrade) was born circa 765 at Ingelheim, Rheinhessen, Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, the daughter of the powerful Count Rudolph, an Austrasian count (also known as East Frankish Count Eadolf), and his wife Aeda of Bavaria (also known as Aleida von Bayern/Beieren). Fastrada became the third wife of Charlemagne,[1] marrying him in October 783 at Worms, Germany, a few months after Queen Hildegard’s death. A probable reason behind the marriage was to solidify a Frankish alliance east of the Rhine when Charles was still fighting the Saxons. As wife of Charles I (Charlemagne), she became Queen of the Franks. She bore him two children:
Fastrada died on 10 August 794 in Frankfurt, Germany, during the synod of Frankfurt and was buried in St. Alban's Abbey, Mainz, long before the abbey was finalized. Due to Archbishop Richulf's influence, she was not buried in the Basilique Saint-Denis, the burial site of almost all the Frankish and French monarchs, nor St. Arnulf's Abbey near Metz. After the destruction of St. Alban's Abbey in 1552, her tombstone was transferred to Mainz Cathedral, where it can be seen today in the wall of the southern nave.[2] Her stylized role was played by Leland Palmer in the musical Pippin by Stephen Schwartz.
| Fastrada (I502142)
|
| 89 | Frederick of Luxembourg (965 – 6 October 1019), count of Moselgau, was a son of count Siegfried of Luxembourg and Hedwig of Nordgau. By a wife whose name is unknown (certain historians give her as Ermentrude, countess of Gleiberg), he had:
| of Luxemburg, Frederick Count of Moselgau (I501003)
|
| 90 | Frederuna (or Frederonne) (French: Frédérune or Frérone) (887–917) was the sister of Beuve II, the Bishop of Châlons-sur-Marne,[1] and the first wife of King Charles III of France,[2] whom she married in 907. She bore him only daughters. Frederuna was very pious, was repudiated by the King, and died in Lorraine. She was succeeded as queen consort by Eadgifu of England, a daughter of Edward the Elder of Mercia.
| Frederuna (I502187)
|
| 91 | Gange-Rolv (Göngu-Hrólfr) var en norsk vikinghøvding og sagafigur som egentlig het Hrólfr Rögnvaldsson (ca. 860-932) og var sønn av Ragnvald Mørejarl, kjent som jarlen som klippet Harald Hårfagre etter at Norge var samlet til ett rike. Gange-Rolv fikk tilnavnet fordi han var så stor at han alltid måtte gå til fots, underforstått at hesten ble for liten. I følge norsk og islandsk tradisjon er denne personen identisk med den historiske Rollo, som i 911 ble utnevnt til hertug overNormandie[1]. Rollos opphav er imidlertid omdiskutert. I følge tradisjonen skal han være fra øya Vigra ved Ålesund.[2] En av dem som stiller seg bak de tidligere nevnte tradisjonene er Jón Viðar Sigurðsson[3]. En sannsynlig slektning,Vilhelm Erobreren av Normandie, inntok England i 1066 og grunnla et nytt normannisk kongehus der. Det er ikke bevart noen levninger etter Rollo, men høsten 2010 skal to av hans etterkommere gentestes for å slå fast hvor han har sitt opphav.[4] Gange-Rolv var med på mange tokt i Austerled, men ble forvist fra landet av Harald Hårfagre etter et strandhogg han gjorde i Viken (Norge). I henhold til Snorre dro Rolv til Valland (Frankrike) etter landsforvisningen. Der ble han blant annet gift med kongsdatteren Gisela, og han skal ha blitt døpt i Saint Clair-katedralen. Selv om Hrólfr deler navn med hovedpersonen i den høyst oppdiktede Soga om Gange-Rolv er det ellers ingen forbindelse mellom de to.
| Ragnvaldsson, Rollo (Gange-Rolf) of Normandy (I502106)
|
| 92 | Gebhard of Lahngau (c. 860/868 – 22 June 910), of the Conradine dynasty, son of Odo (died 879), count of Lahngau, and Judith, was himself count of Wetterau (909–910) and Rheingau (897–906) and then duke of Lotharingia (Lorraine). In 903, Louis the Child, king of Germany, gave him the government of Lotharingia with the title of duke (Kebehart dux regni quod a multis Hlotharii dicitur). Gebhard died in battle against the Magyars, somewhere by Augsburg. With his wife Ida, he had two children:
| of Lahngau, Gebhard Duke of Lorraine (I502161)
|
| 93 | Gebhard (died 879) was a mid-9th-century count in the Lahngau and the first documented ancestor of the dynasty later known as the Conradines. He was a "leading man of the [East] Franks" and a brother-in-law of Ernest, margrave of the Bavarian Nordgau. Gebhard may be a son of Odo I, Count of Orléans, if identical with Udo the Elder, count in the Lahngau from 821 to 826. In 838, he allied with Poppo of Grapfeld and Otgar, Archbishop of Mainz, against the rebellious Louis the German and in favour of the emperor Louis the Pious. He was the father of
who all rose to prominent positions in West Francia.
| Gebhard Count of the Lahngau (I502165)
|
| 94 | Gerberga of Gleiberg (c. 970 – aft. 1036) was a daughter of Herbert of Wetterau and Irmtrud of Avalgau (957 – 1020). She married Henry of Schweinfurt and had the following children:
| of Gleiberg, Gerberga (I501002)
|
| 95 | Gerberga of Lorraine (c. 925–995) was a lady of the highest European nobility who became the wife of Megingoz of Guelders around 945. She was a daughter of Godfrey, Count Palatine of Lotharingia and Ermentrude, possibly the eldest daughter of Charles the Simple. On her father's side she was a granddaughter of Gerhard I of Metz and Oda of Saxony, daughter of Otto I, Duke of Saxony. She founded the abbey of Vilich, northeast of Bonn. She died in 995. Megingoz died shortly afterwards, after 998.
| of Lorraine, Gerberga (I502181)
|
| 96 | Gerloc (or Geirlaug), baptised in Rouen as Adela (or Adèle) in 912, was the daughter of Rollo, first duke of Normandy, and his wife, Poppa. She was the sister of Duke William Longsword. In 935, she married William Towhead, the future count of Poitou and duke of Aquitaine. They had two children together before she died on 14 October 962:
| of Normandy, Adela (Geirlaug, Gerloc) (I502105)
|
| 97 | Gilbert (Giselbert), Count of Maasgau, was a vassal of Charles the Bald. He was count of Maasgau on the lower Meuse. Gilbert's background is not known. The similarity of his son's name to the name "Ragnar" has been used as an argument to suggest a Viking connection.[1] Another possibility is that he was related to a man named Reginar, son of Meginhere (a nobleman from the court of Charlemagne). Gilbert had served King Lothair I, but defected to Lothair's half-brother Charles the Bald during the civil war of 840-843. Gilbert's lands eventually came under the rule of Lothair and his rights as count were revoked. In 846 Gilbert abducted an unnamed daughter of Lothair and his wife Ermengarde of Tours. He took her to Aquitaine and married her in an attempt to force Lothair to reinstate him.[2] Rösch suggests that Gilbert's wife was named Ermengarde, but there is no conclusive evidence that this is correct.[3] Children may include:
| Gilbert Count of the Maasgau (I501115)
|
| 98 | Gilbert (or Giselbert) (c. 890 – 2 October 939) was the duke of Lotharingia (or Lorraine) until 939. The beginning of the reign of Gilbert is not clear. A dux Lotharingiae is mentioned in 910 and this may have been Gilbert. Lotharingia sided with Charles III in 911, who was deposed in West Francia in 922 by Robert but remained king in Lotharingia, from where he tried to reconquer West Francia until being imprisoned in 923. In 925, Gilbert swore fealty to King Henry the Fowler of Germany as duke of Lotharingia. Gilbert married Henry's daughter Gerberga of Saxony by 930. For whatever reason, Gilbert rebelled when Henry died in 936 and changed allegiance to Louis IV of France, where the king had less authority. Gilbert managed to be practically independent for three years until he was defeated by the army of king Otto I of Germany in 939 at the Battle of Andernach. Gilbert was made prisoner, and succeeded in fleeing but drowned while trying to cross theRhine. Lorraine was given to Henry I, Duke of Bavaria.
| Gilbert Duke of Lorraine (I501112)
|
| 99 | Godfrey, Count Palatine of Lotharingia (c. 905 – 1 Jun aft. 949) was count of the Jülichgau from at least 924 to 936 and probably even until 949. He was the son of Gerhard I of Metz and Oda of Saxony, a daughter of Otto I of Saxony from the family of the Liudolfings, and thus a nephew of King Henry the Fowler. Moreover, he was the younger brother of Wigfried, who was archbishop of Cologne from 924 to 953 and arch-chancellor of his cousin King Otto I from 941. He married Ermentrude (b. 908/9), the eldest daughter of Charles the Simple, who probably owned the Duchy of Lorraine at the time and was thus his liege lord. Since Charles was deposed in 923, both as king and as duke, and taken prisoner a short time later, it is probable that the wedding took place shortly before the fall of Charles, especially since the other five daughters were apparently no longer married. For a time, Godfrey was known as Count Palatine of Lotharingia. The office was filled from 911 to 915 by Reginar and subsequently by Wigeric. Since Wigeric died before 922, and Charles was deposed 923, there is a short window of time in which Godfrey could have been used as deputy to his father-in-law in Lorraine. But since Godfrey was also the nephew of Henry I, the cousin of Otto I, and the brother of Otto's close adviser and later chancellor Wigfried, it is also possible that this office was entrusted to him after 923 despite his connection to the deposed Charles. The fact that his son Godfrey was himself Duke of Lower Lorraine in 959, and initially was as deputy to Archbishop Bruno of Cologne, Otto's brother and Wigfried's successor in both offices, suggests that his connections with Saxony were more important than those with West Francia. The children of Godfrey and Ermentrude were:
| Godfrey Count Palatine of Lotharingia (I502182)
|
| 100 | Gorm den gamle var konge av Danmark på midten av 900-tallet. Hans hustru var Tyra Danebod som han senere reiste den eldste av de to runesteinene på Jelling til minne om. Gorm var sønn av den danske kongen Hardeknut og var selv far til Harald Blåtann, som etterfulgte ham som konge. Gorms senere slektning, Svein Estridsson, refererte til både Gorm og hans far som «konger av Danmark», men det er vanskelig å presisere Danmarks geografiske omfang under Gorm. Moderne historikere mener at Gorm styrte fra Jelling og at han neppe var konge over hele Danmark, snarere over Jylland og Sønderjylland. Han regnes likevel ofte som den første konge i dendanske kongerekken. Det skyldes at han er den første konge som nevnes i samtidige, danske kilder, det vil si de to runesteinene på Jelling. Teksten på den lille Jellingsteinen sier:
Gorm omtales også på den store Jellingsteinen hvor det står:
Ut fra disse tekstene kan det sluttes at Gorm den gamle var gift med Tyra og far til Harald Blåtann. At Gorm underla seg Norge er en overdrivelse. I beste fall var det noen småkonger i Vikensom betalte skatt til ham, danskekongen. Det antas at Gorm ved sin død ble begravd i gravkammeret i den nordlige gravhaugen i Jelling, og at han senere ble flyttet til en grav i kirken. Trestokker fra gravkammeret er datertdendrokronologisk. Det viste seg at treet var hogd ned sent på året 958. Gorm må altså ha vært død dette året. Gorms skjelett er funnet ved en utgravning i kirken, og en undersøkelse av det har vist at han ved sin død var mellom 35 og 50 år gammel. Gorm den Gamle omtales av Snorre Sturlason og Adam av Bremen. Snorre kaller ham for «Gorm Hardeknutsson». Det er derfor man har gått ut ifra at Gorm var sønn av Hardeknut. Gorms forfedre kan ha sin opprinnelse hos danske herskere i East Anglia i England. En av disse het «Guthrum», som er en form av navnet Gorm. Hans far kom til Danmark rundt 916 eller 917 og avsatte den unge kongen Sigtrygg Gnupasson. Da Hardeknut selv døde, arvet Gorm kongetronen. Antagelsen at han tok den med makt er sannsynligvis ikke riktig. Gorm er en av de mest misforståtte figurer i dansk historie. Han ble ofte svertet som en grusom og senil gamling og i tillegg en innbitt hedning. I virkeligheten var han verken gammel eller uklok. De tidligste kildene peker i steden på en pragmatisk og framsynt konge i forhold til Danmarks kristne naboer i syd. Tidligere historikere har ofte blandet sammen Gorm med hans far Hardeknut. Sistnevnte sto antagelig imot misjonering av kristendommen hele sitt liv. Dog kan den lille runesteinen på Jelling tolkes som om Gorm forsvarte Danmark mot kristendommen ettersom han upresist defineres som «Danmarks beskytter». I den grad folk flest ble kristne skjedde det langsomt og møysommelig. I Gorms tid var det store flertallet hedninger, men under Harald Blåtann ble landet offisielt kristent. I løpet av kanskje de neste to generasjonene ble kristendommen også en naturlig del av hele befolkningens tro og tankesett. | Hardeknudsen, Kong Gorm den gamle af Danmark (I501285)
|
