 | |
| Rank: | 16th |
| Ruled England: | December 25, 1013-February 2, 1014 |
| Ruled Denmark: | 985-February 2, 1014 |
| Predecessor: | Ethelred II, Harald Bluetooth, and Harald II |
| Date of Birth: | 960 |
| Place of Birth: | Denmark |
| Wives: | Gunhilda[?] and Sigrid the Haughty[?] |
| Buried: | Roeskild Cathedral[?] |
| Date of Death: | February 2, 1014 |
| Parents: | Harald Bluetooth and Gunhild[?] |
Sweyn I "Forkbeard" (sometimes Svein Haraldsson; in Danish, Svend Tveskæg) (circa 965 - February 3, 1014) succeeded his father Harold I as king of Denmark in 986. After recovering his throne (991) following a brief Swedish invasion, Sweyn established Danish control over a part of Norway (1000).
After participating in a Norwegian-led raid against England in 994-995, Sweyn embarked on a series of full-scale invasions (1003-1005, 1006-1007, 1009-1012 and 1013) following the St. Brice's Day[?] massacre of England's Danish inhabitants (November 1002). By December 1013 he was England's effective ruler following the flight to Normandy of king Ethelred the Unready.
Svein died on at Gainsborough[?] in Lincolnshire, having ruled England unopposed for only five weeks, and his body was returned to Denmark. He was succeeded as King of Denmark by his elder son, Harold II[?], and as King of England by his younger son Canute the Great. His son, Canute the Great, ruled in Denmark and England and some part of northern Germany.