Rune stone erected by Harald Bluetooth at Jelling. It reads: "Harald the King ordered this memorial made for Gorm his father and Thorvi his mother, this Harald who won Denmark for himself and Norway, and made the Danes Christian."

Kings of Denmark

Harald I Bluetooth (Danish Harald Blåtand) was the King of Denmark between 940 and 985 AD. The name "Blåtand" was probably taken from two old Danish words, 'blå' meaning dark skinned and 'tan' meaning great man. He was born in 910 as the son of King Grom The Old (King of Jutland, the main peninsula of Denmark) and his wife Thyre Danebold (daughter of King Ethelred of England). Like many Vikings, Harald considered it honorable to fight for treasure in foreign lands. When Harald's sister Gunhild was widowed after the death of the violent Norwegian king Erik Blood Axe, she came to Denmark to seek Harald's help in securing control of Norway. Harald took the opportunity to seize control himself. By 960 he was at the height of his powers, ruling over both Denmark and Norway.

Harald received his baptism by a priest named Poppo, sent by the German emperor, and built a church on his father's tomb at Jelling making the site into a Christian place of worship, and one of Denmark’s most important historical sites. Jelling church, mounds and rune stones are designated a World Heritage Site. ..... more

The Conquest of England by Sven Forkbeard and Canute the Great

MAPS and BRIEF HISTORY of DENMARK

Pillar tomb of Harald Bluetooth in Roskilde Cathedral, the oldest Christian church on Zealand, originally built by Harald in 980. It is a World Heritage Site

• A1 = Gorm "the Old", King of Denmark, m. Thyra of Jutland;  ==>  Vikings
  • B1 = Harold Bluetooth, King of Denmark, lvd:910/985, m. Gyrid Olafsdottir;
    • C1 = Sveyn I 'Forkbeard', King of Denmark, Norway and England, lvd:965/1014, m. Gunhilda of Poland;  ==>  Piast
      • D1 .. Canute 'the Great', King of Denmark, Norway and England, d:1035, m. Aelfgiva;
      • D2 = Estrid of Denmark, m. Ulf, Jarl in Denmark; * (see below)
    • C2 = Thyra Haraldsdottir, m. Styrbjörn;  <==  Kings of Sweden
      • D1 = Thorgils Sprakalegg, m. Sigrid of Halland;
        <=======
  • E1 = * Ulf Throkilsson, Jarl in Denmark, d:1027, m. Estrid of Denmark; (see above)
    • F1 = Bjorn, Jarl in England, d:1049;
      • G1 = Syward Bjornsson, d:1055, m. Aelflaed of Northumberland;
        • H1 = Sybilla, Earl of Huntingdon and Northampton, d:1076, m. King Duncan I of Canmore;  <==  House of Dunkeld
        • H2 = Waltheof, Earl of Huntingdon and Northampton, d:1076, m. Judith of Lens;
          • I1 = Matilda of Huntingdon, lvd:1074/1131, m. King David I of Scotland;  <==  House of Dunkeld
    • F2 = Svend II Estridsen, King of Denmark, lvd:1020/1076;
      • G1 = Erik I Eigod, King of Denmark, lvd:1059/1103, m1. Bodil Thrugotsdotter, m2. N.;
        • H1 -- [m1]: Knut Lavard, King of South Jutland, lvd:1096/1131, m. Ingeborg of Kiev;  ==>  Rurik Dynasty
          • I1 -- Waldemar I "the Great", King of Denmark, lvd:1131/1181, m. Sophia of Minsk;
            • J1 -- Sophie of Denmark, m. Graf Siegfried III von Orlamünde;  <==  Brandenburg
            • J2 ~ Rikissa of Denmark, d:1220, m. King Erik X Knutson (** see below);
            • J3 ~ Helene of Denmark, d:1233, m. Duke Wilhelm of Lüneburg;  <==  Welf Dynasty
            • J4 ~ Waldemar II "the Conqueror", King of Denmark, lvd:1170/1241, m. Berengaria of Portugal;  ==>  Kings of Portugal
              • K1 ~ Erik IV, King of Denmark, lvd:1216/1250, m. Jutta of Saxony;  ==>  Saxe-Wittenberg
                • L1 ~ Sophie of Denmark, lvd:1235/1286, m. King Valdemar I of Sweeden (* see below);
        • H2 ~ [m2]: Harald "Kesja", d:1135, m. Ragnhild of Norway;  ==>  Vikings
          • I1 ~ Bjorn Jernside, d:1134, m. Katarina of Sweeden;
            • J1 ~ Kristina of Denmark, m. Saint Erik IX, King of Sweeden;
              • K1 ~ Knut I Erikson, King of Sweeden, d:1196;
                • L1 ~ ** Erik X Knutson, King of Sweeden, d:1216, m. Rikissa of Denmark;
                  • M1 ~ Ingeborg, lvd:1212/1254, m. Birger Magnusson, Regent of Sweden;
                    • N1 ~ * Valdemar I, King of Sweeden, lvd:1235/1286, m. Sophie of Denmark; (see above)
                      • O1 ~ Ingeborg, m. Graf Gerhard II of Holstein;  <==  Holstein