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Sweyn Forkbeard's raids into Scotland...

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Johnny (U1890693) on Friday, 19th August 2005

  Can anyone enlighten me as to the invasions into Scotland by the Danish King Sweyn Forkbeard during the years 1009-10.
  
  Surprisingly little is documented about his military endeavours during this era, or why he was there, which are sandwiched by his three major assaults upon England between 991 and 1013, and possibly also a doomed battle with the Irish under Brian Boru in 1014 at Clontarf.
  
  The battles in Scotland I have found, again sparsely documented, are:-
  
  Nairn 1009- King Malcolm II and Finlay of Moray defeated the Danes.
  
  Kinloss 1009- Sweyn narrowly defeated the Scottish allies in a bitter clash.
  
  1010- St.Bride; Camuston; Buchan; Slain's castle; Brechin- all five are Scottish victories
  
  Mortlach 1010- Sweyn returned in force(from Orkney?) and Malcolm II committed every available man for this last-ditched effort against Sweyn, and in a terrible encounter, the Scots are victorious.
  
  Can anyone recommend any books/sites to find out more?
  
  Thanks.
  
  

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• Message 2

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  Posted by Thjodolf (U1900675) on Sunday, 21st August 2005

  I can't imagine there will be an awful lot available other than some extremely speculative stuff. The English sources for Sweyn's career are not extensive: the Encomium Emmae Regina has little to say, and the extremely dubious Anglo Saxon Chronicles make no mention of his exploits north of the border. What primary sources mention Sweyn's activities in Scotland?

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• Message 3

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  Posted by Johnny (U1890693) on Monday, 22nd August 2005

  You're right- the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles are either deliberately misleading, biased or innaccurate due to glorifying their sponsors or heroes by omitting certain distasteful facts, or relating the 'good' in their 'facts'.
  
  Case in point- Ethelred the 'Unready' vs his own son Edmund, the ASC vilifies the former(mostly unjustly) whilst praising the latter, all done by careful manipulation and omission of facts.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by Herewordless (U14549396) on Sunday, 30th January 2011

  Making use of the new search facility whilst researching the Canute era, I found this old thread. This book, is what the OP or anyone else, may find useful;-
  
  
  
  "Swein Forkbeard's Invasions and the Danish Conquest of England, 991-1017 "

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Haesten (U4770256) on Wednesday, 2nd February 2011

  Case in point- Ethelred the 'Unready' vs his own son Edmund, the ASC vilifies the former(mostly unjustly) whilst praising the latter, all done by careful manipulation and omission of facts.Β 
  
  Omission of what facts?

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• Message 6

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  Posted by NCH (U9519230) on Monday, 7th February 2011

  Dunno if this helps -
  
  John of Fordun (a Scottish chronicler) credits Mael Colium II with winning a battle v the Norwegians in Banffshire.
  Then there's the 'Prophecy of Berchan, which says MCII was 'a scourge of Norse ...'.
  Adam of Bremen says that Swein spent 14 years in exile with a 'king of the Scots'.
  A Swein son of Harald raided the Isle of Man in about 995.
  
  - I'm just lifting this from R A Houston and W W J Knox's "The History of Scotland"

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• Message 7

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  Posted by Haesten (U4770256) on Monday, 7th February 2011

  John of Fordun (a Scottish chronicler) credits Mael Colium II with winning a battle v the Norwegians in Banffshire.Β 
  
  
  Most likely Sigurd the Stout or his father.
  
  
  
  Both Svein Forkbeard and Olaf Tryggvason raided Man circa 995, and appear to have been allies at this time.
  Sigurd was a vassal of Olaf when he claimed Norway and presumably became a vassal of Svein when Olaf was killed at Swold.
  
  
  
  Another major figure was EirΓ­kr HΓ΅konarson
  
  
  
  Γ†thelred mounted a major campaign against Man and Cumbria in 1,000 when Svein and Olaf were doing battle at Swold, this could be Svein if the dates are not quite right, possibly Svein is allied with Malcolm.
  The ASC says "and that summer the hostile fleet had gone to Richard's kingdom" (Normandy), which suggests Svein, as Γ†thelred complained to the Pope about Richard's support for Svein and then married his daughter Emma.
  
  The Dublin Vikings under Sigtrygg Silkbeard were another candidate for allies of Malcolm, or Γ†thelred could have been allied with Malcolm against any combination of the above.
  
  Basically controll of the Irish Sea - Baltic trade was the stakes, King Cnut would end up in undisputed controll.

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• Message 8

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  Posted by NormanRHood (U14656514) on Tuesday, 15th February 2011

  encyclopedia Britannica maybe and dont they list books there too about stuff?

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