Æstriðr (Sveinsdóttir) Svendsdatter (abt. 997 - bef. 1073)

Ancestors

Descendants

Died before 1073 before about age 76 in Roskilde, Denmark

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Estrid Sveinsdóttir was a member of the aristocracy in Europe.

Biography

Name

• Æstriðr or Ástríðr Sveinsdóttir is the primary spelling selected here, following Old Norse, based on the time in which she lived, when Old Norse was used in both Denmark and Norway and Astrid's father was king of both. ^[1]
  • Sveinn is the Old Norse for her father's given name. The daughter's patronymic in old Norse would be Sveinsdóttir because the Old Norse rule for father's names ending in nn is to change the end to ns and add dóttir. When the father's name appears as Svein, it may reflect an unawareness that the name has a double n.
  • Sveyn - this one should probably be spelled Sweyn instead of Sveyn. Sweyn is the Old English form of her father's given name. Astrid Sveynsdottir ^[2]
  • Svend is the modern Danish language form of her father's given name, and then the daughter's patronymic would be Svensdatter. However, that would not have been used in the 10th or 11th centuries even though it is a common form that we see for her patronymic in modern histories. This version would have started showing up in the 15th or 16th century.
• Current Last name uses the more modern presentation of Estrid Svendsdatter, which she is generally called in modern histories. ^[3]
• Other forms of her name:
  • Astrith ^[3]
  • Estrid Svendsdatter ^[4]
  • Estrith. ^[2]
  • Margaret. ^[2]
  • Margrete Svendsdatter^[4]

A woman kept her birth name all her life in Scandinavia and did not take on her husband's last name as her own until about 100-200 years ago.

997 Birth

Astrid was born about 997. ^[5] Wikipedia gives an alternate birth year of 990, but with weak sourcing. ^[6]

Cawley notes that Estrid was the only child of King Svend & his second wife. ^[7] Lundy elaborates that she was the daughter of Sveyn I 'Forkbeard' Haraldsson, King of Denmark and England and Sigrid 'the Haughty' (?) ^[8][9]

According to other researchers ^[10] Estrid was the daughter of Sweyn Forkbeard and Sigrid the Haughty, herself the daughter of Skagul Toste, making Olof Skötkonung, the son of Sigrid the Haughty and Eric the Victorious, Estrid's half-brother and Canute the Great, Harald and Świętosława her other half-siblings, as children of Sweyn Forkbeard and the Polish princess Gunhild, daughter of Mieszko I of Poland. ^[3]

Titles

Assuming the correctness of a Russian marriage, Wikipedia states that "Astrid was a Danish princess and titular Queen, a Russian princess and, possibly, Duchess of Normandy by marriage." ^[3]

She was known in Denmark as Dronning Estrid, (Queen Estrid), despite the fact that she was not married to a King and not a queen regnant.^[3]

The dynasty that ruled Denmark in 1047–1412 was named after her. ^[11]

1014 Possible Marriage to Russian Prince

She was reportedly married briefly to an unnamed Russian Prince (perhaps Vsevolod, Prince of Vladimir-Volynsk, son of Grand Prince Vladimir I the Great), ^[12]who died following the Rus' war after the death of the Grand Prince in 1015. ^[3]

Documentation for such a marriage, however, is very weak and she is not linked to Vsevolod as her spouse. If such a marriage occurred, it would need to have occurred 1014, when Astrid would have been about 17 years of age, in order for her chronology to accommodate other events.

1016 Engagement to Richard or Robert of Normandy

Numerous sources agree that there was an intended marriage between Astrid and a Duke of Normandy. There is disagreement, however, as to whether the intended husband was Robert of Normandy or his father Richard.

Baldwin states that Robert (or his father Richard II) was the spouse or intended spouse of Estrid/Margaret, daughter of Svend I, king of Denmark. ^[13]

Charles Cawley presents citations for a marriage or engagement of Astrid to Richard of Normandy:

• Adam of Bremen records that "Chnud…rex Danorum" gave "suam…germanam Margaretam pro foedere" to "comitis Nortmannorum Rikardi" and, after she was repudiated by Richard, to "Wolf duci Angliæ" ^[4]
• The Chronicon Roskildense records that "Kanutus" gave "sororem…Estrith" to "Richardo", who repudiated her, after which she married "duci Ulf" without her brother´s consent[217]. ^[4]
• Saxo Grammaticus also records her betrothal[220]. Betrothed (after 1017) to RICHARD II "le Bon/l'Irascible" Duke of Normandy, son of RICHARD I "Sans Peur" Comte [de Normandie] & his second wife Gunnora --- (-23 Aug 1026). ^[4]

Baldwin also notes that

• Rodulfus Glaber, 108, states that Robert was married to a sister (not named) of king Canute, and that he was father of William by a concubine. ^[13]
• Adam of Bremen [Book 2, chapter liv(52), p. 92], who obtained some of his information from king Svend II (son of Estrid by her marriage to jarl Ulf), stated that before her marriage to Ulf, Svend's mother Margaret (called Estrid in other sources) was married to Richard (II) of Normandy, father of Robert, but then goes on to show confusion by saying that Margaret married Ulf after Richard set out for Jurusalem, where he died. (Richard did not set out for Jeruslaem, but Robert did.) ^[13]

M. K. Lawson asserts that after Estrid's brother Cnut's elevation to the throne of England in 1016, Cnut made an agreement with Richard II of Normandy that Estrid was to marry Richard's son Robert. It is not known whether this marriage ever took place.

Wikipedia quotes Ralph Glaber in his Historiarum libri quinque ^{[14] [15]} as reporting that an unnamed sister of Cnut married Robert, but Adam of Bremen reports a marriage of Estrid (calling her Margaret) to Richard II, indicating that after he went to Jerusalem she married Ulf, yet although Richard never went to Jerusalem Robert did. ^[16]

Alison Wier reports that Astgrid married Richard II, 4th Duc de Normandie, son of Richard I, 3rd Duc de Normandie and Gunnor de Crêpon, between 1017 and 1027. ^[2] , but another side reports that Estrid and Richard II, 4th Duc de Normandie were divorced before 1024. ^[9]

Norman sources do not mention such a marriage between Astrid and either duke, and historians disagree whether it was a short-lived marriage, a betrothal, or a result of confusion. ^[3]

Stewart Baldwin in the Henry Project concludes that "Unfortunately, there are significant problems with the statement that Estrid married either Richard or Robert, discussed in detail by Douglas [Douglas (1950), 292-5]. Nevertheless, despite the problems, it is difficult to believe that there is nothing to these two similar, and apparently independent, accounts of two near contemporary writers. Given the difficulty of reconciling a marriage with the evidence, a possible betrothal of Estrid to either Robert or Richard II would seem like a reasonable alternative." ^[13]

1018 Marriage to Ulf, Jarl of Orkney

A marriage for Astrid was arranged by her brother Cnut with Ulf, Jarl of Orkney. ^[3] Ulf Thorgilson, Earl in England, was the son of Thorgils 'Sprakalegg' Styrbjornson and Sigrid of Halland, circa 1018. ^[9]

Ulf's sister was Gytha married to Earl Godwin, and put her family firmly in the Anglo-Scandinavian camp. ^[17]

Snorre names "Astrid, a daughter of King Svein Forkbeard" as wife of Earl Ulf, specifying that she was "a sister of Canute the Great by the father's side and of the Swedish king Olaf Eirikson by the mother's side, for her mother was Queen Sigrid the Haughty, a daughter of Skoglar Toste". ^[4]

Morkinskinna names “the lady Ástrídr…sister of two kings, Knútr the Great and Óláfr the Swede” as daughter of “King Sveinn Forkbeard…and Sigrídr en stórráda” who had previously been married to King Eirikr enn sigrsæli” and wife of “Jarl Úlfr sprakalegge”. ^[4]

She married ULF Thrugilson Jarl [Wulfsige Sprakling], son of THORGILS Sprakling [THRUGILS Sprakaleg] & his wife ^[4]

1026 Murder of Ulf

In 1026, Ulf was killed by the order of Cnut. It is possible that the murder took place with Astrid's consent. She did not lose her brother's trust, and was granted large lands by him. She gave her son an education by the church, made donations to the church and is believed to have founded the first church made of stone in Denmark (Roskilde Cathedral). ^[3]

More details of the murder are provided by Anette Kruse: At Christmas in 1026, Ulf the Earl was murdered by one of Cnut the Great's housecarls. Though the sources differ, this happened either inside the church (Chronicon Roskildense) or at the royal farm (Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum). Ulf had been married to Cnut the Great's sister Estrid, who was outraged by the murder and demanded a weregild. ^[18]

Ulf, murdered at Roskilde in 1026, was buried in Roskilde). ^[4]

Support of Sons after father's death

Estrid supported her sons's struggle to gain dominance over Denmark. ^[3]

Estrid herself was granted the honorary title of Queen (not Queen mother), the very same variation of the title normally reserved for the consort of the king, and became known as "Queen Estrid", despite the fact that she was not a monarch nor the spouse of one. ^[3]

1047 Estrid's Son King in Denmark

In 1047, her son became king in Denmark due to his mother's descent, and is hence known as Sven Estridssen (son of Estrid). ^[3]

1057 Death and Burial

The date of Estrid's death is unknown, but it can be no earlier than 1057, or later than 1073, as Bishop William of Roskilde (in office 1057–73), the capital of Denmark, officiated at her funeral.^[3]

Without citing a year, Cawley states that her death occurred on the 9th of May and she was buried in Roskilde. ^[4]

"She was widely believed to have been buried in the northeastern pier of the Roskilde Cathedral, but a DNA test in 2003 dispelled the myth as the remains belonged to a woman much too young to be Estrid. The new theory is that the sign on the pier refers to Margareta Hasbjörnsdatter, who was also known as Estrid and who married Harald III Hen, the son of Sweyn Estridsen." ^[19]

Issue

Documented Children

Children of Astrid Sveynsdottir and Ulf Thorgilson, Earl in England would have been born between 1019, the year after their marriage, and 1026, the year of Ulf's murder.

1. Svend Estridsen, born 1020, Sweden. Svend II Estrithson, King of Denmark+ ^[8] b. c 1019, d. 29 Apr 1076. "By Ulf Jarl,^[20] she was the mother of the later King Sweyn II Estridson and Beorn Estrithson. ^[21] Estrid gave her son an education by the church, made donations to the church and is believed to have founded the first church made of stone in Denmark (Roskilde Cathedral). She supported her sons's struggle to gain dominance over Denmark. ^[3]In 1047, her son became king in Denmark due to his mother's descent, and is hence known as Sven Estridssen (son of Estrid). Estrid herself was granted the honorary title of Queen (not Queen mother), the very same variation of the title normally reserved for the consort of the king, and became known as "Queen Estrid", despite the fact that she was not a monarch nor the spouse of one. ^[3] The idea that Estrid's son Sweyn Estrithson was offered the crown as the Confessor's successor is dismissed. Ulf's sister was Gytha married to Earl Godwin, and put her family firmly in the Anglo-Scandinavian camp.[11] ^[3]
2. Bjorn Estridsson Ulfsen, born 1021, Denmark. Beorn (?) , Earl of Danish Marcia ^[9] d. 1049. "By Ulf Jarl,^[20] she was the mother of the later King Sweyn II Estridson and Beorn Estrithson. ^[21]
3. Asbjorn (Ulfsson) Sprackling, born 1022, Nardrup, Fredericksburg, Denmark = ? Osbeorn (?) ^[9] d. c 1086

Undocumented children

With the exception of Neils Ulfsson, all of these were ostensibly born outside the years when there could have been children of Estrid and Ulf.

1. [[Ulfsson-5|Ragnvald Ulfsson, b. 948, Skara Sverige. He was born before Estrid, and has been de-linked.
2. [[Ulfsson-6|Thorgaut Ulfsson, born 1000, Norway
3. [[Northumbria-1|Siward Bjornsson (Northumbria) of Northumbria, born 1015, Scandanavia
4. [[Ulfsson-7| Niels Ulfsson , born 1016, England
5. [[Ulfsson-53| Knud Den (Ulfsson) Hellige, born 1919
6. [[Ulfsdatter-2| Odo Ulfsdatter, born 1030, Denmark

Sources

1. ↑ WikiTree Naming Guidelines specify use , where possible, of the name the individual herself would have used. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Help:Name_Fields
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy (London, U.K.: The Bodley Head, 1999), page 26. Hereinafter cited as Britain's Royal Families. Cited by Darryl Lundy, Wellington, New Zealand, The Peerage. Astrid Sveynsdottir Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15} Wikipedia. Estrid Svendsdatter of Denmark Accessed May 13, 2017. jhd
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9}
5. ↑ Darryl Lundy, Wellington, New Zealand, The Peerage. Astrid Sveynsdottir Edited 14 July 2005. Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
6. ↑ Wikipedia cites "Estrid Margarete (Margret), Of Svendsdatter, Princess Of Denmark (Normandy) in Geni.com" for the earlier year.
7. ↑ Charles Cawley. Foundation for Medieval Genealogy. Medieval Lands Database. Denmark. Estrid Svendsdatter Accessed June 14, 2017 jhd
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} John Morby, Dynasties of the World: a chronological and genealogical handbook (Oxford, Oxfordshire, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 1989), page 149. Hereinafter cited as Dynasties of the World. Cited by Darryl Lundy, Wellington, New Zealand, The Peerage. Astrid Sveynsdottir Edited 14 July 2005. Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4} Royal Genealogies Website (ROYAL92.GED), online http://www.daml.org/2001/01/gedcom/royal92.ged. Hereinafter cited as Royal Genealogies Website. Cited by Darryl Lundy, Wellington, New Zealand, The Peerage. Astrid Sveynsdottir Edited 14 July 2005. Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
10. ↑ http://www.academia.edu/1045395/%C5%9Awi%C4%99tos%C5%82awa_Sygryda_Gunhilda._To%C5%BCsamo%C5%9B%C4%87_c%C3%B3rki_Mieszka_I_i_jej_skandynawskie_zwi%C4%85zki_%C5%9Awi%C4%99tos%C5%82awa_Sygryda_Gunhilda._The_identity_of_Mieszko_Is_daughter_and_her_Scandinavian_relationships. Cited by Cited by Wikipedia. Estrid Svendsdatter of Denmark Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
11. ↑ List of Rulers of Europe: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Cited by Wikipedia. Estrid Svendsdatter of Denmark Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
12. ↑ VsevolodVladimirovich Prinz von VOLYNSK/Estrid Svendsdatter Prinzessin VON DAENEMARK in Usgennet.org. Cited by Wikipedia. Estrid Svendsdatter of Denmark Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3} Stewart Baldwin, the Henry Project. Robert I Accessed June 15, 2017. jhd
14. ↑ M. K. Lawson, Cnut: England's Viking King (2004), p. 105. Cited by Wikipedia. Estrid Svendsdatter of Denmark Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
15. ↑ CdB Guided Tours Roman and Norman Notes. Cited by Wikipedia. Estrid Svendsdatter of Denmark Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
16. ↑ Pauline Stafford, Queen Emma and Queen Edith (1997), p. 23; cf. p. 235.Cited by Wikipedia. Estrid Svendsdatter of Denmark Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
17. ↑ Wood, 35. Cited by Wikipedia. Estrid Svendsdatter of Denmark Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
18. ↑ Kruse, Anette (2003). Roskilde Domkirke. Roskilde Domkirkes Salgsfond, p;. 13 ISBN 978-87-90043-10-0. Cited by Wikipedia, Roskilde Cathedral Accessed June 14, 2017. jhd
19. ↑ "Last Viking buried with wrong woman". The Copenhagen Post. Retrieved 19 September 2011. Cited by Cited by Wikipedia. Estrid Svendsdater. [1] Accessed May 13, 2017. jhd
20. ↑ ^{20.0 20.1} King Cnut: Emperor of the North. Cited by Wikipedia. Estrid Svendsdater. [2] Accessed May 13, 2017. jhd
21. ↑ ^{21.0 21.1} Ann Williams, Alfred P. Smyth, D. P. Kirby, A Biographical Dictionary of Dark Age Britain: England, Scotland, and Wales (1991), p. 231. Cited by Wikipedia. Estrid Svendsdater. [3] Accessed May 13, 2017. jhd

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