Thyra Danebod Unknown

Wife of Gorm den Gamle Hardeknudsson — married 0897 in Jellinge, Vejle, Denmark

Descendants

Died about 0950 in Jellinge, Vejle, Denmark

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Thorvi Unknown was part of early Scandinavian history. Join: Early Scandinavia Project Discuss: EARLY_SCANDINAVIA

Biography

Thyra is usually credited with the completion of the Danevirke, a wall between Denmark's southern border and its unfriendly Saxon neighbours to the south. (Archeology has proven it to be much older though, she might possibly have extended it.)

Name(s)

She is known in history as Thyra but the most likely translation from the runes would give her the name Thorvi or Thyrvi.

Her byname Danebod or Dannebod is suggested to translate as "Pride of Denmark".

Parents

English Wikipedia sums up her unknown parentage quite well;

Accounts of Thyra's parentage are late, contradictory and chronologically dubious. Saxo names her father as Ethelred, King of England (usually identified with Æthelred of Wessex), but his description of her brother as Æthelstan suggests he intended Edward the Elder, though no such daughter appears in the detailed lists of Edward's children that survive. Jómsvíkinga saga and Snorri's Heimskringla say her father was a king or jarl of Jutland or Holstein called Harald Klak.

According to Ynglingasaga; she is the daughter of King Klakk-Harald Unknown and was wife of Gorm, King of Denmark.

Ragnhild's mother was Tyrne, a daughter of Harald Klak, King in Jutland, and a sister of Tyre Dannebod, who was married to the Danish King, Gorm the Old, who then ruled over the Danish Kingdom. ^[1]

According to Gesta Danorum;

Thyra, daughter of Ethelred, King of the English married Gorm of Denmark. ^[2]

Spouse(s) and children

We know she was married to Gorm the Old and that she is the mother of Harald Bluetooth since runestones are the sources to tell us that.

It is likely she is the mother of Gorms other children as well but no certain evidence (like runestones) is known at the moment.

Death and burial

Gorm the Old raised a runestone in her memory. Estimated her death date to 950 as Gorm himself is believed to have died abt 958. She was most likely buried in one of the two mounds in Jelling, Denmark.

Research Notes

1. Two sources of equal merit give two different parentages. Neither names her as daughter of Edward and Edgina. These parents should be detached and the various traditions properly discussed in this profile unless a source can be found for this family. It is not necessary to give her any parents at all. They have now been removed. Andersson-4409 09:44, 11 September 2019 (UTC)
2. Her LNAB has been changed to Unknown since no sources are to be found to let us know who her parents really were (sagas written hundreds of years later are not very reliable sources). Previous parents/fathers are mentioned in the biography Andersson-4409 09:25, 11 September 2019 (UTC)

From earlier profile to be worked into one...

General Notes: Gorm's wife was Tyra - of that there is no doubt. But her parentage is even more mysterious that Gorm's.

There seems to be more evidence to support the tradition that Gorm's wife was English.

In the first place, Tyra was a Christian. It is far more likely that a Christian princess would have come from England, where the royal family were Christians, than from Jutland, which was still thoroughly pagan despite the early missionary efforts of Ansgar.

Whatever her ancestry, Gorm's Christian wife seems to have been a kindly woman, and very popular with her subjects. But she was unable to convert her husband to Christianity, and he remained a staunch pagan until his dying day.

Thyra married Gorm "The Old" Haraldsson King Of DENMARK son of Harald "Parcus" King Of Sjaelland DENMARK and Elfgifu Princess Of WESSEX, about 897 in Denmark. Gorm was born about 880 in Sjaelland Island, Denmark and died in 936 in Jellinge Vejle, Denmark 2918,3201 about age 56. Other names for Gorm were Gorm De Gamel, Gorm "The Old" Den GAMLE King Of Denmark, and Gorm "The Old" HARALDSSON King Of Denmark.

Thyra next married Geva KNUDSSON, son of Hardecanute (Knud) Sigurdsson King Of DENMARK and Elgiva, about 897 in Denmark. Geva was born before 850 in Denmark and died in 936 in Jellinge, Vejle, Denmark. Another name for Geva was Gorm Hardaknutsson.

King of Denmark, founder of the Jelling Dynasty. Made his mains set at Jelling, home of the two biggest burial mounds in Denmark and by two runic stones, one erected by Gorm and the other by his son Harold the Bluetooth. The latter stone reads, "Harald, the king, ordered this memorial made for his father Gorm and his mother, Thyra, the Harald who won all of Denmark, and also Norway, and (made) the Danes Christians." [An Outline History of Denmark]

Gorm married Thyra, the daughter of one of the regional chiefs, probably from southern Jutland. Claims that Thyra was a daughter of King Harald Klak have been discounted due to the impossibility of the ages of the persons involved.

"Danebod" was a name given her for her initiative in building fortifications around the boundaries of her region.

The Myth about Thyra Danebod

The historian Saxo and Svend Aggesen Write in the 1200-years about the clever, pretty and virtuous queen. She is said to be the one, who build Dannevirke, but that the historians have denied, as it has been proven that Dannevirke has been build a long time before. In stead it could have been an enlargement of the rampart. The historians tell that the German emperor Otto The I courted Thyra, but she gave him no answer for a year, and in the meantime she had Dannevirke erected, so that emperor Otto was not able to conquer the country. It was also told that Thyra was the christen, who has been a good example for her son Harald. It could easily be the explanation why he was kindly disposed toward the christen church and later was christened. Thyra Danebod, the pride of Denmark, tanmarkar but, the mother to Denmark. Names which symbolize that she was very much liked, and that she did her best for Denmark.

Sources

1. ↑ Snorri Sturluson: Sagas of the Norse Kings. The Ynglinga Saga Translated by Samuel Laing, revised by Peter Foote MA. Everyman's Library Dutton New York SBN 460 00847 1 Page 47
2. ↑ Saxo Gramaticus: Gesta Danorum Book Nine

See also;

• http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/DENMARK.htm#Halfdandied810B Note: Says nothing about Thyra's parents C
• http://www.danmarkskonger.dk/king1.htm
• http://www.hull.ac.uk/php/cssbct/cgi-bin/gedidex.php/n=royal?denmark
• http://mv.ancestry.com/viewer/9c04b5e2-91b6-429c-865d-fda86ea6b98b/6835128/-916059686