Sweyn I

King of Denmark from about 986, nicknamed ‘Forkbeard’. He raided England, finally conquered it in 1013 to 1014, and styled himself king, but his early death led to the return of Ethelred II.

Sweyn was the son of Harold Bluetooth and the father of Canute. During his reign, Denmark began to come under the influence of Christianity, but he himself remained aggressively pagan. His raids on England were primarily intended to extort money rather than colonize the country.