or Sweyn Forkbeard
died Feb. 3, 1014, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, Eng.
King of Denmark ( 0441; 9871014) and Viking conqueror of Norway and England.
He rebelled against his father, Harald Bluetooth (987), chasing him from Denmark. With Swedish and Norwegian allies, he defeated Olaf I Tryggvason ( 0441; 1000), becoming virtual ruler of Norway. Sweyn led raids on England in 100304 and became king after a successful military campaign in 1013, forcing Ethelred II into exile. Norway reverted to Norwegian rule after Sweyn's death, but the Anglo-Danish empire continued under his son Canute the Great .