The first post of the year is about a figure unknown to public eyes. As said in one of the posts before, historiography tends to be concentrated mostly in areas as France, England, Portugal and Spain, so what's studied in Denmark or further countries is rare to find.
However, being difficult to have access to this leader of Viking blood did not necessarily mean it would be impossible to write about him. Based on what was found, speculations about this interesting person could be written. Speculations because sources are documents who not always provide "the" truth, especially if they enter in contradiction. Still, it is possible to get the knowledge of a society, a character and the days that made History, by which is most important for any historian to understand rather than to acquire a debatable truth.
Although it is questioned the use of "first king" of Denmark by many historians, Gorm was the first to unite his country. Before him, Denmark was under the rule of local chiefs who called themselves "king". The date of his rule is also imprecise, some claiming he became king at the year of 936, others saying it was the year of 934, instead.
Mostly of his life, he is remembered by his high ambitions, expanding his lands, going on expeditions and furthermore conquering a few more with his warrior skills, by which he was eventually praised for. In matters of religion, he was a pagan and said to have been devouted of Odin, as said below:
"It was a small kingdom that Gorm had fallen [43] heir to. A lord's estate we would call it to-day. But while small in size, it stood high in rank, for it was here that the great sacrifices to Odin, the chief Scandinavian deity, were held, and it was looked upon as one of the most sacred of spots. Hither at Yuletide came the devotees of Odin from all quarters to worship at his shrine, and offer gifts of gold and silver, precious stones and costly robes, to the twelve high priests of whom the king of Lejre was the chief. And every worshipper, whether rich or poor, was expected to bring a horse, a dog, or a cock, these animals being sacred to Odin and sacrificed in large numbers annually at his shrine."
Which might explain "[44] The ambitious chief did not content himself with this. Long before his kingdom was rounded and complete he had become known as one of the most daring and successful of the viking adventures who in those days made all Europe their prey."
And how "early in his reign he made a plundering cruise along the shores of the Baltic and joined in a piratical invasion of Russia, penetrating far inward and pillaging as he went. We hear of him again in 882 as one of the chiefs of a daring band which made a conquering raid into Germany, intrenched itself on the river Maas, sallied forth on pludering excursions whose track was marked by ruined fields and burnt homesteads, villages and towns, and even assailed and took Aix-la-Chapelle, one of the chief cities of the empire of Charlemagne and the rest of his tomb."
Such aspects define how this Viking managed to expand his dominions of Denmark to furthermore. And who would rule all these dominions while Gorm was away? His Queen. Her name was Thyra and there is almost nothing about her life, except she was praised in poems for being a virtuous and brave Queen. Furthermore, it can be taken notice of her in these fragments:
"For ages afterwards the Danes were grateful to Queen Thyra for this splendid wall of defense and sang her praises in their national hymns, while they told wonderful tales of her cleverness in ruling the land while her husband was far away. Fragments of Thyra's rampart still remain and its remains formed the groundwork of all the later border bulwarks of Denmark.
(...) while a worshipper of the northen Gods, showed much favour to the Christians and [47] caused some of her children to be signed with the cross. But King Gorm was a fierce pagan and treated his Christian subjects so cruelly that he gained the name of "Church's worm", being regarded as one who was constantly gnawing at the supports of the Church."
If Thyra was later converted to Christianity, it's not known, but Gorm changed his politics towards the Christians, even though he wanted his heir be pagan. With his wife and Queen, it's not known how many children they had, but three names came to be known: Knud, the oldest, who died before becoming king and was said to be the favourite of Gorm; Harald, who succeeded his father and a daughter, named Gunhild Gormdaughter, who was married to the King of Norway.
It was in the winter of 954 or 958 that Gorm came to die and he was buried next to his spouse, who was dead before him and was honoured with a stone on behalf of the "pride of Denmark". A remarkable figure who indeed must be remembered for the traces he left to a country that is ruled by his descendants until our recent days.
Sources: http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=morris&book=scandinavian&story=gorm
http://www.fortidensjelling.dk/jellinge4.htm
http://www.danmarkskonger.dk/king1.htm
http://www.genealogy.theroyfamily.com/p34569.htm
http://www.mydenmark.net/gorm-the-old-first-king-of-denmark/
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