24.3 Europe: a.d. 901 to 1000  (Page 6/7)

Scotland

King Constantine II, grandson of Kenneth Mac Alpin, along with kings of Strathclyde and Northumbria, accepted vassalage to Athelstan when he was the English king. Constantine then abdicated in favor of his cousin, Malcolm, who became the 8th king of the Alpin line, most of them having been exterminated by murder. Acknowledging that he was the English king's vassal, he was ceded Strathclyde, although he had to terrorize the people there and burn their towns to get their acknowledgment. But Malcolm was also soon dead from poison and six more Alpins were king before the century was over, all meeting violent deaths. (Ref. 170 )

Ireland

The Norwegian kingdom continued to control Dublin and various northern islands and in addition the Vikings established Limerick about A.D. 920. The native Irish remained amazingly quiescent during this century. (Ref. 211 ) Additional Notes

Scandinavia

As this century progressed the Scandinavians pretty well stopped their piracy and replaced it with European trade. In their written language, the runic characters were now generally abandoned as Christianity brought additional literacy to the area through a handful of English and Saxon missionaries. It was only at that time that the various Scandinavian states finally emerged as organized and even aggressive entities. (Ref. 137 )

Norway

Haakon the Good, educated at the court of England's King Athelston, tried to introduce Christianity in Norway but made no headway and this religion had to wait for Olaf, son of Tryggve, as he became king in 995 and made the country Christian by the sword. Olaf, himself, remained polygamous. Shortly thereafter in A.D. 1,000 Norway was conquered by Sweden and Denmark, in the first of many inter-Scandinavian wars.

In the battle of Svolder, Olaf was defeated while sailing in his great Viking ship with 34 rowing seats

Weaponsmith was one of the most admired skills of all Northmen and a superb group of tools found in a Norwegian weaponsmith's grave of this century attests to the wealth and status of such craftsmanship. Vikings also carved jet, amber and bone into small ornaments. (Ref. 79 )

Sweden

There is less information available about Sweden in these years than from the other northern countries but we do know that it was gradually united under the kings Uppland towards the end of the century and that Olaf Skotkonung gained control about A.D. 1000, became a Christian and ordered his subjects to do the same, by baptism. (Ref. 8 )

Denmark

King Gorm ruled the major part of Denmark during the first decades of the century, followed by his son Harold Bluetooth. Otto of Germany marched up into Jutlarld and then marched back without actually gaining any land, but Harold saw the possible danger from the Germans and combined the various smaller kingdoms of the Danes under his one rule, advising them to stay at home and protect their homeland. The Viking raider element in the population did not like this advice and they chose Harold's son, Sweyn Forkbeard, as their leader. Father and son battled at sea (as was the custom) with neither winning but Harold was mysteriously killed that night. It was Sweyn, then, who later battled and defeated the Norwegian King Olav Tryggveson at sea. Sweyn sent fleets westward for years, extracting the Danegeld (a type of "protection" racket) from Aethelred of England. (Ref. 34 , 117 ) Additional Notes