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920:
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hostages of importance, including Ælfheah himself, who was held prisoner for seven months. During the captivity, Ælfheah seems to have taken the opportunity to convert as many of the
Vikings as possible to Christianity, prompting tension. The Vikings demanded an extra 3000 pounds of silver for the release of the archbishop, but Ælfheah bravely refused to be ransomed or have his people pay the invaders. As a consequence, Ælfheah was murdered by Thorkell's men during a drunken feast at
20:
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down by an angry mob, another that he was simply too old for any more conflict; the
Jomsvikings were known to have men serving in the fighting ranks of age 18 to 50. With no military commands, the final years of his life could have been spent at court or on his estates. He may have died in battle in 1039, a year before his foster son
202:. They first marched towards the city of Canterbury but were promptly paid 3000 pounds of silver by the people of Kent to sway the army from attacking. They instead turned towards London and attempted to take the city several times, but were met with heavy resistance and ultimately abandoned their attack.
210:
on 19 April 1012: the
Vikings pelted him with the bones of cattle before one Viking finished him off with a blow to the back of the head with the butt of an axe. Thorkell was said to have tried his best to prevent the death of the archbishop, offering the attackers everything he possessed to stop the
205:
On 8 September 1011 the Viking army returned to
Canterbury and besieged the city for three weeks, eventually taking it through the treachery of a man named Ælfmaer, whose life had been previously saved by the archbishop of Canterbury, Ælfheah. Thorkell and his men occupied Canterbury and took several
250:
In 1021, for unknown reasons, Thorkell is very briefly described as falling out with Cnut, with the former being banished by the king and returning to
Denmark. However, Cnut later reconciled with Thorkell in 1023, seemingly aware of the strong connections and influence he had in his home country and
282:
There is no mention of
Thorkell after 1023, and he seems to have disappeared from the historical record. Maybe he was cast out of the kingdom to return to Jomsborg or Scania. Alternatively, he may have died soon after he was made Jarl of Denmark, presumably in 1024. One theory is that he was chased
242:
into exile, but it is assumed that Cnut considered him a valuable asset and powerful ally. Given the
Jomsvikings' role in political events in Scandinavia, the possibility exists that Thorkell played a masterminding role in assisting with Sweyn Forkbeard's 1013 invasion and Cnut's re-invasion a few
218:
Disillusioned by the archbishop's murder, and sensing that he was losing control over his men, Thorkell and several other loyalists defected, taking 45 Viking ships with them. He and his men subsequently entered into the service of the
English King
211:
killing, save for his ship. And someone, possibly
Thorkell, is said to have carried the corpse to London the day after the murder. Thorkell's army eventually ceased their attacks across Southern England, but only after a large series of
308:
has
Thorkell as being in service of, rather than the threat to, Cnut and Harthacnut's authority. It is known one of Thorkell's sons was a prominent member of Harthacnut's retinue; after the collapse and subsequent death of
259:
to become Jarl of Denmark a year later. The perceived power vacuum of Thorkell's unexplained absence after 1023 and the commitment of Cnut in England, prompted King
187:
Thorkell is a historical figure, but his career, especially its early part, is steeped in associations with the legendary Jomsvikings. Thorkell took part in the
271:. The Swedish and Norwegian navies led by kings Anund Jacob and Olaf II lay in wait up the river for the navy of King Cnut, which was commanded by Danish earl
152:
a document aimed at the movers and shakers of the Anglo-Scandinavian court in the early 1040s, describes Thorkell as a great war leader and warrior.
321:'s letter of intention to invade the realm of Edward the Confessor, with the ambition to reunite the kingdoms of what is now described as the
302:
for his exploits. Thorkell's proven shrewd nature and wisdom were well documented. The sometimes contradictory contemporary literature of the
251:
that he was too powerful a man to be made an enemy of. As a result, he was granted the earldom of Denmark and given custody of Cnut's son
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on 30 November 1016, Cnut became king of England and he divided the country into four earldoms – making Thorkell the Jarl of East Anglia.
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in 1016, especially considering the former's role in opposing Cnut and his father's invasion of England in 1013 and escorting
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840:
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in 1042, Thorkell's wife and two sons were expelled from England. This was possibly linked to the intrigue that surrounded
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255:, to whom Thorkell would serve as foster-father. Thorkell's rule was a short one, with Cnut's brother-in-law
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Thorkell may have married a daughter of Æthelred the Unready called Wulfhild or Edith, who was the widow of
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998:
978:
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133:, Hemingr and Tófa. Thorkell was the chief commander of the Jomsvikings and the legendary stronghold
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Thorkell, celebrated in his lifetime by the poets, appears in the Jomsvikinga Saga and on
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In August 1009, a large Danish army led by Thorkell the Tall landed on the shores of
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as mercenaries, for whom they fought in 1013 against the invasion of Danish King
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Thorkell notably partook in a campaign that saw him lead a great Viking army to
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408:"Danes in Wessex: The Scandinavian Impact on Southern England, c. 800–c. 1100"
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It is not entirely clear how Thorkell became part of Cnut's army prior to the
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933:
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127:
123:
44:
404:""Thorkell the Tall and the Bubble Reputation: The Vicissitudes of Fame""
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264:
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Swein Forkbeard's Invasions and the Danish Conquest of England, 991–1017
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payments were made, eventually culminating to 48,000 pounds of silver.
115:
932:, a Swedish encyclopedia published between 1904 and 1926, now in the
801:
279:, the decisive victory left Cnut the dominant leader in Scandinavia.
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176:
821:"Thorkell the Tall [Þorkill inn Hávi], earl of East Anglia"
337:. Thorkell had a son who accompanied Cnut back to England in 1023.
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in England with Thorkell the Tall. He took two others with
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prior to travelling to England and claiming the throne.
355:"fafnir.com – The encyclopedia of medieval Scandinavia"
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141:. He is also credited as having received the young
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410:. Oxford: Oxbow Books. pp. 147, 148, 150–152.
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267:of Sweden to launch attacks on the Danish in the
159:in 1009, where they proceeded to overrun most of
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650:
603:. London: Oxford University Press. p. 172.
589:
545:
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541:
908:(University College London by G. N. Garmonsway)
444:
430:. London: Oxford University Press. p. 75.
480:
414:
118:order and a notable lord. He was a son of the
632:. Oxford: Cornell University Press. pp.
601:The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings
538:
428:The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings
598:
455:
425:
460:. Cambridge University Press. p. 190.
145:into his care and taken Cnut on raids. The
549:
406:. In Lavelle, Ryan; Roffey, Simon (eds.).
371:
39:Ulfr who commemorated that he had taken a
167:in 1011 and the kidnapping of archbishop
730:. London: Greenwood Press. p. 156.
623:
524:. London: Greenwood Press. p. 142.
401:
54:
18:
924:This article contains content from the
825:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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558:. Cambridge University Press. p.
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586:, Boydell & Brewer (2003), pg. 44
175:, and Ælfheah's subsequent murder at
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994:Earls and ealdormen of East Anglia
867:
14:
1020:
898:
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114:), was a prominent member of the
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667:. Routledge. 2012. p. 665.
243:years later. After the death of
812:
806:Viking Society Web Publications
793:
775:
744:
719:
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520:Gabriel Turville-Petre (1976).
485:. Greenwood Press. p. 55.
171:, who had previously converted
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163:. This soon culminated in the
1:
728:The Heroic Age of Scandinavia
522:The Heroic Age of Scandinavia
340:
857:UK public library membership
182:
7:
880:The Saga of the Jómsvíkings
827:. Oxford University Press.
751:Johannes Brondsted (1965).
695:Johannes Brondsted (1965).
456:Angelo Forte (5 May 2005).
10:
1025:
800:Blake, N. F., ed. (1962).
783:"Emma Ælfgifu of Normandy"
378:H. K. Lewis & Co. Ltd.
16:Prominent Viking mercenary
959:
950:
942:
757:. Penguin Books. p.
701:. Penguin Books. p.
510:The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
328:
726:Gabriel Turville-Petre.
554:A History of the Vikings
313:at the wedding feast of
913:
819:Abels, Richard (2004).
833:10.1093/ref:odnb/27403
483:Kent through the years
402:Williams, Ann (2016).
372:Garmonsway, G (1963).
357:. 2018. Archived from
189:Battle of Hjörungavágr
111:
95:
66:
52:
906:Canute and His empire
875:Hollander, Lee Milton
599:Peter Sawyer (2001).
426:Peter Sawyer (2001).
79:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
58:
22:
1009:11th-century Vikings
624:Campbell, J (1982).
481:Christopher Wright.
240:Æthelred the Unready
221:Æthelred the Unready
88:Þorke(ti)ll inn hávi
60:Storm in Hjørungavåg
35:, was raised by the
1004:11th-century deaths
999:10th-century births
953:Earl of East Anglia
550:Gwyn Jones (2001).
374:Cnut and his Empire
275:. Now known as the
165:siege of Canterbury
137:, on the Island of
126:, and a brother of
979:Anglo-Norse people
946:Ulfcytel Snillingr
930:Nordisk familjebok
802:"Jomsvikinga Saga"
335:Ulfcytel Snillingr
236:Battle of Assandun
191:in 986 and in the
179:on 19 April 1012.
67:
53:
967:
966:
960:Succeeded by
890:978-0-292-77623-4
855:(subscription or
842:978-0-19-861412-8
674:978-0-415-69262-5
610:978-0-19-285434-6
569:978-0-19-280134-0
437:978-0-19-285434-6
261:Olaf II of Norway
74:Thorkell the High
70:Thorkell the Tall
1016:
943:Preceded by
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661:
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647:
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628:The Anglo-Saxons
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361:on 12 June 2019.
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323:North Sea Empire
289:Emma of Normandy
277:Battle of Helgeå
161:Southern England
112:Torkild den Høje
72:, also known as
25:rune stone U 344
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193:Battle of Swold
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359:the original
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257:Ulf the Earl
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227:and his son
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124:Strut-Harald
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45:Skagul Toste
27:in Orkesta,
984:Jomsvikings
926:Owl Edition
754:The Vikings
698:The Vikings
265:Anund Jacob
104:Torkel Höge
973:Categories
957:1017–1021
380:p. 6.
376:. London:
341:References
311:Harthacnut
300:runestones
285:Harthacnut
269:Baltic Sea
253:Harthacnut
122:chieftain
116:Jomsviking
859:required)
263:and King
208:Greenwich
195:in 1000.
183:Biography
177:Greenwich
92:Norwegian
84:Old Norse
877:(1955).
848:30 March
787:Geni.com
273:Ulf Jarl
213:danegeld
200:Sandwich
135:Jomsborg
131:Sigvaldi
41:danegeld
287:joined
169:Ælfheah
120:Scanian
100:Swedish
76:in the
29:Uppland
887:
839:
765:
734:
709:
671:
640:
636:–213.
607:
566:
528:
489:
464:
434:
329:Family
293:Bruges
139:Wollin
108:Danish
37:Viking
33:Sweden
914:Note
885:ISBN
850:2021
837:ISBN
763:ISBN
732:ISBN
707:ISBN
669:ISBN
638:ISBN
605:ISBN
564:ISBN
526:ISBN
487:ISBN
462:ISBN
432:ISBN
229:Cnut
157:Kent
128:Jarl
47:and
23:The
928:of
829:doi
634:192
560:367
291:in
62:by
975::
883:.
835:.
823:.
804:.
785:.
761:.
759:94
705:.
703:94
683:^
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562:.
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82:(
51:.
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