Stelle Regem Danorum Sueinum, inquam, ueri...; (Encomium Emmae reginae (1040 - 1041), i.1 (p. 8)) [5073]

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ID 5073
Text Encomium Emmae reginae (1040 - 1041) Anonymous - History
Quotation Regem Danorum Sueinum, inquam, ueridica comperi relatione omnium sui temporis regum ferme fortunatissimum extitisse, adeo ut, quod raro contigi solet, principiis felicibus secundum Deum et seculum multo felicior responderet magnumque sibi decus secundum seculum peperit imperii quod amministrabat regimen. Tantam deinde illi gratiam diuina concessit uirtus, ut etiam puerulus intimo affectu diligeretur ab omnibus, tantum patri proprio inuisus, nulla noc promerente pueruli culpa, sed sola turbante inuidia. Qui factus iuuenis in amore cotidie crescebat populi; unde magis magisque inuidia augebatur patri, adeo ut eum a patria non iam clanculum sed palam uellet expellere, iurando asserens eum post se regnaturum non esse. Unde dolens exercitus relicto patre herebat filio, et eum defensabat sedulo. Huius rei gratia congreditur in praelio; in quo uulneratus fugatusque pater ad Sclauos fugit, et non multo post ii obiit, et Suein eius solium quiete tenuit.
Translation Sveinn, king of the Danes, was, I declare, as I have ascertained from truthful report, practically the most fortunate of all the kings of his time, so that, as seldom occurs, his happy beginning was followed by an end much happier from both the spiritual and the worldly point of view. He, then, derived his descent from a most noble source, a thing of foremost importance among men, and the government of the empire which he administered brought him great worldly honour. The divine power granted him such great favour, that even as a boy he was held by all in close affection, and was hated only by his own father. No fault of the boy deserved this: it was due only to envy. When he grew to be a young man, he increased daily in the love of his people, and, accordingly, his father's envy increased more and more, so that he wished, not in secret, but openly, to cast him out, affirming by oath that he should not rule after him. The army, grieved by this, deserted the father, adhered to the son, and afforded him protection. As a result they met in a battle, in which the father was wounded, and fled to the Slavs, where he died shortly afterwards. Sveinn held his throne undisturbed. (Translation: Campbell 1949, p. 9)
Quotation source i.1 (p. 8)
Temporal Coverage 983 - 988
Associated use case(s)
Spatial Coverage Objects
Comment The date of Harald's death in exile is unclear but generally placed around 985. Adam of Bremen (II.28) places it immediately before the death of Archbishop Adaldag in 988. Harald's activity in the Slavic revolt of 983 probably provides the beginning of the immediate background to his conflict with Svend, who continued to be in conflict with Slavs after his father's death. See Laura Gazzoli, 'Cnut, his Dynasty and the Elbe-Slavs', in The Anglo-Danish Empire, eds. R. North, E. Goeres and A. Finlay (2022), at pp. 406-8.