Gunhilde

Gunhilde (or Gunnhild) (died 13 November 1002) is said to have been the sister of Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark, and the daughter of Harald Bluetooth. She was married to Pallig, a Dane who served the King of England, Æthelred the Unready, as ealdorman of Devonshire.[1]

For other uses, see Gunhild.

She is supposed to have been a hostage in England when she was killed in the St. Brice's Day massacre, ordered by Æthelred.[2] Pallig is reported alternatively to have been killed in the massacre or to have provoked the massacre by deserting Æthelred's service.[3]

Historians are divided about the strength of the evidence that she was Sweyn Forkbeard's sister. Ryan Lavelle is sceptical of the reliability of the later medieval sources, such as the Chronicle of John of Wallingford, which mention her.[3] However, Frank Stenton described the claim as a "well recorded tradition", and considered that a desire to avenge her death was probably a principal motive for Sweyn's invasion of England in 1003,[4] leading to the eventual conquest of England by his son Cnut.

References
  1. Freeman 2011, p. 336.
  2. Williams 2003, p. 54.
  3. Lavelle 2008, p. 104-105.
  4. Stenton 1971, p. 380.

Sources
  • Freeman, Edward Augustus (2011). The History of the Norman Conquest of England: Its Causes and Its Results. Vol. I (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Lavelle, Ryan (2008). Aethelred II: King of the English. The History Press.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Stenton, Frank (1971). Anglo-Saxon England (Third ed.). Oxford University Press.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Williams, Ann (2003). Athelred the Unready: The Ill-Counselled King. Hambledon and London.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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