When did Gorm the Old rule Denmark?
Gorm the Old ruled Denmark from around 936 until his death, which is estimated at around 958 or possibly as late as 963 or 964. He reigned from his seat at Jelling in Jutland.
Questions about Gorm the Old
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What does the name Gorm the Old mean?
Gorm is a contraction of a traditional Germanic dithematic name formed by compounding two nouns. Proposed origins include Old Norse goð meaning "god" combined with ormr meaning "snake", or with "þormr" meaning "deity". The epithet "the Old" reflects his status as the traditional ancestral head of the Danish monarchy.
What is the Jelling Stone that Gorm the Old raised?
Gorm the Old raised the oldest of the two Jelling Stones in honour of his wife Thyra, calling her tanmarkar but, which translates as "Denmark's Salvation" or "Denmark's Adornment". It is one of the earliest surviving inscriptions to use the name Denmark.
Who was Thyra, the wife of Gorm the Old?
Thyra was the wife of Gorm the Old and the mother of Harald Bluetooth. No contemporary source records her parentage, and later accounts giving her a family background are considered chronologically unreliable. Saxo Grammaticus credited her with ordering the construction of the Danevirke fortification, a tradition that gave her lasting national significance in Denmark.
How did Gorm the Old die according to legend?
According to the legend recorded by Arild Huitfeldt in the Danmarks Riges Krønike, Gorm died of grief the day after learning that his son Knut had been killed during an attempt to capture Dublin, Ireland. Queen Thyra broke the news through a metaphor about two falcons rather than stating it directly, to avoid violating an oath Gorm had made.
Where was Gorm the Old buried?
Gorm the Old was buried at Jelling. Some archaeologists have proposed that he was first interred in the northern burial mound there and later moved by his son Harald Bluetooth into the original wooden church at Jelling. A skeleton found at the site of that church has been identified by some researchers as possibly belonging to Gorm, though the theory is still debated.