Gyda of Sweden
Encyclopedia
Gyda Anundsdotter of Sweden, also known as Guda and Gunhild (dead c. 1048/49), was a mediaeval and Viking age
Swedish princess and Danish queen consort, spouse of King Sweyn II of Denmark
.
and Queen Gunhild of Sweden
. Some sources, however, claim that Anund and Gunhild did not have any children. It is possible that she was the daughter of Anund and another woman.
She was in 1047 or 1048 married to King Sweyn of Denmark. It is also possible, that they were married during the time when Sweyn lived in exile at the Swedish court, but this is not confirmed. After about a year of marriage, she died. The cause of her death is unconfirmed: tradition say, that she was murdered by poison
by her spouse's lover, Thora. It is not known if any of the children of Sweyn was also the children of Gyda. After the death of her father in 1050, her widower Sweyn married her mother (or stepmother), Queen dowager Gunhild, but they were soon forced to separate by the church.
Gyda have in history often been confused and mixed up with her mother (or stepmother) Gunhild, as their names were similar, and because they were both married to Sweyn. Consequently, she is said to have been forced to divorce Sweyn and move back to Sweden, where she became the founder of Gudhem convent in 1052. Both of them have also been called Gunhild, Guda or Gyda.
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
Swedish princess and Danish queen consort, spouse of King Sweyn II of Denmark
Sweyn II of Denmark
Sweyn II Estridsson Ulfsson was the King of Denmark from 1047 to 1074. He was the son of Ulf Jarl and Estrid Svendsdatter. He was married three times, and fathered 20 children or more, including the five future kings Harald III Hen, Canute IV the Saint, Oluf I Hunger, Eric I Evergood and Niels...
.
Biography
There is little information about Gyda. She was the daughter of King Anund Jacob of SwedenAnund Jacob of Sweden
Anund Jacob, Swedish: Anund Jakob was King of Sweden from 1022 until around 1050. He is believed to have been born on July 25, in either 1008 or 1010 as Jakob. When the Swedish Thing was to elect him the co-ruler of Sweden, the people objected to his non-Scandinavian name...
and Queen Gunhild of Sweden
Gunhild (Swedish queen)
Gunnhildr Sveinsdóttir or Gunnhildr Haraldsdóttir, Guda or Gyda was a queen consort of king Anund Jacob of Sweden and of king Sveinn II of Denmark. Her parentage is not confirmed; she is called Gunnhildr Sveinsdóttir or Gunnhildr Haraldsdóttir depending on parentage...
. Some sources, however, claim that Anund and Gunhild did not have any children. It is possible that she was the daughter of Anund and another woman.
She was in 1047 or 1048 married to King Sweyn of Denmark. It is also possible, that they were married during the time when Sweyn lived in exile at the Swedish court, but this is not confirmed. After about a year of marriage, she died. The cause of her death is unconfirmed: tradition say, that she was murdered by poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
by her spouse's lover, Thora. It is not known if any of the children of Sweyn was also the children of Gyda. After the death of her father in 1050, her widower Sweyn married her mother (or stepmother), Queen dowager Gunhild, but they were soon forced to separate by the church.
Gyda have in history often been confused and mixed up with her mother (or stepmother) Gunhild, as their names were similar, and because they were both married to Sweyn. Consequently, she is said to have been forced to divorce Sweyn and move back to Sweden, where she became the founder of Gudhem convent in 1052. Both of them have also been called Gunhild, Guda or Gyda.