Horik I
Encyclopedia
Horik I reigned as sole King
of Denmark from 827 to his violent death in 854. His reign was marked by Danish raids on the Franco-German empire of Louis the Pious
, son and successor of Charlemagne
.
Horik's father was King Gudfred
, known for his successful raids and wars against Charlemagne's Frankish empire and against the Abodrites. In 810, Godfred was assassinated by one of his retinue, and his nephew and successor Hemming made peace with Charlemagne.
Hemming did not last long. Horik and another of Gudfred's sons took power in 811, later expelling a rival named Harald Klak
, who took refuge at the court of Charlemagne's son and successor, Louis the Pious
. In 819, Louis forced Godfred's sons to accept Harald as co-ruler. Harald converted to Christianity
in 826, with Louis standing as his godfather, but Harald was driven out of Denmark for the second and final time one year later. By then Horik was the only son Godfred's still alive, making him the sole king of the Danes.
Horik refused to convert to Christianity, as it was his enemies' religion, and resisted attempts by Archbishop Anskar of Hamburg
-Bremen
to proselytize the Danes. In 845, Horik's army attacked Hamburg and destroyed St. Mary's Cathedral there. It was Horik's last major war in Germany
.
However, Danish raids against Frisia
continued. The Franks
lacked an effective fleet, so the Danes could raid more or less with impunity. The Danes sacked the silver minting center of Dorestad
in 834, 835, and 836, and plundered Walcheren
in 837. In 845, a Viking warlord named Ragnar attacked Paris
and had to be bought off with 7000 pounds of gold and silver.
King Horik seems to have disapproved of these raids, for successful raiders constituted possible rivals. Occasionally, Horik even punished raiders. In 836, Horik sent an embassy to King Louis declaring that he had nothing to do with the raids on Frisia, and that he had executed those responsible. In 845, following Ragnar's mysterious death, he had Ragnar's followers massacred.
Events proved Horik's precautions to be fully justified. In 854, King Horik I was killed by a nephew whom he had driven into exile. While in exile, the nephew had become a successful raider.
King
- Centers of population :* King, Ontario, CanadaIn USA:* King, Indiana* King, North Carolina* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin* King, Waupaca County, Wisconsin* King County, Washington- Moving-image works :Television:...
of Denmark from 827 to his violent death in 854. His reign was marked by Danish raids on the Franco-German empire of Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
, son and successor of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
.
Horik's father was King Gudfred
Gudfred
King Gudfred was a Danish king during the Viking era. Gudfred was the younger son of King Sigfred. Alternate spelling include Godfred, Göttrick , Gøtrik , Gudrød , and Godofredus .-Biography:King Gudfred appeared in present day Holstein with a navy in 804 AD where diplomacy took place with the...
, known for his successful raids and wars against Charlemagne's Frankish empire and against the Abodrites. In 810, Godfred was assassinated by one of his retinue, and his nephew and successor Hemming made peace with Charlemagne.
Hemming did not last long. Horik and another of Gudfred's sons took power in 811, later expelling a rival named Harald Klak
Harald Klak
Harald 'Klak' Halfdansson was a king in Jutland around 812–814 and again from 819–827.-Family:...
, who took refuge at the court of Charlemagne's son and successor, Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
. In 819, Louis forced Godfred's sons to accept Harald as co-ruler. Harald converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in 826, with Louis standing as his godfather, but Harald was driven out of Denmark for the second and final time one year later. By then Horik was the only son Godfred's still alive, making him the sole king of the Danes.
Horik refused to convert to Christianity, as it was his enemies' religion, and resisted attempts by Archbishop Anskar of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
-Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
to proselytize the Danes. In 845, Horik's army attacked Hamburg and destroyed St. Mary's Cathedral there. It was Horik's last major war in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
However, Danish raids against Frisia
Frisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
continued. The Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
lacked an effective fleet, so the Danes could raid more or less with impunity. The Danes sacked the silver minting center of Dorestad
Dorestad
In the Early Middle Ages, Dorestad was the largest settlement of northwestern Europe. It was a large, flourishing trading place, three kilometers long, situated where the rivers Rhine and Lek diverge southeast of Utrecht in the Netherlands near the modern town of Wijk bij Duurstede...
in 834, 835, and 836, and plundered Walcheren
Walcheren
thumb|right|250px|Campveer Tower in Veere, built in 1500Walcheren is a former island in the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands at the mouth of the Scheldt estuary. It lies between the Oosterschelde in the north and the Westerschelde in the south and is roughly the shape of a rhombus...
in 837. In 845, a Viking warlord named Ragnar attacked Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and had to be bought off with 7000 pounds of gold and silver.
King Horik seems to have disapproved of these raids, for successful raiders constituted possible rivals. Occasionally, Horik even punished raiders. In 836, Horik sent an embassy to King Louis declaring that he had nothing to do with the raids on Frisia, and that he had executed those responsible. In 845, following Ragnar's mysterious death, he had Ragnar's followers massacred.
Events proved Horik's precautions to be fully justified. In 854, King Horik I was killed by a nephew whom he had driven into exile. While in exile, the nephew had become a successful raider.