HARALD Gormsen, son of GORM "den Gamle/the Old" King of Denmark & his wife Tyre "Danebod" ([925/35]-Jomsborg 1 Dec [986/87], bur Roskilde Cathedral[154]). Adam of Bremen records that "filium autem regis [=Worm] Haroldum" succeeded as ruler in Denmark[155]. Saxo Grammaticus names Harald as son of Tyre[156]. The Chronicon Roskildense names "Gorm pater Haraldi", specifying that "Haraldus" reigned for 15 years during the life of his father and 50 years after his father died, and was known as "Blatan sive Clac Harald", on the other hand a later passage specifies that Harald succeeded his father Gorm[157]. He succeeded his father before 950 as HARALD I "Blåtand/Bluetooth" King of Denmark. Snorre records that "King Harald Gormson" ruled in Denmark when the sons of King Eirik " Blodøks" sought refuge there in [955][158]. According to Snorre, he invaded Norway in 965 after the death of King Harald II, supported by Jarl Haakon Sigurdson, Harald Gudrodson "Grenske" and other Norwegian exiles[159]. He effectively made himself ruler of Norway, but returned to Denmark after leaving Jarl Haakon in Norway as his regent[160]. Emperor Otto invaded Jutland and defeated King Harald, who took refuge at Limafjord on the island of Marsey where he was converted to Christianity by Bishop Poppo after agreeing a truce with the emperor[161]. Adam of Bremen records that King Harald submitted to Emperor Otto and was baptised "cum uxore Gunhild et filio parvulo"[162]. Adam of Bremen names "Suein Otto, filius magni Haroldi regis Danorum" when recording that he deposed and expelled his father who fled to "civitatem Sclavorum quæ Iumne dicitur" where King Harald died from his wounds. Adam specifies that his body was repatriated to Roskilde for burial in the church of the Holy Trinity which he had built, that King Harald had ruled for 50 years and that he died "in festivitate omnium sanctorum"[163]. His son Svend rebelled against him and forced his father to flee to Jomsburg (now Wolin) where he died from wounds received while counter-attacking his son's forces[164]. Guillaume of Jumièges records that “Aigroldus rex Danorum” was expelled from his kingdom by "filio suo...Sveno" and was received in Normandy by “dux” [Guillaume Comte de Normandie] who granted him “Constantiensem comitatum”[165], although this is evidently anachronistic as Duke Guillaume died in 942. Guillaume of Jumièges records that Louis IV King of the West Franks, after the death of Richard´s father, marched on Rouen, was received by “Rodulphus et Bernardus atque Anslech totius Normannici ducatus tutores”, and captured Richard, who was taken to Laon but was freed by “Osmundus...consilio cum Yvone patre Willelmi de Belismo” and taken to “Silvanectis” where “Bernardus...comes” protected “nepotem suum Richardum”[166], a passage dated to [945] from the context. According to King Olav Trygvason's Saga, King Harald defeated his son but died from wounds received in the battle[167]. Modern-day "Bluetooth" computer technology was named after King Harald, his union of Denmark and Norway being considered by the inventors, for some reason, as analogous with the wire-free linking of computer devices[168].
m firstly ([before 960]) GUNHILD, daughter of ---. Adam of Bremen names Gunhild as wife of King Harald when recording that the couple were baptised with their small son[169]. 965.
m secondly TOVE, daughter of [MSTIVOJ] & his wife ---(-[990]). Her marriage and parentage are confirmed by a Runic stone at Sönder Vissing, Denmark which records that "Tufa let gera [make] kuml[monument],Mistiuis do´tter,ept [daughter] Mo´thur[mother]sina.Kona [queen] Haralds hins Goda,Gormssonar"[170]. According to Europäische Stammtafeln[171]she was Tove, daughter of Mstivoj the Wendish prince. The name of Tove´s father,"Mistiuis", on theRunic stone bears some similarity to Mstivoj.However, one difficulty is theapparent chronological discrepancy. The only other reference to Mstivoj is dated to 1000 (see MECKLENBURG) and gives no idea about his age at the time. Nor is there any indication of the date of Tove´s marriage, although it appears unlikely that she married much later than 980 considering the date her husband died. This would place her birth in [960]which, in turn, would mean thatMstivoj would have been over 60 years old whenhe is mentioned in 1000. Thisis not impossible, but it seems a littlesurprising. Another possibility isthat she was Tove of Poland, daughter of Mieszko I Prince of Poland. The name "Mieszko" is justas similar to"Mistiuis" as "Mstivoj". This would place her birth after 966, later than suggested above, assuming that she wasMieszko´s daughter by his wife Dobrava of Bohemia. If this hypothesis is correct, Tove could have been the sister of the first wife of King Harald´s son, King Svend, implying a father/son double marriage with two sisters. This would place King Svend´s marriage rather earlier than the date suggested below, but the idea is not impossible.
[m [thirdly] ([984/85]) GYRITHA of Sweden, sister of STYRBJÖRN "den Starke/the Strong" King of Sweden, daughter of ---. This marriage is only referred to by Saxo Grammaticus, who says that King Styrbjörn had sought help from King Harald after being deposed as king of Sweden by his cousin and granted Harald his sister in marriage[172].]
King Harald I had six children, maybe all by his first wife although this is not certain