Ulf Jarl

Ulf Jarl (Swedish: Ulf Torgilsson , English Ulf the Earl ; Jarl is a Scandinavian noble title; † 1026 ) was a member of an important Danish family. He was the son of Thorgils Sprakalägg .

Life

Ulf joined King Canute the Great 's campaign in England (1013). Around 1015 he married Knut's sister Estrid Svendsdatter . This connection led to his being named Jarl of Denmark during Knut's absence. He was also the foster father of Knut's son Hardiknut .

When the Swedish King Anund Jakob and the Norwegian King Olav II. Haraldsson used Knut's absence to attack Denmark, Ulf was able to convince the Danes - who were already dissatisfied with Knut's absence - to elect Hardiknut as king. As a consequence, Ulf became the ruler of the country.

When Knut found out about the events in 1026, he returned to Denmark and - with Ulf's help - defeated the Swedes and Norwegians in the battle of the Helgeå . A little later, on Christmas Day 1026, Knut had his brother-in-law killed by one of his huscarles in the Trinity Church in Roskilde (the reports on this, however, are contradictory).

Ulf and Estrid are Sven Estridsson's parents and thus the first parents of the royal family that ruled Denmark from 1047 to 1375. Another son is Björn Estridsson .

literature

• Ulf Jarl . In: Theodor Westrin, Ruben Gustafsson Berg, Eugen Fahlstedt (eds.): Nordisk familjebok konversationslexikon och realencyklopedi . 2nd Edition. tape 30 : Tromsdalstind – Urakami . Nordisk familjeboks förlag, Stockholm 1920, Sp. 906 (Swedish, runeberg.org ).