Świętosława

For the daughter of Casimir I the Restorer, see Świętosława of Poland.
Świętosława
Queen consort of Sweden
Queen consort of Denmark and England
Queen consort of Sweden, Denmark, Norway and England
Spouse Erik Segersäll
Sweyn Forkbeard
Issue Olof Skötkonung
Canute the Great
Harald II of Denmark
"Santslaue"
House Piast
Father Mieszko I of Poland
Mother Dobrawa of Bohemia

Świętosława was a Polish princess, daughter of Mieszko I of Poland and Dobrawa of Bohemia, and sister of Boleslaw I of Poland. She was married first to Eric the Victorious of Swedenand then Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark, according to German chroniclers, and gave them the sons Olof, and Canute and Harald, respectively. The name is only known through an inscription that gives the name of Canute's sister and the assumption that this sister was named for her mother.

The Icelandic sagas give her rôle to Sigrid the Haughty. This account is not considered reliable by scholars such as Birgitta Fritz, who assign greater reliability to the contemporary chroniclers.[1] Snorre Sturlasson also mentions a Slavic princess he calls Gunhild of Wenden.

Researcher Rafał T. Prinke in "The Identity of Mieszko I's Daughter and Her Scandinavian Relationships"(Roczniki Historyczne LXX (2004),[summary in German], Poznań – Warszawa 2004, ISBN 83-7063-429-X, pp. 81–110) establishes that Sigrid the Haughty (Sigríð Storråda) was the daughter of Skoglar Tosti, while the name Świętosława belonged to the mother of Mieszko I of Poland and his granddaughter by daughter Gunhilda (her mother being Mieszko I's second wife, Oda) and her husband, Sweyn Forkbeard. This would make Świętosława the sister of Canute the Great.[2]

Contemporary chroniclers

There is scant material in medieval chronicles to provide details regarding the marriages of Sweyn of Denmark and Erik of Sweden:

Bibliography

References

Royal titles
Preceded by
First possibly historical queen
Queen consort of Sweden
980/984–995
Succeeded by
Aud Haakonsdottir of Lade
Preceded by
Tove of the Obotrites
Queen consort of Denmark
996–1014
Succeeded by
Emma of Normandy
Preceded by
Tyra of Denmark
Queen consort of Norway
1000–1014
Succeeded by
Astrid Olofsdotter
Preceded by
Emma of Normandy
Queen consort of England
1013–1014
Succeeded by
Emma of Normandy
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