Battle of Svalde
The Battle of Svalde, fought around the turn of the 11th century, was a significant naval engagement during the Viking Age, reflecting the intense rivalry between Norway and Denmark. It involved King Olaf I Tryggvason of Norway and an alliance of Danish and Swedish forces led by King Sweyn I Forkbeard and Earl Eric Haakonson. Tensions escalated after Olaf initiated raids along the Baltic coast, prompting the allies to set a trap near the island of Svalde. In this battle, Olaf commanded a fleet of 71 ships, including his flagship, the Long Serpent. The conflict was characterized by traditional Viking tactics that relied on boarding and hand-to-hand combat, with larger ships like the Long Serpent playing a crucial role. Ultimately, Olaf's forces suffered devastating losses, leading to his death by drowning after he attempted to escape capture. The aftermath reshaped the power dynamics in Scandinavia, resulting in Earl Eric becoming king of Norway under the influence of King Sweyn, which facilitated the expansion of Danish power in the region and set the stage for future conquests in England.
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Battle of Svalde
Type of action: Naval battle in the Viking Raids
Date: September 9, 1000
Location: Along the Baltic coast, probably near the island of Rugen
Combatants: Approximately 4,000 Norwegians vs. 7,000-8,000 Danes, Swedes, and Norwegians
Principal commanders:Norwegian, King Olaf I Tryggvason (964-1000); Danish, King Sweyn I Forkbeard (d. 1014); Swedish, King Olaf Skotkonung (d. 1022); Norwegian dissidents, Earl Erik I Haakonson (later king of Norway, d. 1024)
Result: Death of King Olaf I Tryggvason and the temporary subjugation of Norway by Denmark
During the Viking age, Norway and Denmark struggled for dominance in Scandinavia, and within each kingdom constant battles were fought between rival families for control of the throne. In Norway, the earls of Lade fought the family of Harald Finehair. Harald’s grandson, Olaf I Tryggvason, became king in 995 after killing Haakon the Good, the earl of Lade. Olaf was perhaps the foremost Viking of his day. Although a successful raider, Olaf proved an unpopular king. Olaf made many enemies when he ordered Norway to convert to Christianity. Denmark’s king, Sweyn I Forkbeard, engineered an alliance between Denmark, disaffected Norwegians under Haakon’s son, Earl Eric Haakonson, and Swedish opportunists under their king, Olaf Skotkonung. These allies then sought to draw Olaf I Tryggvason into battle.
Hostilities between Sweyn and Olaf I Tryggvason began in the summer of 1000, when Olaf mounted a series of Viking raids along Denmark’s Baltic coast. These raids were intended to intimidate Sweyn and perhaps to incite the Danish earls to rebel against him. During the Viking era, this was a common strategy, for raids raised money through plunder, eliminated the enemy through killing or capture, and inspired one’s own men with expectations of victory. As Olaf’s ships harried the coast, the allied forces laid a trap near the island of Svalde (probably the modern-day island of Rugen). Thus Olaf’s fleet of seventy-one ships met some three hundred allied ships.
The result was a typical Viking naval battle. Because Viking ships mounted no artillery or rams, battles consisted of boarding parties and hand-to-hand combat. Ships would be tied together to form a floating battle line with the largest ships in the center. The larger ships’ higher sides allowed crews to strike downward at their enemies and inflict more damage. In addition, the larger ships held larger crews and could therefore endure greater casualties.
Olaf’s flagship was called the Long Serpent and was the largest warship of its day. When Olaf saw the allied fleet, he had his fleet tied together with the large ships in the middle and the Long Serpent‘s prow extended beyond the battle line. The battle began when the Swedes and Danes attacked the Long Serpent. At the same time, Earl Eric’s forces attacked the ships at the ends of the battle line. As each isolated crew was overwhelmed, the survivors retreated toward the Long Serpent. In this fashion, attrition weakened the Norwegian forces. In the center, Olaf’s picked crews began to suffer increasing casualties. Eventually Olaf’s forces were thinned enough so that Eric was able to join the attack on the Long Serpent. After a protracted battle, Olaf’s forces were decimated, and Olaf drowned after he jumped overboard to avoid capture.
Significance
After Olaf’s death, the allies divided the spoils. Earl Eric received the Long Serpent. The Swedes received loot and fame. For Norway, Olaf’s death led to partial dismemberment. Earl Erik became the king of Norway, but he remained subordinate to King Sweyn. For Sweyn, fame from the victory at Svalde allowed him to attract the best warriors and raise what was, in effect, a standing army. This became the force that he would lead against England between 1003 and 1012. During these years, Sweyn’s invasions forced the English to pay “Danegeld” or protection money that financed further incursions. By 1013 the exhausted English surrendered to Sweyn. When Sweyn died a few weeks later, his son Canute inherited a “north-Atlantic” empire, which united England, Denmark, and Norway.
Bibliography
Harrison, Mark. Viking Hersir, 793-1066 a.d. London: Osprey, 1993.
Heath, Ian. Vikings. London: Osprey, 1985.
Sturluson, Snorri. Heimskringla: Sagas of the Norse Kings. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1991.