Gudfred

Also known as Godfred, Godefrid, 6th King of Haithabu

Key facts

Royalty.name: Gudfred
Royalty.image: Kong Gøtrik den Gavmilde.jpg
Royalty.caption: Gudfred (Gøtrik den Gavmilde) as depicted in 1670
Royalty.succession: King of the Danes
Royalty.reign: c. 804–810
Royalty.predecessor: Sigfred
Royalty.successor: Hemming
Royalty.birth_date: Late 8th century
Royalty.birth_place: Denmark
Royalty.death_date: 810
Royalty.death_place: Denmark
Royalty.issue: Horik I
Royalty.house: Sigfredian
Royalty.house type: Dynasty

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Wikidata facts

Image: Kong Gøtrik den Gavmilde.jpg

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date of death: 0810-00-00
date of birth: 0800-01-01
name in native language: Gudrød

Sources (3)

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Article

8 sections

Contents

Family
Failed diplomatic overtures
Viking invasion of the Obodrite lands
Invasion of Frisia and death
The realm of Gudfred
Possible connections with the saga literature
References
Further reading

Gudfred was a ninth century Danish king who reigned from at least 804 to 810. Alternate spellings include Godfred (Danish), Göttrick (German), Gøtrik (Danish), Gudrød (Danish), and Godofredus (Latin). He stands at the threshold of the History of Denmark in the sense that he is the first ruler about whom there is substantial knowledge from contemporary sources. He waged offensive war against the Carolingian Empire with some success, but was murdered under murky circumstances before a major confrontation had taken place. There is no unambiguous trace of Gudfred in the later Norse sagas, and his history can only be traced from the hostile Frankish texts which makes an assessment of his role problematic. His paternity is unknown but he may have been closely related to Sigfred, who preceded him as king of Denmark c. 770–804. He was the uncle of the later Danish King Hemming (810–812) and the father of King Horik I (813–854).

==Family==