Thorkell the Tall (Old Norse: Þorke(ti)ll inn hávi) was a Danish warlord who prominently took part in battles in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. He was a son of the Scanian chieftain Strut-Harald, and a brother of Jarl Sigvaldi, Hemingr and Tófa.

Background

Thorkell was said to be the chief commander of the legendary Jomsvikings and the stronghold of Jomsborg, on the Island of Wollin. He is also credited as having received the young Cnut the Great into his care and taken Cnut on raids. The Encomium Emmae, a document concerning significant individuals in the Anglo-Scandinavian court in the early 1040s, describes Thorkell as a great war leader and warrior.

Biography

Thorkell is a historical figure, but his career, especially its early part, is steeped in associations with the legendary Jomsvikings. Thorkell took part in the Battle of Hjörungavágr in 986 and in the Battle of Swold in 1000

Thorkell led a campaign that ravaged most of Southern England throughout the span of 3 years. In August 1009, a large Danish army led by Thorkell the Tall landed on the shores of Sandwich. They first marched towards the city of Canterbury but were promptly paid 3000 pounds of silver by the people of Kent to sway the army from attacking. They instead turned towards London and attempted to take the city several times, but were met with heavy resistance and ultimately abandoned their attack.

On 8 September 1011 Thorkell’s army returned to Canterbury and besieged it for two weeks, eventually taking it through the treachery of a man named Ælfmaer, whose life had been previously saved by the archbishop of Canterbury, Ælfheah. but Ælfheah bravely refused to be ransomed or have his people pay the invaders. As a consequence, Ælfheah was murdered by Thorkell's men during a drunken feast at Greenwich on 19 April 1012: the Scandinavians pelted him with the bones of cattle before one man finished him off with a blow to the back of the head with the butt of an axe. Thorkell was said to have tried his best to prevent the death of the archbishop, offering the attackers everything he possessed to stop the killing, save for his ship. And someone, possibly Thorkell, is said to have carried the corpse to London the day after the murder. The Danish historian Niels Lund writes that Thorkell "was probably the leader of a gang of thugs based somewhere in the Baltic"; his alliance with Æthelred was a serious threat to Swein, who needed to break it.

During Cnut’s invasion of England, Thorkell had defected to Cnut’s side and abandoned the English, where he proceeded to fight five battles in one year against the English army, led by King Edmund Ironside. After the death of Edmund on 30 November 1016, Cnut became king of England and he divided the country into four earldoms – making Thorkell the Jarl of East Anglia.

In 1021, for unknown reasons, Thorkell is very briefly described as falling out with Cnut, with the former being banished by the king and returning to Denmark. and on runestones for his exploits. Thorkell's proven shrewd nature and wisdom were well documented.

References

Further reading

  • Canute and His empire (University College London by G. N. Garmonsway)

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