KING SVEND OF THE FORKED BEAR by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This poem narrates a Viking plot to take down King Olaf of Norway.
The poem
Loudly the sailors cheered Svend of the Forked Beard, As with his fleet he steered Southward to Vendland; Where with their courses hauled All were together called, Under the Isle of Svald Near to the mainland. After Queen Gunhild's death, So the old Saga saith, Plighted King Svend his faith To Sigrid the Haughty; And to avenge his bride, Soothing her wounded pride, Over the waters wide King Olaf sought he. Still on her scornful face, Blushing with deep disgrace, Bore she the crimson trace Of Olaf's gauntlet; Like a malignant star, Blazing in heaven afar, Red shone the angry scar Under her frontlet. Oft to King Svend she spake, "For thine own honor's sake Shalt thou swift vengeance take On the vile coward!" Until the King at last, Gusty and overcast, Like a tempestuous blast Threatened and lowered. Soon as the Spring appeared, Svend of the Forked Beard High his red standard reared, Eager for battle; While every warlike Dane, Seizing his arms again, Left all unsown the grain, Unhoused the cattle. Likewise the Swedish King Summoned in haste a Thing, Weapons and men to bring In aid of Denmark; Erie the Norseman, too, As the war-tidings flew, Sailed with a chosen crew From Lapland and Finmark. So upon Easter day Sailed the three kings away, Out of the sheltered bay, In the bright season; With them Earl Sigvald came, Eager for spoil and fame; Pity that such a name Stooped to such treason! Safe under Svald at last, Now were their anchors cast, Safe from the sea and blast, Plotted the three kings; While, with a base intent, Southward Earl Sigvald went, On a foul errand bent, Unto the Sea-kings. Thence to hold on his course, Unto King Olaf's force, Lying within the hoarse Mouths of Stet-haven; Him to ensnare and bring, Unto the Danish king, Who his dead corse would fling Forth to the raven!
This poem narrates a Viking plot to take down King Olaf of Norway. King Svend of Denmark, spurred on by his ambitious new wife Sigrid, teams up with the Swedish king and a Norse earl to set a trap for Olaf at sea — with a treacherous earl named Sigvald sent ahead to bait Olaf into the ambush. Picture it as a medieval action tale conveyed in brief, impactful verses, rich with wounded pride, political maneuvering, and the scent of saltwater.
Line-by-line
Loudly the sailors cheered / Svend of the Forked Beard,
After Queen Gunhild's death, / So the old Saga saith,
Still on her scornful face, / Blushing with deep disgrace,
Oft to King Svend she spake, / "For thine own honor's sake
Soon as the Spring appeared, / Svend of the Forked Beard
Likewise the Swedish King / Summoned in haste a Thing,
So upon Easter day / Sailed the three kings away,
Safe under Svald at last, / Now were their anchors cast,
Thence to hold on his course, / Unto King Olaf's force,
Tone & mood
The tone is bold and energetic — Longfellow clearly relishes the saga material and wants the reader to sense the excitement of ships launching and armies gathering. However, there's an undertone of moral judgment at play. The mention of Sigvald resorting to treason, along with the stark image of Olaf's body left for the ravens, indicates that Longfellow isn't merely glorifying Viking warfare. He is narrating a tale about how wounded pride and political ambition lead men to betray their own.
Symbols & metaphors
- Sigrid's scar — The crimson mark left by Olaf's gauntlet drives the poem's essence. It symbolizes wounded pride and how personal humiliation can be twisted into political violence. Longfellow likens it to a malignant star—an undeniable force that burns in the sky.
- The forked beard — Svend's unique beard is his signature feature, echoed throughout the poem like a refrain. It symbolizes his identity and authority—the trait that makes him recognizable to his sailors and to history.
- Spring / Easter — The arrival of spring marks the fleet's departure. While spring typically represents renewal and life, in this context, it signals war. The specific reference to Easter heightens the irony: a time associated with peace and resurrection transforms into the launch point for a conspiracy to kill.
- The raven — In Norse tradition, the raven symbolizes battle and death, closely linked to Odin. Svend's plan to offer Olaf's corpse to the raven isn't merely a threat; it's a statement that Olaf will be denied an honorable burial, marking the deepest disgrace for a Viking.
- The tempest / storm imagery — Longfellow portrays Svend as "gusty and overcast" and "like a tempestuous blast" as he is drawn toward war. This weather metaphor illustrates a man whose anger is intensifying like a storm—raw, powerful, and ultimately inevitable.
Historical context
Longfellow published *Tales of a Wayside Inn* in 1863, and his Scandinavian poems are deeply influenced by the Old Norse sagas, especially Snorri Sturluson's *Heimskringla*. The historical events he describes, like the Battle of Svolder around 1000 AD, were actual naval battles where a coalition of Scandinavian rulers defeated and killed King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway. Longfellow had a lifelong interest in Norse literature and language, which is also evident in his translation of the Finnish *Kalevala*-influenced *Song of Hiawatha*. By the 1860s, Viking history had become quite popular in American and European literary culture, and Longfellow stood out as one of its main champions. His use of short, four-beat anapestic lines captures the driving rhythms of the original skaldic verse tradition he was emulating.
FAQ
Yes. Svend Forkbeard (Sweyn I of Denmark, c. 960–1014) was a historical Viking king who invaded England in 1013, briefly becoming its king before he died. The events in this poem highlight an earlier episode: his alliance against King Olaf Tryggvason of Norway around 1000 AD.
According to the Norse sagas, Olaf Tryggvason hit Sigrid in the face with his glove when she declined to convert to Christianity before their planned marriage. That incident ended their engagement and turned her into a lifelong enemy. Sigrid later married Svend and spent years urging him to seek revenge.
A Thing (or *þing*) was a formal gathering in Norse and Germanic societies where free men came together to resolve disputes, create laws, and make decisions about collective actions such as going to war. Longfellow employs the term to show his loyalty to the historical sources.
Sigvald was officially aligned with King Olaf, but he secretly colluded to draw him into the ambush at Svolder. The sagas remember him as one of the great traitors of the Viking age—a man who betrayed a king he was meant to serve for his own benefit.
The Battle of Svolder, which took place around 1000 AD, was a naval confrontation where King Olaf Tryggvason's fleet fell into an ambush set by the united forces of Denmark, Sweden, and the Lade earls of Norway. Olaf faced defeat and is said to have jumped into the sea to avoid capture. After that, he vanished without a trace. The poem concludes just before this battle starts.
Each stanza has an AAAB CCCB rhyme scheme, where the first three lines rhyme and the fourth serves as a brief refrain. The lines are mostly short, typically three beats each, creating a drumbeat effect that fits the war theme. Longfellow intentionally mirrored the rhythmic drive found in skaldic Norse poetry.
Primarily from Snorri Sturluson's *Heimskringla*, a collection of Norse kings' sagas written in the 13th century. Longfellow studied Scandinavian literature and languages deeply, and he carefully referenced these sources. In stanza two, he uses the phrase "so the old Saga saith" to directly acknowledge this influence.
Yes. This poem is part of a collection of Scandinavian-themed works in Longfellow's *Tales of a Wayside Inn* (1863). The book features a group of travelers sharing stories with one another, inspired loosely by Chaucer's *Canterbury Tales*. The "Musician" character in the collection narrates the Norse tales.