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Gorm Den Gamle var Danmarks første historiske anerkendte konge, og han regerede fra omkring 936 indtil sin død omkring 958.
Han omtales også som Gorm Den Løge til tider.
Faderen var Hardeknud, som var konge over Vestdanmark.
Legender varierer med hensyn til størrelsen af Gorms kongerige.
De historiske Jellingsten, som fortæller meget om den tidlige historie i Danmark, indikerer at han "vandt hele Danmark", men historikere mener han kun kontrollerede Jylland.
Han blev gift med Thyra, og sammen fik de tre sønner.
Gorm rejste den allerførste af Jellingstenene til ære for hende, og hun er krediteret for at have fuldgjort Danevirke væggen, som adskilte Danmarks sydlige landområder fra sakserne.
Hun beordrede udvidelsen af væggen og tilføjelsen af en træpalisade oven på den.
Selv om Jellingstenene angiver, at hun døde før Gorm, tyder legenderne på andet.
En gammel historie siger, at parrets tre sønner forlod Danmark hver sommer for at plyndre, ligesom vikingerne er kendt for at have gjort i disse tider.
Harald, der besteg tronen efter Gorm, siges at have vendt hjem for at fortælle om hans bror Knuds død, selv om legenden fortæller, at kongen havde lavet en ed, der forhindrede folk i at fortælle ham det.
Men hans kone fortalte ham det gennem en metafor om deres sønner, ved brugen af billedet som falke for at indikere at en var død.
Ifølge legenden forstod han, hvad hun mente og døde af et knust hjerte næste dag.
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Gorm the Old was Denmark’s first historically recognized king, and he ruled from about 936 until his death around 958.
He is also referred to as Gorm the Sleepy at times.
His father was Harthacnut, who was king over Western Denmark.
Legends vary regarding the size and expanse of Gorm’s kingdom.
The historic Jelling Stones, which tell much about very early Danish history, indicate that he “won all of Denmark,” but historians believe he only controlled Jutland.
He was married to Thyra, and they had three sons.
Gorm erected the very first of the Jelling Stones in honor of her, and she is credited with completing the Danevirke wall which separated Denmark’s southern lands from the Saxons.
She ordered the wall’s expansion and the addition of a timber stockade on top of it.
Although the Jelling Stones indicate that she died before Gorm, legends suggest otherwise.
An old story says the couple’s three sons left Denmark every summer to pillage and raid, just as Vikings are known to have done in those times.
Harald, who ascended to the throne after Gorm, is said to have returned home to tell of the death of his brother Knut, although the king was said to have made some sort of oath which kept people from telling him.
However, his wife told him a metaphor about their sons, using the image of falcons to say that one had died.
According to legend, he understood what she meant and died of a broken heart the next day.
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