Harald
baptisé par l'évêque missionnaire Poppo, relief, circa 1200
Saint Harald
Roi du
Danemark (+ 986)
ou Harold.
Roi de Danemark, il se
convertit en 948 et se consacre à l'évangélisation de son royaume. Des rebelles
païens le font périr d'une manière fort cruelle.
SOURCE : http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/178/Saint-Harald.html
St. Harold VI., King of Denmark, Martyr
THE ARCHBISHOPS of Bremen from St.
Willehad the apostle of Saxony, and St. Anscharius, the first archbishop of
Bremen, laboured successfully in planting the faith in the northern parts of
Europe. Eric the Younger, king of Denmark, was converted to the faith by St.
Anscharius. But his successors persecuted the Christians till Fronto VI. king
of Denmark, brother and successor of Swein I. embraced the faith of Christ in
his wars in England, and sent an ambassador to Pope Agapetus II. about the year
950; but died before the return of the embassy, so that his conversion produced
little fruit in that nation. Gormo III. the third king from him, was a cruel
persecutor of the Christians, and demolished a church which they had built at
Sleswic. But marrying Thyra, an English princess, he promised to become a
Christian. His son and successor, Harold VI. surnamed Blodrand, embraced the faith
with great ardour, and filled his dominions with churches and preachers; in
which, he was chiefly assisted by Adalbag, the most zealous archbishop of
Bremen, the seventh from St. Anscharius, contemporary with Otho the Great, who,
about the same time, founded the city and church of Magdeburgh. Adalbag
instituted three bishoprics in Jutland, which this king endowed. When he had
reigned many years, his son Swein, surnamed Tweskegk, who remained at that time
an idolater, 1 stirred
up the people to demand the restoration of their idols, and their ancient
liberty to plunder their neighbours. The king was wounded in battle by one
Toko, a leader of the malecontents, and died some days after of his wounds, on
the 1st of November, 980. He was buried in the church of the Holy Trinity,
which he had founded at Roschilde, and which continues to this day the
burial-place of the Danish kings. On a pillar in the choir, over the grave of
this king, is his effigies, with this inscription: “Harold, King of Dacia, (or
Denmark,) England, and Norway, founder of this church.” Though many historians
style him martyr, he is not named in the Roman Martyrology. See Vetus Historia
Regum Daniæ, prefixed to Lindenbruch’s edition of Adam Bremensis.
Note
1. Swein Tweskegk for his crimes was expelled
Denmark by has own subjects; but, after having lived fourteen years in Sweden,
recovered the crown, and was converted to the faith by Poppo, a preacher sent
from Bremen. Afterwards he invaded and conquered great part of England, where
he died. He was succeeded in Denmark by his eldest son Harold; after whom his
second son Knut the Great, called by the Danes Gamle Knut, became king of
Denmark, Norway, and England, and by sending over many learned preachers from
England, completed the conversion of Denmark. The Danish kings took the title
of kings of England during the space of one hundred and twenty years, till
Harold VII. The churches of Denmark continued subject to the archbishops of
Bremen till the reign of Eric III., surnamed the Good, when an archbishopric
was erected at Lunden about the year 1100. [back]
Rev. Alban Butler
(1711–73). Volume XI: November. The Lives of the Saints. 1866.
Sant' Araldo
(Aroldo) VI Denteazzurro Re di Danimarca, martire
Festa: 1° novembre
† 1° novembre 980
Il sovrano danese Harald VI Blaatant, cioè “Denteazzurro”, era asceso al trono nel 931 o più verosimilmente nel 950, succedendo a suo padre Gorm. Sconfitto da Ottone il Grande, fra il 948 ed il 960 si adoperò per la diffusione del cristianesimo nel suo regno, ma il suo fervore di neofita attirò a lui l’atroce ostilità di tutti i fedeli delle vecchie tradizioni pagane indigene, capeggiati da suo figlio Swein, detto “Barbaforcuta”. Questi, come attesta la testimonianza di Adamo da Brema, citato dal Cardinal Baronio, giudicando il padre ormai vecchio ed inadatto al comando approfittò della prima rivolta di coloro che si erano forzatamente convertiti per essere acclamato re. Dichiararono allora guerra al vecchio re Araldo, ma l’esercito dei suoi fedeli non riuscì a sconfiggere gli avversari ed egli stesso fu ferito mortalmente. Correva l’anno 980, come ci conferma l’epitaffio posto sul sepolcro del sovrano: “Post Natale Dei, dum scripsimus, octuaginta nongentos meruit scandere celsa poli”. Altre fonti pongono invece la morte di Araldo verso il 986. Trovata sepoltura in una chiesa da lui fatta edificare in onore della Santissima Trinità, fu da alcuni considerato martire in quanto vittima di una battaglia combattuta in difesa della fede.
E’ certo il titolo di santo attribuitogli dal Baronio, anche se non è ancora stata attestata l’antichità del suo culto. Giovanni Adolfo Cupreo negli Annales Episcoporum Sleviciensium afferma che gli antichi Danesi fossero soliti commemorare il santo re al 1° novembre, anniversario del suo martirio, nonché il proliferare di miracoli presso la sua tomba, quali in particolare numerose guarigioni di ciechi. Va però ricordato che il Cupreo scriveva nel 1634 e lontano dalla patria, quindi senza poter compiere un’accurata indagine sul culto di Aroldo. Infine i Bollandisti, nel commemorarlo al 1° novembre, si stengono però dall’attribuirgli i titoli di santo e martire.
Resta però un dato di fatto che il cristianesimo in Danimarca abbia trionfato proprio sotto il regno di questo sovrano che si prodigò nell’edificazione di chiese ed incrementò le predicazioni nel nord dell’Europa. Egli stesso fu conscio di potersi considerare il cristianizzatore del suo popolo, come fece incidere sulla celebre pietra di Jelling sulla tomba dei suoi avi.
Autore: Fabio Arduino
SOURCE : https://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/94128
ST. HAROLD VI., KING OF DENMARK, M . : https://www.ecatholic2000.com/butler/vol11/november7.shtml
