Thyra | |
---|---|
Queen consort of Denmark | |
Died | Likely before 963 CE. See § Death and burial |
Spouse | Gorm the Old |
Issue | |
House | House of Gorm |
Father | Possibly Æthelred I of Wessex or Klak Harald |
Thyra (Old Norse: Þyri or Þyre) was the wife of King Gorm the Old of Denmark, and one of the first queens of Denmark widely believed by scholars to be historical rather than legendary. She is presented in medieval sources as a wise and powerful woman who ordered the building or fortification of the Danevirke, consistent with her commemoration on multiple Viking Age runestones. These include those at Jelling which was the seat of power for her dynasty. When she was born and became queen is unclear, however, she likely ruled until her death in the middle of the 10th century CE.