Editing Sweyn Forkbeard (section)

===Revolt and possible exile===
In the mid-980s, Sweyn revolted against his father and seized the throne. Harald was driven into exile and died shortly afterwards in November 986 or 987.<ref name="Sawyer2004"/>

Adam of Bremen depicted Sweyn as a rebellious pagan who persecuted Christians, betrayed his father and expelled German bishops from [[Scania]] and [[Zealand]]. According to Adam, Sweyn was sent into exile by his father's German friends and deposed in favour of king [[Eric the Victorious]] of Sweden, whom Adam wrote ruled Denmark until his death in 994 or 995. Sørensen (2001) argues that Adam's depiction of Sweyn may be overly negative, as seen through an "unsympathetic and intolerant eye".<ref>Sørensen, M.P. (2001). "Religions Old and New", ''The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings''. Ed. P.H. Sawyer. Oxford University Press (2001), p. 202</ref>
Adam's account is thus not seen as entirely reliable; the claimed 14 years' exile of Sweyn to Scotland does not seem to agree with Sweyn's building churches in Denmark throughout the same period, including the churches in [[Lund]] and [[Roskilde]].<ref name="Lund">Lund, Niels (2001). "The Danish Empire and the End of the Viking Age", ''The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings''. Ed. P. H. Sawyer. Oxford University Press, 2001, pp. 167–181. {{ISBN|0192854348}}.</ref> According to Adam, Sweyn was punished by God for leading the uprising which led to king Harald's death, and had to spend fourteen years abroad (i.e. 986–1000). The historicity of this exile, or its duration, is uncertain. Adam writes that Sweyn was shunned by all those with whom he sought refuge, but was finally allowed to live for a while in Scotland. Adam also suggests that Sweyn in his youth lived among heathens, and only achieved success as a ruler after accepting Christianity.