House of Thorgil

The House of Thorgil, also known as the Thorgiling Dynasty or the House of Swithlaw, were Kings of England, Ireland and Wales and Emperors in Britannia. Originally the rulers of Viken in Sweden, they managed to conquer the Swithlaw in Southern England for themselves. After decades of ruling in this rich corner of England, they became identified with their new people, and the then-Jarl Thorgil the Severe, the progenitor of the House, declared his independence from Sweden while it was suffering from troubles over the last revival of the old Norse religion. He was proclaimed King of England after winning his freedom from the Swedes.

The Thorgilings rose to great heights within a few generations of King Thorgil. Under King Guthfrith the Conqueror, grandson of Thorgil, they conquered most of the British isles, going to war against the Kings of Ireland, who had slighted them by spurning alliances with England for their Mercian opponents a number of times in the preceding time. In addition to his Kingdom in England, Guthfrith became King of Ireland and Prince of Wales. He also conquered abroad, playing a great role in the Alexandrian Crusade, which resulted in his daughter Svanhildr the Holy being crowned Queen of Egypt, the second large crusader Kingdom to be established, bordering Jerusalem to the East. The conquests of King Guthfrith were completed by his son, Kjartan the Wise, whose conquests in Wales resulted in his coronation as Emperor in Britannia.