Ulv jarl Torgilsson ^{1 2}

   Another name for Ulv was Ulf Sprakaläggsson.

  General Notes:

Ulf Jarl belonged to a prominent Swedish family since he was the son of Thorgils Sprakalägg who was the son of Styrbjörn the Strong and Tyra, the daughter of Harald Bluetooth. He was consequently closely related to both the Swedish and Danish royal houses.

Ulf joined Canute the Great's expedition to England. In c. 1015, he married Canute's sister Estrid and was appointed the Jarl of Denmark which he ruled when Canute was absent. He was also the foster-father of Canute's son Harthacanute.

When the Swedish king Anund Jakob and the Norwegian king Saint Olaf took advantage of Canute's absence and attacked Denmark, Ulf convinced the freemen to elect Harthacanute king, since they were miscontent with Canute's absenteeism. This was a ruse from Ulf since his role as the caretaker of Harthacanute would make him the ruler of Denmark.

When Canute learnt of what had happened in 1026, he returned to Denmark and with Ulf Jarl's help, he defeated the Swedes and the Norwegians at the Battle of the Helgeå. This service, did not, however, make Canute forgive Ulf for his coup. At a banquet in Roskilde, the two brothers-in-law were playing chess and started arguing with each other. The next day, the Christmas of 1026, Canute had one of his Housecarls [male servant] kill Ulf Jarl in the church of Trinity. The accounts of the two brothers and Ulf's death are contradictory.

Ulf was the father of Sweyn Estridson, and thus the ancestor of Danish royal house which would rule denmark 1047-1375.
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På vei hjem fra Østersjøtoget i 1022 kom det til forsoning mellom Knud den Mektige og Torkil den Høye, som ble innsatt som stattholder i Danmark. Få år senere døde Torkil, og den engelske stormannen Wulfsige, som var gift med Knuds halvsøster Estrid, overtok som stattholder under navnet Ulv Jarl. Hans far var angelsakseren Sprakling, etter islandske kilder, Torgils Sprakelegg. I brev fra Knud den Mektiges tid nevnes Ulv og hans bror Eilif som jarler i England. Ulv var nest kong Knud den mektigste mann i Danmark.

Under et sjakkspill kom han i trette med Knud. Han ble deretter drept i Luciuskirken i Roskilde ca. 1026 av hirdmannen Ivar Hvide på Knud den Mektiges befaling.

From Snorre Sturlasson: Saga of Olaf Haraldson:

"144. MEETING OF KING OLAF AND KING ONUND.
King Olaf was, as before related, in Sarpsborg the winter (A.D. 1026) that King Canute was in Denmark. The Swedish king Onund rode across West Gautland the same winter, and had thirty hundred (3600) men with him. Men and messages passed between them; and they agreed to meet in spring at Konungahella. The meeting had been postponed, because they wished to know before they met what King Canute intended doing. As it was now approaching towards winter, King Canute made ready to go over to England with his forces, and left his son Hardaknut to rule in Denmark, and with him Earl Ulf, a son of Thorgils Sprakaleg. Ulf was married to Astrid, King Svein's daughter, and sister of Canute the Great. Their son Svein was afterwards king of Denmark. Earl Ulf was a very distinguished man. ..."

  Noted events in his life were:

• He was an Earl [Jarl].

Ulv married Estrid Svendsdatter, daughter of Svend I Haraldsson Tjugeskjegg of Denmark and Sigrid Toftesdatter Storråde, in 1015.