The Fleet Is Raised. William Prepares for Invasion
The History of King Sweyn Estridsson and His Sons and of the Martyrdom of King Canute the Holy
Classis uero in dies parabatur, et ad nobilem tam frugibus quam et rerum opulentia terram tam a nobilibus quam et a uulgo omni instantia festinabatur. Verumtamen rumore expeditionis eorum Brittanniam usque uelificante atque uniuersum Anglorum orbem cursitando replente Willelmus, arte tuitionis, utpote bellicosus heros, non imperitus, castra et oppida munire, muris et fossatu propugnaculisque castella circumcingere, urbium muros renouare, uicis uigilantiam adhibere, diuersosque ad portus nauticas custodias deputare.
Exercitu uero conducto tam a Gallis et Brittonibus quam et a Cinomannis aggregato ita urbium edes replebantur, ut uix suis domestici focis assidere uiderentur. Anglis autem, quibus non minimi desiderii Danici exercitus aduentum esse didicerat, barbas radere, arma et exuuias ad instar Romanorum coaptare et ad deludendos aduentantium uisus per omnia se Francigenis, quos et Romanos dici pretulimus, assimilare preceperat. Quod perpauci facere. Sed hęc ibi.
Meanwhile the fleet was prepared day by day, and all haste was made — by nobles and commoners alike — toward a land rich in harvests and abundance. But as news of their expedition quickly spread throughout Britain and filled the whole English realm, William, skilled in the arts of war and an experienced commander, took measures for his defense. He fortified camps and towns, surrounded strongholds with walls, ditches, and ramparts, repaired city walls, maintained constant watches in the towns, and stationed naval guards at various ports.
He also assembled an army drawn from Franks, Bretons, and men of Maine, so that private homes in the cities were crowded with soldiers to such an extent that their inhabitants scarcely seemed able to remain by their own hearths. As for the English — since he had learned that the arrival of the Danish army was eagerly desired — William ordered them to shave their beards, arm and clothe themselves in the Roman fashion, and in every way make themselves resemble the Franks, whom we also call Romans, so as to deceive the eyes of the approaching force.
Few, however, obeyed this command. But that belongs more properly to another part of the story.
C
Checkmate
The King who challenged the Nobility
Cinema
Welcome to Yorick Tours
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The History of King Sweyn Estridsson and His Sons and of the Martyrdom of King Canute the Holy
Gesta Swenomagni Regis et Filiorum eius et Passio gloriosissimi Canuti Regis et Martyris
Ælnoth of Canterbury
· translated by
Daniel Holm Frandsen
The Odense Tablet
Tabula Othiniensis
· translated by
Daniel Holm Frandsen
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About Yorick Tours
Yorick Tours is a Danish non-profit storytelling and research project covering real tragedy, history and true crime - primarily from Denmark - for an international audience.
The idea emerged from seeing how much true crime content relies on the same research, repeated across websites, videos and podcasts without deeper investigation or historical context.
Yorick Tours was created to do both:
to surface stories in an accessible way, while also diving deeply into the people, places, sources and unanswered questions behind them.
The project combines storytelling, journalism and research with field visits, photography, mapping, archival material and on-location documentation in order to present cases as complete and immersive experiences.
Many people may never have the opportunity - physically, mentally or financially - to travel across countries exploring historical locations or sites connected to tragedy and human history.
And even for those who can, most people do not spend their holidays visiting forgotten crime scenes, ruined churches, remote forests or historic execution sites.
So the idea became:
a kind of virtual tour company.
A project where we travel to the real places on behalf of the viewer.
Not simply to sensationalize tragedy, but to understand it:
through geography, atmosphere, evidence, memory and human stories.
Always guided by the following philosophy:
Storytelling
Emotion and immersion matter.
History becomes meaningful when people can feel the atmosphere,
the tension, and understand human behavior and events from a relatable perspective.
Journalism
Evidence and sourcing matter.
Claims should be traceable, speculation should be transparent,
and stories should be grounded in an investigative and well-documented approach.
Science
Structure, skepticism and verification matter.
Even compelling narratives must withstand scrutiny,
critical thinking and the willingness to question long-standing assumptions.
Why “Yorick”?
Most people have seen the famous scene from Hamlet where the prince holds Yorick’s skull while reflecting on life and death.
What many fail to notice is the deeper connection between Yorick and Shakespeare himself. Like Yorick, Shakespeare had once been a live-entertainer, travelling with a troupe performing across England and continental Europe.
In many ways, the scene becomes Shakespeare confronting his own mortality through Yorick - wondering what remains of a person after death, and whether anyone will remember them once they are gone.
Shakespeare could never have imagined the impact his work would leave on the world centuries later. Yet the question itself is universal.
At some point in life, everyone is forced to confront the same thought:
what remains of us when we are gone?
And knowing that:
What legacy do I want to leave behind?
Who is Yorick Tours?
Yorick Tours is produced by a small team of researchers, storytellers and enthusiasts united by a shared interest in history, geography and the human stories hidden within them.
Much of the material presented on Yorick Tours originates from on-location visits, archival research and independent investigation conducted throughout Denmark.
Daniel Holm Frandsen
Daniel is the founder of Yorick Tours. With a lifelong interest in history, geography and technology, he combines field research, photography, mapping and storytelling to bring forgotten Danish stories to an international audience.
Jens Johansen
As a professional photographer, Jens helps make Yorick Tours content visually engaging and watchable. His knowledge and perspective also help ensure that stories are examined thoroughly and from more than one angle.
Why Denmark?
Even though Shakespeare wrote Hamlet as a Danish tragedy, tragedy itself is universal. Whether dramatic and sensational or quiet and deeply personal, death is something every society - and every person - must eventually confront.
Yorick Tours focuses primarily on Danish cases not because tragedy is unique to Denmark, but because so many Danish stories remain largely unknown, even to the people living here.
Behind the familiar streets, churches, forests and coastlines are centuries of forgotten murders, disasters, disappearances, political violence, executions and human drama that rarely reach beyond local memory - if they are remembered at all.
By starting in Denmark, Yorick Tours hopes not only to preserve these stories, but also to present them to an international audience through historical context, field research and immersive storytelling rooted in the real locations where the events unfolded.
A Note on Respect
For as long as people have lived and died, tragedy and true crime have intrigued the living.
As gruesome as the actions of Jack the Ripper or Jeffrey Dahmer may have been, such cases continue to provoke curiosity and reflection.
Because as much as many people may at some point have imagined doing terrible things to others, for the vast majority there is a long distance between thought and action.
And most deaths regardless of their circumstances leave grieving people behind.
On Yorick Tours, we leave the fresh cases to the sensationalist press and primarily focus on cases that are at least 20 years old.
The goal is not to glorify violence or exploit suffering, but to better understand the people, places and circumstances behind history’s darker stories.
Use of AI
As much as we would like to make everything at Yorick Tours entirely from scratch, we are a 2-man-crew that have to pick our battles. Storytelling comes first.
We use AI as a creative and technical tool in parts of the production process, including image concepting, drafting, translation support, code assistance and visual experimentation.
AI may help shape how material is presented, but it does not replace research, source criticism or human judgment. Claims, historical details and case information are treated as research questions - not as AI-generated facts.
When AI-generated or AI-assisted visuals are used, they are intended to support atmosphere, reconstruction or illustration. They are not intended to mislead viewers into believing they are authentic historical photographs or documentary evidence.
The goal is to use modern tools responsibly while keeping the project grounded in real places, real sources and real human stories.
That being said, if you are an artist and would like to contribute — or simply think you can do better than some of the AI-generated images on the site — feel free to drop us a note at daniel@yoricktours.com. We will gladly consider replacing them with your masterpiece, with proper attribution.
