Cnut was a son of the Danish Prince Sweyn Forkbeard, who was the son and heir to King Harald Bluetooth from a line of Scandinavian rulers central to the unification of Denmark Harthacnut was the semi-legendary founder of the Danish royal house at the beginning of the 10th century Harald Bluetooth, Gorm's son and Cnut's grandfather, was the Danish king at the time of the Christianization of Denmark, the first Scandinavian king to accept Christianity.