Every time you pair your earbuds, you’re invoking a Viking king. Bluetooth, the wireless standard developed at Ericsson, takes its name from Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson, the 10th-century king who united Denmark and brought Norway under his rule. An industry group that included Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Nokia, and Toshiba has managed the standard since 1998. Even the logo was his. It combines the runes ᚼ (Hagall, H) and ᛒ (Bjarkan, B), his initials.
Harald Bluetooth, the Viking King
Harald Bluetooth inherited the throne from his father Gorm the Old. No one knows the exact date he took control, but it most likely happened in 958 A.D., give or take a couple of years. While experts differ on why people called him “Bluetooth,” many believe it was because he had a dead tooth that appeared blue in color. His son, Svein Forkbeard, overthrew Harald Bluetooth in 987 A.D.
Why Did Harald Bluetooth Convert to Christianity?
Harald accepted baptism around 965 and set out to make Denmark Christian. According to the chronicler Widukind, a priest named Poppo convinced him by carrying red-hot iron without being burned. Politics likely mattered too: a Christian Denmark gave the powerful German emperors to the south less excuse to intervene. Archaeologists think Harald even had his father Gorm’s remains moved from a pagan burial mound into the church at Jelling. Christmas: Converting Vikings to Christianity tells how Norway’s conversion took a different road.
What Did Harald Bluetooth Unite?
Around 965 Harald raised the greater Jelling stone in memory of his parents, boasting that he “won for himself all of Denmark and Norway and made the Danes Christian.” People often call it Denmark’s birth certificate. (His father Gorm’s smaller stone nearby holds the oldest known mention of the name “Denmark” on Danish soil.) Harald also strengthened the Danevirke earthwork and built ring fortresses such as Trelleborg.
In 970 A.D., Earl Hakon gained control of Norway. Harald united Denmark and Norway when Hakon submitted to Harald’s rule. His reign appears on our Viking Timeline, and a 2025 grave find near Aarhus may have belonged to one of his magnates.
Harald Bluetooth’s Modern Connection
The name was never supposed to stick. Intel engineer Jim Kardach suggested “Bluetooth” as a placeholder in 1997, inspired by a book about Vikings. The favorite, “PAN,” turned out to be impossible to trademark and had too many search hits, and no one could vet the backup, “RadioWire,” in time. So a king who united Scandinavians a thousand years ago now unites our devices.
At Asgard Alaska we like finding the Viking age in everyday life. The days of the week are another example. Join our newsletter for more stories like this one.
The Bluetooth SIG, the mark’s owner, confirmed the story on X on March 1, 2016, writing “It’s true!” Their own account is told in The Story Behind How Bluetooth Technology Got Its Name. The logo overlays the runes ᚼ (Hagall) and ᛒ (Bjarkan), Harald’s initials.
Sources
- Bluetooth® Technology Website, Origin of the name
- World History Encyclopedia, Harald Bluetooth & the Conversion of Denmark
- The Vikings by Else Roesdahl, Penguin, revised edition (1998).
