Bluetooth Is Named After a 10th-Century Viking King Who Ate Too Many Blueberries
The wireless technology in your headphones is named after Harald 'Bluetooth' Gormsson, a Viking king who united Denmark and Norway — and reportedly loved blueberries.
Key Takeaways
- •Harald Bluetooth united Denmark and Norway around 958 AD
- •The Bluetooth logo is his initials in Viking runes
- •Jim Kardach suggested the name while reading a Viking novel
- •4+ billion Bluetooth devices ship each year
Root Connection
Bluetooth technology unites devices the way King Harald Bluetooth united Scandinavian tribes — and the logo is his initials in runes.
BLUETOOTH
Named after Harald 'Bluetooth' Gormsson, King of Denmark (c. 958-986 AD), who united warring Danish tribes into one kingdom.
NICKNAME
Harald earned the nickname 'Bluetooth' either from a dead tooth that appeared blue, or from his love of blueberries which stained his teeth.
LOGO
The Bluetooth symbol is a bind rune merging Harald's initials: ᚼ (Hagall) and ᛒ (Bjarkan) from the Younger Futhark runic alphabet.
UNIFICATION
Just as Bluetooth unites devices, King Harald united Denmark and Norway — the metaphor was too perfect to resist.
INVENTION
The name was suggested by Intel engineer Jim Kardach in 1997 while reading a historical novel about Vikings.
LEGACY
Over 4 billion Bluetooth devices ship annually — all bearing the name of a 10th-century Viking king.
The next time you connect your wireless headphones, thank a 10th-century Viking king with a blue tooth.
Bluetooth technology — the wireless standard that connects billions of devices worldwide — is named after Harald 'Bluetooth' Gormsson, King of Denmark from approximately 958 to 986 AD.
Harald earned his nickname from a dead tooth that appeared blue, or possibly from his fondness for blueberries which stained his teeth. But his real claim to fame was uniting the warring tribes of Denmark and Norway into a single kingdom.
The metaphor was irresistible. Just as King Harald united Scandinavian tribes, Bluetooth technology unites devices. The name was suggested in 1997 by Intel engineer Jim Kardach, who was reading a historical novel about Vikings at the time.
Even the Bluetooth logo tells a story. It's a bind rune — a combination of two runes from the Younger Futhark alphabet: ᚼ (Hagall, equivalent to 'H') and ᛒ (Bjarkan, equivalent to 'B'). These are Harald Bluetooth's initials.
From a Viking king with a blue tooth to a wireless technology in billions of devices — that's the power of a good metaphor. And a reminder that technology's roots often run deeper than we imagine.
How did this make you feel?
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