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𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝘩𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑡𝘩𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔𝘩𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝘩𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦.

"1002 was a seminal year in the life of the king and his kingdom. The first significant event that took place was the marriage to Aethelred to Emma of Normandy.

In 1002 Emma was about seventeen years of age. She was the daughter of Richard I, Duke of Normandy, the place where the Vikings had taken up permanent residence under Duke Rollo not so many years before. Emma was herself the great-granddaughter of Rollo and the blood of her Viking ancestors still coursed through her veins.

The blood relationship was cemented still further by the fact that her mother was Gunnar, a woman of Danish descent. Gunnar was originally Richard’s concubine, though she eventually became his wife in a probable attempt to legitimize their children.

The attribution of concubinage to Emma’s mother gives an interesting insight into the mores of the age. It was not uncommon at the time for marriages to be undertaken in traditional (opponents would say pagan) fashion without Christian blessing; they may not then always have been regarded as legitimate from a Christian perspective. Revealing in the light of our subject, such relationships were called more danico- in the Danish way- though the practice was also common in earlier Anglo-Saxon times in England and indeed appeared to have remained so into the more recent Christian epoch in the country. [...]

Emma’s life was written in the book known as Encomium Emmae Reginae. This is an incredible survival from the times, giving us an insight into the role played by a formidable woman in what was very much a man’s world. [...] The very word ‘Encomium’, now a rather archaic one, is Latin and means a work written in praise of a person or thing. [...]

The marriage to Aethelred was a step up for Emma. Allowing for any perceived personal faults and the extent of the challenges facing him, he was still a king, a man who owed allegiances to no other, unlike the dukes of Normandy, who were vassals to the King of France. This presumably also helped compensate to some extent for the substantial age difference between the young bride and her husband, who already had a large number of children from previous relationships. Their existence made life potentially complicated in terms of succession planning. It seems that right from the off it was decided that any offspring from this match with Emma were to take precedence over those of previous relationships in matters of succession. It is likely that this formed a key part in negotiations leading up to the marriage.

[...] Other later chronicles commented on the match, not always favourably. With the precious gift of hindsight and writing from the safe distance of the middle of the twelfth century, the chronicler Henry of Huntingdon saw the marriage as a turning point in English History:

I mean that on one side the persecution by the Danes was raging, and on the other the connection with the Normans were growing, so that even if they were to escape the obvious lightning fire of the Danes, valour would not help them to escape the insidious danger from the Normans. This became apparent from subsequent events, since from this union of the English king with the daughter of the Norman duke, the Normans were justified according to the law of peoples, in both claiming and gaining possession of England.

[...] It gave him [Aethelred] the opportunity to cement an alliance with a powerful warlord from across the Channel who was potentially a crucial supporter of Viking raiders. The deal was duly struck and some of Aethelred’s senior advisers made the crossing to Normandy to escort Emma back to their country, which was to be home for most of the rest of her days.

She was crowned Queen of England soon after arriving, a coronation of a queen in those days being a rare event (though Elfrida, the king’s mother, had also had one). [...] Emma was given the Saxon name Aelfgifu (which means ‘noble gift’) on her arrival to England [...]. She was granted properties in Oxfordshire, Rutland, Suffolk and Devon as well as ownership of Exeter and Winchester.”

From: “King Cnut and the Viking Conquest of England”, by W.B. Bartlett.

#king cnut #king aethelred II #aethelred the unready #emma of normandy #duke rollo #rollo of normandy #house of normandy #normans #anglo-saxons #canute rex #canute of england #canute of denmark #cnut the great #knutus

“A.D. 1016. This year came King Knut with a marine force of one hundred and sixty ships, and Alderman Edric with him, over the thames into Mercia at Cricklade; whence they proceeded to Warwickshire, during the middle of the winter, and plundered therein, and burned, and slew all they met. Then began Edmund the etheling to gather an army, which, when it was collected, could avail him nothing, unless the king were there and they had the assistance of the citizens of London.

The expedition therefore was frustrated, and each man betook himself home. After this, an army was again ordered, under full penalties, that every person, however distant, go forth; and they sent to the king in London, and besought him to come to meet the army with the aid that he could collect. When they were all assembled, it succeeded nothing better than it often did before; and, when it was told the king, that those persons would betray him who ought to assist him, then forsook he the army, and returned again to London. Then rode Edmund the etheling to Earl Utred in Northumbria; and every man supposed that they would collect an army King Knute; but they went into Stafforddhire, and to Shrewsbury, and to Chester; and they plundered on their parts, and Knute on his. He went out through Buckinghamshire to Bedfordshire; thence to Huntingdonshire, and so into Northamptonshire along the fens to Stamford. Thence into Lincolnshire. Thence to Nottinghamshire; and so into Northumbria toward York. When Utred understood this, he ceased from plundering, and hastened northward, and submitted for need, and all the Northumbrians with him; but, though we gave hostages, he was nevertheless slain by the advice of Alderman Edric, and Thurkytel, the son of Nafan, with him. After this, King Knute appointed Eric earl over Northumbria, as Utred was; and then went southward another way, all by west, till the whole army came, before Easter, to the ships. Meantime Edmund Etheling went to London to his father: and after Easter went King Knute with all his ships toward London; but it happened that King Ethelred died ere the ships came. He ended his days on St. George’s day; having held his kingdom in much tribulation and difficulty as long as his life continued.

After his decease, all the peers that were in London, and the citizens, chose Edmund king; who bravely defended his kingdom while his time was. Then came the ships to Greenwich, about the gang-days, and within a short interval went to London; where they sunk a deep ditch on the south side, and dragged their ships to the west side of the bridge. Afterwards they trenched the city without, so that no man could go in or out, and often fought against it: but the citizens bravely withstood them. King Edmund had ere this gone cut, and invaded the West-Saxons, who all submitted to him; and soon afterward he fought with the enemy at Pen near Gillingham.

A second battle he fought, after midsummer, at Sherston; where much slaughter was made on either side, and the leaders themselves came together in the fight. Alderman Edric and Aylmer the darling were assisting the army against King Edmund. Then collected he his force the third time, and went to London, all by north of the Thames, and so out through Clayhanger, and relieved the citizens, driving the enemy to their ships. It was within two nights after that the king went over at Brentford; where he fougt with the enemy, and put them to flight: but there many of the English were drowned, from their own carelessness; who went before the main army with a design to plunder.

After this the king went into Wessex, and collected his army; but the enemy soon returned to London, and beset the city without, and fought strongly against it both by water and land. But the almighty God strongly delivered them. The enemy went afterward from London with their ships into the Orwell; where they went up and proceeded into Mercia, slaying and burning whatsoever they overtook, as their custom is; and, having provided themselves with meat, they drove their ships and their herds into the Medway. Then assembled King Edmund the fourth time all the English nation, and forded over the Thames at Brentford; whence he proceeded into Kent. The enemy fled before him with their horses into the Isle of Shepey; and the king slew as many of them as he could overtake. Alderman Edric then went to meet the king at Aylesford; than which no measure could be more ill-advised. The enemy, meanwhile, returned into Essex, and advanced into Mercia, destroying all that he overtook. When the king understood that the army was up, then collected he the fifth time all the English nation, and went behind them, and overtook them in Essex, on the down called Assingdon; where they fiercely came together. Then did Alderman Edric as he often did before--he first began the flight with the Maisevethians, and so betrayed his natural lord and all the people of England. There had Knute the victory, though all England fought against him! There was then slain Bishop Ednoth, and Abbot Wulsay, and Alderman Elfric, and Alderman Godwin of Lindsey, and Ulfktel of East-Anglia, and Ethelward, the son of Alderman Ethelsy (59). And all the nobility of the English nation was there undone!

After this fight went King Knute up with his army into Glocestershire, where he heard say that King Edmund was. Then advised Alderman Edric, and the counsellors that were there assembled, that the kings should make peace with each other, and produce hostages. Then both the kings met together at Olney, south of Deerhurst, and became allies and sworn brothers. There they confirmed their friendship both with pledges and with oaths, and settled the pay of the army. With this covenant they parted: King Edmund took to Wessex, and Knute to Mercia and the northern district. The army then went to their ships with the things they had taken; and the people of London made peace with them, and purchased their security, whereupon they brought their ships to London, and provided themselves winter-quarters therein.

On the feast of St. Andrew died King Edmund; and he is buried with his grandfather Edgar at Gastonbury. In the same year died Wulfgar, Abbot of Abingdon; and Ethelay took to the abbacy.”

Source: “The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.”

http://omacl.org/Anglo/part4.html

#The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles #King Knute #Canute Rex #Edmund the Ironside #King Edmund #Edmund Etherling #Anglo-Saxons #King Canute #Cnut the Great #King Cnut

NOV. 12, 1035. DEATH OF CANUTE REX, KING OF ENGLAND, NORWAY AND DENMARK. CREATOR OF 'EMPIRE OF THE SEAS'.

"On 12th November 1035 Cnut the Great, King of England and Emperor of the North, died at Shaftesbury and was buried at Winchester Old Minster. He was succeeded in England by his son Harald, while his other son, Harðacnut, took and fought to hold the throne of Denmark.

According to the Knytlinga Saga:

“Knut was exceptionally tall and strong, and the handsomest of men, all except for his nose, that was thin, high-set, and rather hooked. He had a fair complexion none-the-less, and a fine, thick head of hair. His eyes were better than those of other men, both the handsomer and the keener of their sight.”

Cnut was the son of Sweyn Forkbeard, the Dane who was briefly King of England (by right of conquest), having finally driven out Æþelred Unrede in 1013 after extorting tribute from him for a number of years. However, Sweyn did not live long to enjoy the fruits of his victory and died in February 1014.

On Sweyn’s death the Danelaw came out in support of Cnut but the other English nobles recalled Æþelred from Normandy where he was in exile. Æþelred returned to England, and, in a pre-cursor to the events of Runnymede in 1215 when John agreed the Magna Carta, Æþelred swore to be a better king and rule more justly.

Cnut at this time was a young warrior, relatively untried as a leader of men, and despite his support in parts of the country he was driven out by the English until he returned in full force in 1015. He was much more effective in this later campaign and took most of the country, with the only meaningful resistance being brought by Edmund Ironside, son of Æþelred.

After Æþelred’s death in 1016 Edmund fought back even more vigorously against Cnut so that by November the two were brought to an agreement at Deerhurst to split the country between them. However, Edmund died soon after and Cnut became sole ruler of England with his coronation taking place on Christmas Day.

Things moved on smartly in 1017, as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells us:

“AD 1017. In this year king Cnut obtained the whole realm of the English race, and divided it into four parts: Wessex to himself, and East Anglia to Thurkyll, and Mercia to Eadric, and Northumbria to Irke. And in this year was Eadric the ealdorman slain in London, very justly, and Northman, son of Leofwine the ealdorman, and Aethelweard, son of Aethelmaer the great, and Brihtric, son of Aelfeh, in Devonshire. And king Cnut banished Eadwigthe etheling, and afterwards commanded him to be slain, and Eadwi, king of the churls. And then, before the kalends of August, the king commanded the relict of king Aethelred, Richard's daughter, to be fetched for his wife, 'that was Elfgive in English, Ymma in French.” You read that right – he married Æþelred’s widow, Emma of Normandy, daughter of Richard of Normandy and mother of Edward and Alfred. The couple had two children, Gunnhilda and Harðacnut, while Cnut also had a “Danish” wife Ælfgifu of Northampton, with whom he had a son Harald (Harefoot).

Cnut ruled from 1016-1035. He established the earldoms of England and although he initially controlled Wessex directly he eventually created the Earldom of Wessex which was given to Godwin, cementing that family’s rise to power.

Cnut’s brother Harald died in 1018 and Cnut then took the throne of Denmark as well as England. In Norway, Olaf had replaced Sweyn Forkbeard as king but in 1029 his nobles supported the invasion of Cnut and so Cnut became King of Norway as well.

England took up Cnut’s main attention and he placed Ælfgifu and Harald as regents in Norway with disastrous consequences. Their rule was so unpopular that they were driven out by Magnus, the son of Olaf, in 1035, when as an eleven year old boy he was proclaimed king by the Norwegian nobles. Olaf’s brother Harald was to return later and to have a significant effect on English history, for he became better known as Harald Hardrada.

Cnut worked with the church, particularly Bishop Wulfstan, to rule England according to English laws and customs from the time of King Edgar. He promoted men he trusted from the English ranks as well as Danish. In 1027 he was able to leave the kingdom securely while he travelled to Rome to witness the coronation of Conrad, the Holy Roman Emperor.

While in Rome he negotiated fiercely for better terms for English merchants, pilgrims and churchmen. He wrote in a letter to his nobles:

“I spoke with the Emperor himself and the Lord Pope and the princes there about the needs of all people of my entire realm, both English and Danes, that a juster law and securer peace might be granted to them on the road to Rome and that they should not be straitened by so many barriers along the road, and harassed by unjust tolls; and the Emperor agreed and likewise King Robert who governs most of these same toll gates. And all the magnates confirmed by edict that my people, both merchants, and the others who travel to make their devotions, might go to Rome and return without being afflicted by barriers and toll collectors, in firm peace and secure in a just law.”

Henry of Huntingdon, writing in the 12th century, records a summary of his reign including the curious story of the King Cnut and the Tide:

“A few words must be devoted to the power of this king. Before him there had never been in England a king of such great authority, He was lord of all Denmark, of all England, of all Norway, and also of Scotland. In addition to the many wars in which he was most particularly illustrious, he performed three fine and magnificent deeds. The first is that he gave his daughter in marriage to the Roman emperor, with indescribably riches. The second, that on his journey to Rome, he had the evil taxes that were levied on the road that goes through France, called tolls or passage tax, reduced by half at his own expense. The third, that when he was at the height of his ascendancy, he ordered his chair to be placed on the sea-shore as the tide was coming iin. The he said to the rising tide, “You are subject to me, as the land on which I am sitting is mine, and no one has resisted my overlordship with impunity. I command you, therefore, not to rise onto my land, nor to presume to wet the clothing or limbs of your master.” But the sea came up as usual, and disrespectfully drenched the king’s feet and shins. So jumping back, the king cried, “Let all the world know that the power of kings is empty and worthless, and there is no king worthy of the name save Him by whose will heaven, earth and sea obey eternal laws.” Thereafter King Cnut never wore the golden crown, but placed it on the image of the crucified Lord, in eternal praise of God the great king. By whose mercy may the soul of King Cnut enjoy rest.”

Cnut was buried at the Old Minster in Winchester, which he and Queen Emma had richly endowed, and his bone translated to a mortuary chest when the cathedral was rebuilt. In the English Civil War (17th century) his bones were scattered and trampled with others by soldiers, and only later collected and placed back in the mortuary chests, although in a muddled fashion with the other victims of the desecration.

Coincidentally on 12th November 1041 Cnut’s son, Harthacnut, laid waste to Worcester after the murder of his tax collectors on 4th May – (...)."

Credits to facebook page "Anglo-Saxon History in Yorkshire."

#Cnut the Great #King Cnut #on this day in history #Queen Emma #Reine Ymma #Aelfgifu Regina #Canute Rex #King Canute #King Knud #Denmark #medieval #Danish rule #monarchy #history #middle ages #empire of the sea

“Cnut inherited from his royal Scandinavian and English predecessors relations of an often threatening as well as potentially profitable sort with a very wide range of territories. Once in control of Denmark (possibly from 1019...), he became concerned, like Swegen, Harald Bluetooth and probably Gorm the Old before him, with Norway, Sweden, the German empire and the Slav peoples east of the Elbe, including the Poles. Both Harald and Swegen had taken Slavonic consorts and thought it desirable to subjugate Norway.

Swegen also had dealings with the Swedes, and involved himself with Normandy and in the Irish Sea, perhaps selling his ill-gotten gains and fraternising not only with Duke Richard II in Rouen, but also the rulers of Norse settlements in Ireland such as Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Cork and Limerick. King AEthelred II too had troubles with the Irish Sea and Normandy, sending expeditions against both, marrying Richard’s sister Emma, and going into exile with her kin in 1013. He may have asked for Normand help against his enemies in 1009, and a continental source records that he at some point appealed to the French monarch Robert the Pious for assistance, conceivably in the hope he could exert pressure on the Normans. Like other English kings, he had relations with the Welsh and the Scots too. We have seen the former being raided by Eadric Streona in 1012 and fighting for Edmund Ironside in 1016, while the latter are said to have attacked Durham in 1006, and by AEthelred’s death King Malcolm II was planning a further incursion.

Hence, Cnut's inheritance was international and many-faceted: there were numerous opportunities to be taken, pitfalls to be avoided and problems to be overcome, both at home and abroad, before his dominition and influence extended over much of the northern world, and merited the title by which his fellow Scandinavians know him today: Knut den store- Cnut the Great”

Taken from: “Cnut England’s Viking King 1016-1035″ by M.K.Lawson

#Cnut the Great #King Cnut #Canute rex #Aethelred II #King Aethelred #Edmund Ironside #Late Anglo-Saxon England

“Royal 1 D IX f. 44″

"A charter of Cnut, in Anglo-Saxon (promulgated probably c. 1017 [...]), [...] confirming the privileges of the church"

#Cnut the Great #King Cnut #Cnut of Denmark #Canute rex #King Canute

ＣＮＵＴＴＨＥＧＲＥＡＴ

“ʟᴇᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴍᴇɴ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʜᴏᴡ ᴇᴍᴘᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀʟᴇss ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴋɪɴɢs. ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ɴᴏɴᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜʏ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ɢᴏᴅ, ᴡʜᴏᴍ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ, ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅ sᴇᴀ ᴏʙᴇʏ“

#Cnut the great #King Cnut #King Knut #Canute rex #Canute of Denmark #Canute of the English

A Letter from Canute to the English People (1027)

“CANUTE, king of all England, and of Denmark, Norway, and part of Sweden, to Ethelnoth, metropolitan, and Ælfric, archbishop of York, and to the bishops and prelates, and to the whole nation of the English, both the nobles and the commons, greeting: —

“I notify to you that I have lately taken a journey to Rome, to pray for the forgiveness of my sins, and for the welfare of my dominions, and the people under my rule. I had long since vowed this journey to God, but I have been hitherto prevented from accomplishing it by the affairs of my kingdom and other causes of impediment. I now return most humble thanks to my God Almighty for suffering me in my lifetime to visit the sanctuary of his apostles, SS. Peter and Paul, and all others which I could find either within or without the city of Rome, and there in person reverentially worship according to my desire. I have performed this chiefly, because I have learnt from wise men that St. Peter the apostle has received from God great power in binding and loosing, and carries the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and therefore I esteemed it very profitable to seek his special patronage with the Lord.

“Be it known to all of you that, at the celebration of Easter, a great assembly of nobles was present with our lord, the pope John, and Conrad the emperor; that is to say, all the princes of the nations from Mount Garganus to the neighbouring sea. All these received me with honour and presented me with magnificent gifts; but more especially was I honoured by the emperor with various gifts and valuable presents, both in gold and silver vessels, and in palls and very costly robes. I spoke with the emperor himself, and the lord pope, and the princes who were there, in regard to the 36wants of my people, English as well as Danes; that there should be granted to them more equal justice and greater security in their journeys to Rome, and that they should not be hindered by so many barriers on the road, nor harassed by unjust tolls. The emperor assented to my demands, as well as king Rodolph, in whose dominions these barriers chiefly stand; and all the princes made edicts that my people, the merchants as well as those who go to pay their devotions, shall pass to and fro in their journies to Rome in peace, and under the security of just laws, free from all molestation by the guards of barriers or the receivers of tolls. I made further complaint to my lord the pope, and expressed my high displeasure, that my archbishops are sorely aggreived by the demand of immense sums of money when, according to custom, they resort to the apostolical see to obtain the pallium; and it is decreed that it should no longer be done. All things, therefore, which I requested for the good of my people from my lord the pope, and the emperor, and king Rodolph, and the other princes through whose territories our road to Rome lies, they have most freely granted, and even ratified their concessions by oath; to which four archbishops, twenty bishops, and an innumerable multitude of dukes and nobles who were there present, are witnesses. Wherefore I return most hearty thanks to Almighty God for my having successfully accomplished all that I had desired, as I had resolved in my mind, and having satisfied my wishes to the fullest extent.

“Be it known therefore to all of you, that I have humbly vowed to the Almighty God himself henceforward to amend my life in all respects, and to rule the kingdoms and the people subject to me with justice and clemency, giving equitable judgments in all matters; and if, through the intemperance of my youth or negligence, I have hitherto exceeded the bounds of justice in any of my acts, I intend by God’s aid to make an entire change for the better. I therefore adjure and command 37my counsellors to whom I have entrusted the affairs of my kingdom, that henceforth they neither commit themselves, nor suffer to prevail, any sort of injustice throughout my dominions, either from fear of me, or from favour to any powerful person. I also command all sheriffs and magistrates throughout my whole kingdom, as they tender my regard and their own safety, that they use no unjust violence to any man, rich or poor, but that all, high and low, rich or poor, shall enjoy alike impartial law; from which they are never to deviate, either on account of royal favour, respect of person in the great, or for the sake of amassing money wrongfully, for I have no need to accumulate wealth by iniquitous exactions.

“I wish you further to know, that, returning by the way I went, I am now going to Denmark, to conclude a treaty for a solid peace, all the Danes concurring, with those nations and peoples who would have taken my life and crown if it had been possible; but this they were not able to accomplish, God bringing their strength to nought. — May He, of his merciful kindness, uphold me in my sovereignty and honour, and henceforth scatter and bring to nought the power and might of all my adversaries! When, therefore, I shall have made peace with the surrounding nations, and settled and reduced to order all my dominions in the East, so that we shall have nothing to fear from war or hostilities in any quarter, I propose to return to England as early in the summer as I shall be able to fit out my fleet. I have sent this epistle before me in order that my people may be gladdened at my success; because, as you yourselves know, I have never spared, nor will I spare, myself or my exertions, for the needful service of my whole people. I now therefore command and adjure all my bishops and the governors of my kingdom, by the duty they owe to God and myself, to take care that before I come to England all dues belonging to God, according to the old laws, be fully discharged; 38namely, plough-alms, the tythe of animals born in the current year, and the pence payable to St. Peter at Rome, whether from towns or vills; and in the middle of August the tythes of corn; and at the feast of St. Martin the first-fruits of grain (payable) to every one’s parish church, called in English ciric-sceat. If these and such-like dues be not paid before I come, those who make default will incur fines to the king, according to law, which will be strictly enforced without mercy. Farewell.”