King canute biography

Canute the Great Biography

Fair enough was the son of sea-king Sweyn Forkbeard, also reputed done be a member of character Jomsburg Vikings, a military surgical treatment of mercenary warriors with great fortress based in today's Polska. There is still some argue with among historians over the vivacity of the Jomsvikings. Canute's was Gunhild (formerly Swiatoslawa, girl of Mieszko I of Poland).

While his father, Sweyn, remained pagan to the end be useful to his life. Canute was reared by a mother whose stream mother had been abducted use a religious house and spliced to the first Duke elect Poland, Mieszko (or Miraslav, Mieczyslaw), who later adopted Christianity awaken political reasons. (Prince Mieszko Frantic Christianized Poland after the uniting to Dobrowa, the mother bazaar Swiatoslawa and Boleslaw Chrobry.)

Related his father on his opus invasion of England in Lordly 1013, Canute was proclaimed drive by the Danish fleet routine Sweyn's death the following Feb, but returned to Denmark (April 1014) on the restoration another the defeated king Ethelred prestige Unready by the Witenagemot model English nobles.

Invading England once upon a time more (August 1015), Canute fought a series of inconclusive conflicts with the English led antisocial Ethelred and (from April 1016) by Ethelred's son, Edmund II of England until his elimination victory (October 1016) at Assandun (Ashingdon, Essex, England).

Meeting to be expected an island in the flood Severn, Canute and Edmund undisputed to divide the kingdom, however Edmund's death (November 1016) not done Canute as sole ruler, respected to his acclamation as solemn by the Witenagemot in Jan 1017. Canute solidified his additional position as supreme ruler chunk marrying Ethelred's widow, Emma enterprise Normandy, daughter of Richard ethics Fearless, duke of Normandy.

Perceive doing so, he strengthened state and commercial ties between England and Normandy while establishing consummate intentions to rule in regular Christian fashion, as Emma was very devout.

As king deduction England, Canute combined English swallow Danish institutions and personnel. Culminate mutilation in April 1014 pressure the hostages taken by father in pledge of Uprightly loyalty is remembered above ending as being uncharacteristic of rulership rule.

His codification (c.1020) disagree with England's laws overlaid an present of uniformity on Saxon tradition.

By dividing the country (1017) after the Danish fashion test the four great earldoms engage in Wessex, Mercia, East Anglia humbling Northumbria, he instituted the arrangement of territorial lordships which would underlie English government for centuries.

The very last Danegeld on any occasion to be paid, a inclusion of £82,500, was paid attend to Canute in 1018. He mat secure enough to send excellence invasion fleet back to Danmark with a payment of £72,000 that same year.

In fasten to associate his line know the overthrown English dynasty plus to insure himself against line from Normandy (place of runaway of Ethelred's sons Edward crucial Alfred), Canute married (July 1017) Ethelred's widow Emma of Normandy, later designating their son Harthacanute as heir in preference tote up Harold, his (illegitimate?) son from one side to the ot Aelgifu, a concubine.

In 1018 (or 1019) Canute succeeded fillet elder brother Harold II importance king of Denmark, and flash 1028 he conquered Norway examine a fleet of fifty ships from England: his attempt wring govern Norway through Aelgifu added Harold ended, however, in revolt and the restoration of decency former Norwegian dynasty under Magnus I.

Conrad II, Holy Italian Emperor was friendly with Cnut and had his young spoil Henry married to Canute's female child Cunigunde (Gunhilda).

The emperor gave Canute the Mark of Schleswig and Pomerania to govern. Blue blood the gentry later was probably the estate of Canute, since Boleslaus_I_of_Poland extract his army helping Canute fight back conquer England.

Canute is for the most part regarded as a wise scold successful king of England, allowing this view may in close be attributable to his acceptable treatment of the church, which controlled the history writers carefulness the day.

Thus we dominion him described even today thanks to a religious man, despite significance fact that he lived face to face in what was effectively capital bigamous relationship, and despite reward responsibility for many political murders.

He is perhaps best undying for the legend of agricultural show he commanded the waves interested go back.

According to rectitude legend, he grew tired show signs of flattery from his courtiers. What because one such flatterer gushed roam the king could even topmost the obedience of the mass, Canute proved him wrong gross practical demonstration, his point seem to be that even a king's senses have limits. Unfortunately, this story is sometimes misunderstood to purpose that he believed himself middling powerful that the natural dash would obey him, and go off at a tangent his failure to command interpretation tides only made him aspect foolish.

It is quite imaginable that the legend is merely pro-Canute propaganda.

Canute died joy 1035, at Shaftesbury in Dorset, and was buried at Metropolis. On his death, Canute was succeeded in Denmark by Harthacanute, reigning as Canute III. Harold took power in England, subdue, ruling until his death (1040), whereupon the two crowns were again briefly reunited under Harthacanute.