Name |
Canute (Knut ,Knud ,Cnut)'the Great' |
Suffix |
King of England, Denmark and Norway |
Born |
Abt 985 |
Denmark |
Gender |
Male |
Characteristics |
Forged of Ice |
History |
Nov 1013 |
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England |
In the winter, Canute's father Forkbeard was in the process of consolidating his kingship in Mercia, leaving Canute in charge of the fleet and the base of the army at Gainsborough. |
Occupation |
30 Nov 1016 |
King of Denmark: 1018 to 12 Nov 1035
King of England: 30 Nov 1016 to 12 Nov 1035
King of Norway: 1028 to 12 Nov 1035
Preceded in England by Edmund II 'Ironside'. Succeeded in England by his son Harold 'Harefoot'.
Younger son. |
History |
1018 |
York, North Yorkshire, England |
By the end of 1018, Canute had managed to screw a 100 per cent income tax out of his subjects to pay off his supporters and fill his treasure chests. Wulfstan, Archbishop of York fearing 'the end of days' persuaded Canute to uphold the laws devised by his English predecessor kings. Canute had already married Ethelred's widow Emma as his own spoil of war, never divorcing his first wife Aelgifu of Northampton. Emma's mother was Danish and she probably spoke Danish. Emma had a West Saxon pedigree and class. |
History |
Abt 1020 |
Wilton Abbey, Wilton, Salisbury, Wiltshire, England |
Canute, King of England and Denmark and his wife Emma regularly rode out to visit the Nunnery at Wilton Abbey to pray amongst the tombs of the women of the House of Wessex. Rather than pillaging churches as his ancestors had done, Canute grew famous for refurbishing them.
As the millennium of Christ's resurrection approached, Church building across Europe became fashionable for wealthy nobles. While it served to cleanse them of their or their ancestor's sins, it also served to privatise what had been common meetings, branding worshipers property of the manor. The churches that sheltered the weak were built as mirror images of castles that protected the powerful, and were surrounded by 'cimiterium', cemeteries where the dead were buried. |
History |
Mar 1027 |
Rome (Roma), Lazio (Latium), Italy |
Canute, King of England and Denmark makes a pilgrimage to Rome for the coronation on Easter Day of Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. He agrees with Conrad II that his daughter Gunhilda should marry Conrad II's son the future Henry III. The marriage was part of a pact between her Canute and Conrad II over peaceful borders in the area of Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. |
Died |
12 Nov 1035 |
Shaftesbury, Dorset, England |
Buried |
Old Minster, Winchester, Hampshire, England |
Person ID |
I1748535728 |
Red1st |
Last Modified |
20 Feb 2009 |