Pilgrim and patron : Cnut in post-conquest historical writing

Journal article

This article examines a number of short narratives from the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries which relate to the activities of Cnut as king of England. Preserved in chronicles and in hagio­graphical sources, within the context of accounts of royal patronage of religious houses and the cults of English saints, these narratives present Cnut as a generous patron and a king given to extravagant public gestures of piety. The most famous such narra­tive is the story of how Cnut demonstrated he had no control over the waves, an episode first recorded by Henry of Huntingdon in the twelfth century; taking this story as a starting-point, this article discusses the contexts in which the king’s gifts to English houses are recorded, and argues that these narratives share certain con­cerns with the literature known to have been produced at Cnut’s Anglo-Danish court, including a thematic connection between travel, royal patronage and the king’s power over the sea.

Authors: Parker, E

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Brill
• Journal: Medieval Chronicle More from this journal
• Volume: 9
• Pages: 271-295
• Publication date: 2015-01-01
• Edition: Accepted Manuscript
• ISSN: 1567-2336
• Language: English
• Keywords: Old Norse literature; Skaldic verse; Anglo-Scandinavian; Cnut
• Subjects: English and Old English literature; English Language and Literature; History of Britain and Europe