Hardeknud (Knudsson) Danmark (1018 - 1042)

Born 1018 in England

Ancestors

Died 8 Jun 1042 at about age 24 in Lambeth, London, England

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Knud III (Knudsson) Danmark was part of early Scandinavian history. Join: Early Scandinavia Project Discuss: EARLY_SCANDINAVIA

Please note that more than one Knut/Knud/Canute has been called Hardeknud through Scandinavian history. Please do not assume that they are all the same person.

Biografi

(Harde)Knud Knudsen (Knud III) var son till Knud den Store (Knud II) och Emma af Normandiet och skall vara född 1018. Kung av Danmark 1035-1042 och kung av England 1035-1037 & 1040-1042

Han dog 1042-06-08 ochär begravd i [https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winchester_Cathedral Winchester Cathedral) i Wessex, England.

Biography

Names

Hardeknud, Knud III,^[1] Harthacnut, Hardecanute, Hardacnut,^[2][3] Harthacanute (the spelling often found in older English language historical and genealogical works), and other variant spellings.^[4]

In English language publications, the spelling is now generally Harthacnut.

Parents and family

Harthacnut was the only son of the marriage of Knut and Emma of Normandy. They married in July 1017.^[5] Harthacnut's birth date is uncertain but was likely to have been about 1018, a probability which appears to be confirmed in an encomium of herself commissioned by his mother in the early 1040s, which states that he was born soon after his parents' marriage.^[2]

Harthacnut had a full sister, Gunhilda,^[6] and half-siblings from his parents' first marriages (see his parents' profiles).

Early Life

In 1023 Harthacnut was with his mother at an elaborate ceremony for the reburial of St Alfeah, an Archbishop of Canterbury who was killed by Vikings in 1012 and was originally interred in London,^[7] in Canterbury Cathedral.^[8][9]

The encomium his mother commissioned claimed that, when Emma agreed to marry his father, she made it a condition that Cnut's existing sons would not inherit the kingdom of England. The encomium also states that, when Harthacnut grew up, Cnut pledged that he would inherit the whole kingdom of England, and secured promises of loyalty to Harthacnut from the nobility of England.^[2] The encomium is partly a work of propaganda to justify Emma's actions in the period after Cnut's death, and seeks to cast slurs on Harthacnut's half-brother Harold Harefoot. It might appear odd that she so readily sidelined her sons by her previous marriage to Æthelred the Unready. The statements should be regarded as not wholly reliable, and there appears to be no other approximately contemporary source to support them. Adam of Bremen, writing later in the 11th century, says that Cnut intended Harthacnut to inherit Denmark, while his half-brother Harold Harefoot was to inherit England.^[2]

Denmark

Harthacnut is likely to have been in Denmark well before his father died in 1035: coins were struck in his name.

The 1023 entry in the C manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles says that in that year Cnut came back to England from Denmark, leaving Denmark and his (unnamed) son in the care of his opponent Thurkil (Torkill the Tall).^[8][9] This is unlikely to be a reference to Harthacnut, especially given that Harthacnut was at Canterbury that year, and it may be inaccurate.^[2] According to Ian Howard, in 1026 Cnut arranged for Harthacnut, who was then some 8 years old, to go to Denmark as heir apparent to the Danish throne.^[10]

Following his father's death, Harthacnut became king of Denmark. He remained in Denmark for several years, probably because of a threat from Magnus Olafsson who had gained control of Norway. In the event they came to an accord that, if either died without leaving an heir, his kingdom would go to the survivor.^[2]

Emma's attempts to secure England for Harthacnut

Meanwhile Harthacnut's mother Emma championed his right to rule England, against the claims of Harold Harefoot. In 1035 or early 1036 Harold was chosen as regent of England for himself and Harthacnut by an Anglo-Saxon council meeting at Oxford, Earl Leofric of Mercia, "almost all the thanes" north of the Thames, and "the men of the fleet" in London, despite the opposition of Earl Godwin of Wessex and the Wessex nobility.^[8][9] Evidence from coins suggests that initially Harold's rulership was mainly accepted north of the Thames, while coinage produced south of the Thames are in the name of Harthacnut. But quickly Harthacnut ceased to appear on coins.^[11] The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles state that in 1037 Harold was accepted as king of all England.^[8][9]

Emma went into exile in Flanders,^[11] where Harthacnut joined her in 1039,^[8][9] bringing ten ships with him. Allegedly Harthacnut had had a vision that his half-brother would shortly die.^[2]

King of England

Harold Harefoot died in March 1040, and Harthacnut was invited to succeed him as king of England. He landed at Sandwich, Kent, on 17 June 1040, with some 60 ships.^[2][8][9] The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles record that he had Harold Harefoot's body exhumed and cast into a marsh.^[8][9]

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles complain about the taxation Harthacnut collected to pay for his ships. Two of his tax collectors were killed in Worcestershire and Harthacnut raided the area in retribution. There was also a famine, with the price of wheat rising sharply, and many cattle dying from disease.^[8][9]

John of Worcester, writing in the 12th century, says that in 1040 Harthacnut showed anger towards Earl Godwin of Wessex and Lyfing, Bishop of Worcester, for their part in the death of his half-brother Alfred (see Alfred's profile). Godwin seems to have been tried and defended himself on the grounds that he had been acting under the orders of Harold Harefoot, and made his peace with Harthacnut by giving him an elaborately ornamented ship. Lyfing was deprived for a time of his bishopric, and came to terms with Harthacnut the next year, regaining his see.^[2]

In 1041 Harthacnut invited his half-brother the future Edward the Confessor, Emma's surviving son by her first marriage, to England. It would appear that Edward was being groomed as Harthacnut's successor in England: the C manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles says that he was sworn in as king during Harthacnut's lifetime^[8][9] while Emma's encomium states that Harthacnut intended Edward to hold England jointly with him.^[2]

Harthacnut's name appears on only a handful of English charters and writs, some of which are probably later forgeries.^[2][12]

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles are negative in their view of Harthacnut. The C manuscript comments sardonically that he never accomplished anything worthy of a king.^[8][9] A more benign view is reflected in the 12th century history written by Henry of Huntingdon: he describes Harthacnut as honourable and generous, providing four meals a day for all his court.^[13]

Spouse(s) and children

There is no record of Harthacnut marrying or having children.^[2]

Death and burial

Harthacnut died on 8 June 1042 at a feast at Lambeth, Surrey^[8][9] to celebrate the marriage of a henchman.^[2] According to the E manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, Edward the Confessor was confirmed as successor before Harthacnut was buried, alongside his father, in the Old Minster at Winchester.^[8][9]

The Morkinskinna, written in the first half of the 13th century,^[14] claims that Ælfgifu, the first wife of Harthacnut's father, made an unsuccessful attempt to poison Magnus Olafsson and instead killed "King Hordaknútr", and then disappeared, thus escaping punishment. This is part of a set of improbable tales that attached themselves to Ælfgifu, who is portrayed in villainous terms in the Morkinskinna, and that are difficult to reconcile with known facts: it should be discounted.^[15] There is nothing in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles to suggest foul play was involved in Harthacnut's death.

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia: Hardeknud
2. ↑ ^{2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12} Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry by M K Lawson for 'Harthacnut', print and online 2004
3. ↑ Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Vol. 24, p. 330, entry for Hardecanute
4. ↑ Wikipedia:Harthacnut (English)
5. ↑ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry by Simon Keynes for 'Emma [Ælfgifu] (d. 1052)', print and online 2004
6. ↑ Charles Cawley. 'Medieval Lands', entry below 'Harthacnut' for ‘HARTHACNUT (England 1018-Lambeth 8 Jun 1042)
7. ↑ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry by Henrietta Leyser for 'Ælfheah [St Ælfheah, Elphege, Alphege]', print and online 2004, revised online 2006
8. ↑ ^{8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11} Michael Swanton (translator and editor). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, revised edition, Phoenix Press, 2000, pp. 156-163 (gives the different versions of the Chronicles)
9. ↑ ^{9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11} The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: Eleventh Century, the Avalon Project, web
10. ↑ Ian Howard. Harthacnut: The Last Danish King of England, the History Press, 2008, cited in Wikipedia:Harthacnut
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry by M K Lawson for 'Harold I [called Harold Harefoot]', print and online 2004
12. ↑ P H Sawyer. Anglo-Saxon Charters, Royal Historical Society, 1968, pp. 297-298
13. ↑ Henry of Huntingdon (translated by Diana Greenway). The History of the English People 1000-1054, paperback edition, Oxford University Press, 2002, pp. 18-19
14. ↑ Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morkinskinna
15. ↑ Charles Cawley, 'Medieval Lands', entry for 'Ælfgifu'

• Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, entry by M K Lawson for 'Harthacnut', print and online 2004
• Cawley, Charles. "Medieval Lands": A prosopography of medieval European noble and royal families © by Charles Cawley, hosted by Foundation for Medieval Genealogy (FMG). See also WikiTree's source page for MedLands. Entry for ‘HARTHACNUT (England 1018-Lambeth 8 Jun 1042)
• Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Vol. 24, p. 330, entry for Hardecanute
• Wikipedia:Harthacnut (English)
• Wikipedia: Hardeknud (Danish)