Anglo-Danish Empire: A Companion to the Reign of King Cnut the Great

Description

Anglo-Danish Empire is an interdisciplinary handbook for the Danish conquest of England in 1016 and the subsequent reign of King Cnut the Great. Bringing together scholars from the fields of history, literature, archaeology, and manuscript studies, the volume offers comprehensive analysis of England’s shift from Anglo-Saxon to Danish rule. It follows the history of this complicated transition, from the closing years of the reign of King Æthelred II and the Anglo-Danish wars, to Cnut’s accession to the throne of England and his consolidation of power at home and abroad. Ruling from 1016 to 1035, Cnut drew England into a Scandinavian empire that stretched from Ireland to the Baltic. His reign rewrote the place of Denmark and England within Europe, altering the political and cultural landscapes of both countries for decades to come. Contents Abbreviations List of Figures List of Maps List of Tables Acknowledgments Prologue “King of Danes, Irish, English and Island- Dwellers”: An Audience with Knútr inn Ríki Part I: Cnut’s Conquest Chapter 1 London into the Age of Cnut: An Archaeological Perspective Chapter 2 Coins of Æthelred II and Cnut the Great from London Excavations Chapter 3 Early-Eleventh-Century Weapons from the Site of Old London Bridge: A Reassessment Chapter 4 The Reign of King Æthelred the Unready in Multiple Maps Chapter 5 The Æthelredian Fragment of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the Personality of its Author Chapter 6 Æthelred’s Death and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’s Tone Chapter 7 King Edmund II Ironside and the Siege of London, 1016 Part II: Cnut’s Kingdom Chapter 8 Cnut, King of the English, 1017–1019 Chapter 9 “In London, Very Justly”: Cnut’s English Reputation and the Death of Eadric Streona Chapter 10 Cnut’s Interaction with Winchester: A Reassessment Chapter 11 Heroic Legend: Sigmundr Fáfnisbani in the Court of King Cnut Chapter 12 An Icelander in Cnut’s Court: The Case of Sigvatr Þórðarson Chapter 13 Behold the Front Page: Cnut and the Scyldings in Beowulf Part III: Cnut’s Empire Map: The empire of Cnut the Great (1016–1035). Chapter 14 “Vuiberg Hic Coronatur Rex Dacie”: The Crowning of King Cnut in Viborg, 1019 Chapter 15 King Cnut of England and the Danish Homelands Chapter 16 Cnut’s Ecclesiastical Policy in the Context of His English and Danish Predecessors Chapter 17 Cnut’s Gift of a Swithun-relic to “Dacia”: A Gift to Denmark or Norway? Chapter 18 Cnut, his Dynasty, and the Elbe-Slavs Chapter 19 Cnut’s Reign in England and Denmark: The Western Slavonic Perspective Chapter 20 St. Clement of Rome: Patron Saint of Cnut and the Dynasty of Denmark Epilogue Cnut and the Potential Uses and Abuses of the Late Narrative Sources from Northern Scandinavia Notes on Contributors General Bibliography Index