Alexander III's Reign

In 1179, Pope Alexander III, now able to function as the recognized pope after his imperial-supported rival popes were suppressed, was in a position to summon clergy from all over to address some reforms in the Church.

The Third Council of the Lateran handled many topics, one of which involved Alexander himself. They decreed that no one could be elected pope without two-thirds of the cardinals. Once agreed to, it was intended to prevent situations such as he experienced, with a small faction of cardinals breaking away to elect their own pope.

It also decreed that education should be provided for free. In the Parochial School post I explained how Alexander declared that it was the duty of the Church to provide free education "in order that the poor, who cannot be assisted by their parents' means, may not be deprived of the opportunity of reading and proficiency."

The Council also made some changes that would affect all Christian countries. It expanded the Truce of God, the times when fighting was forbidden between Christian armies. He supported crusades against the pagans I Northern Europe, and approved forced conversion in the Baltic region (a cause taken up by Danish king Eric the Memorable).

He was friends with Thomas Becket, of course supporting Becket in his dispute with Henry II of England. (The illustration shows Alexander saying goodbye to Becket as he leaves to return to England.) He canonized Becket not long after the man's death, in 1173, which was seen as a rebuke to Henry. Alexander also canonized Bernard of Clairvaux and Edward the Confessor, although he did not beatify (the first step in recognizing that a person could be declared a saint) anyone during his pontificate.

There were problems for Christians and the Church in Finland; priests and the Church had no respect and were frequently harassed. Alexander's papal bull Non parum animus noster ("Our mind is deeply troubled") promoted a Crusade against pagan Estonians and Finns.

Finland hasn't been addressed in this blog except for references to lutefisk and so-called Moses coins. What was the far north like in the Middle Ages? Let's take a look next time.

Pope Alexander III

A man born in Siena c.1100 grew up to make significant changes to the Roman Catholic Church. His name was Roland, and he studied theology at (probably) Bologna, according to Robert de Torigni. He was made a cardinal-deacon in October 1150 by Pope Eugene III, and a few years later he was the papal chancellor.

He was very busy in that role. He was the leader of the cardinals who opposed Holy Roman Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa. He negotiated the treaty between Pope Honorius II and Roger II of Sicily that ended hostilities between them. He was the initiator of a serious diplomatic incident when he delivered a message from the pope declaring that the Holy Roman Emperor was a vassal of the pope.

When Pope Adrian IV died in September 1159, there was disagreement over his successor. Roland was elected pope a week later and took the regnal name Alexander III. There was, however, a contingent of cardinals who were loyal to the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick, and elected a cardinal priest who took the name Victor IV and is now considered an antipope. (This was actually the second "Victor IV" to be declared an antipope. There was another a generation earlier.)

The emperor had a strong presence in Rome, and Alexander had to live outside of the city while fighting to establish his legitimacy. In 1161, the King of Hungary recognized Alexander as the true pope, followed by kings of France and England. Victor died in 1164, and (it is said) Alexander wept real tears for the death of a fellow cleric, scolding his followers who rejoiced at the news.

Victor was replaced, however, by more antipopes with imperial support: Paschal III and Calixtus III. When Frederick was defeated at the Battle of Legnano in 1176, his grasp on politics in the Italian peninsula waned. Alexander returned to Rome on 12 March 1178 to live out the remainder of his pontificate.

He was also now free to make changes, which I'll tell you about tomorrow.

Eric the Memorable

After Niels, the fourth and last of the sons of Sweyn II to become kings of Denmark, died, the throne passed to the next generation; in this case to Eric II "the Memorable," son of Eric the Evergood.

Born c.1090 to King Eric I and an unknown woman (Eric had a wife, but like his father he consorted with other women), Eric rebelled against his uncle, King Niels, because Niels was considered neglectful as a king, leaving much of the administration to his queen, Margaret Fredkulla. Finally winning against Niels, Eric was made king on 25 June 1134.

Initially losing several battles against his predecessor, he had been name "Harefoot"; it meant "barefoot" and was a derogatory nickname linked to retreating from battle. Once he was elected king, "Harefoot" was replaced with "the Memorable" because of the extremely decisive victory against Niels in the last battle, the Battle of Fotevik, when German mercenaries on horseback took Niels' army by surprise. Denmark had never seen such a large-scale cavalry force.

Eric set about consolidating his power, giving titles and positions to his supporters. His half-brother, Canute Lavard (Eric I's legitimate son) had died in battle, and Eric set about to get him canonized. It is said he wanted to establish in Denmark the notion of the "divine right of kings" and felt making his brother a saint would help link religious loyalty to political loyalty. Canute was canonized in 1170 by Pope Alexander III.

Eric was ruthless to his enemies. He decided to conduct his own Crusade against a non-Christian people living on a Baltic island. He had his men dig a canal near their city that filled with water, draining the aquifer that the city relied on and forcing them to surrender or die from lack of water. He attacked Norway; unsuccessfully, but in the process he burned down Oslo.

His death comes to us in a story by a 16th-century historian, Arild Huitfeldt. At a landsting (meeting of the Danish parliament) in 1137, he was approached by Sorte Plov, a local nobleman carrying a spear that had a block of wood stuck on the tip to render it harmless. When Sorte Plov got close enough to see that Eric was not wearing armor or chainmail under his clothes, Sorte knock the block of wood off and thrust the spear through the king.

Eric's nephew Erik Håkonssøn was present, and drew his sword to deal with Sorte, but Sorte, knowing that Erik was next in the line of succession, pointed out that "A juicy piece of meat hath fallen in thy bowl!" Erik Håkonssøn was crowned Eric III of Denmark (Sorte escaped). (Eric did have an illegitimate son, Sweyn, who after Erik would become King Sweyn III of Denmark, sharing the reign with two other members of that generation of Sweyn II's descendants.)

I am shocked, I say, shocked to discover that I've never told you about Pope Alexander III, even though he has been mentioned several times in this blog. Let me introduce you tomorrow to the man.

The Children of Sweyn, Part 3

After the untimely death of King Eric the Evergood in Cyprus, his brother Niels became King of Denmark, the latest and last of the sons of Sweyn II to become king. He was born c.1063, and his reign began in 1104.

In 1105 Niels married the daughter of Inge I "the Elder," King of Sweden. Her name was Margaret Fredkulla "Maiden of Peace"), and she had previously been married to King Magnus III "Barefoot" of Norway (who died in 1103) as part of a peace treaty. Rumor said Niels was not interested in the details of administration and left many of the affairs of state in Margaret's hands. Margaret even minted her own coins. (The illustration shows a coin with Niels' image.) They had a son, Magnus "the Strong" Nielsen, who became ruler of Geatland in southern Sweden in the 1120s. 

There was trouble with Eric the Memorable, the son of Niels' older brother Eric Evergood. Eric rebelled against Niels' reign, losing several battles against Niels and Magnus the Strong. Eric hoped to make an ally of the Holy Roman Emperor Lothair III, who was busy trying to depose a pope, but later did support him. With the help of Lothair and other allies and German mercenaries, Eric defeated Niels' army in 1134.

Niels died a year later, slain by the townspeople of Schleswig as he sought refuge.

Niels was the last surviving son of Sweyn—whose sons reigned for a combined 60 years—and the reign passed to Eric the Memorable, who reigned as King Eric II of Denmark. He was a ruthless man who met a sudden end after only a few years. I'll share that story next time.

The Children of Sweyn, Part 2

After the death of King Canute IV of Denmark, he was succeeded by his brother Olaf (c.1050 - 1095). Olaf's reign suffered through several consecutive years of very dry springtimes that led to extremely poor growing seasons, which were followed by so much rain in the fall that fields were flooded. The people were reduced to digging for roots to eat. King Olaf I was given the nickname "Hunger" because of this.

The famines were attributed to the unjust murder of Canute, a very saintly man, and helped contribute to his eventual canonization. The contrast between Olaf and his predecessor was noted by the people.

Canute had given Olaf trouble previously. When Canute prepared a fleet to attack England, Olaf was at the assembly point while Canute was delayed. Olaf became the unofficial leader of the waiting Danish fleet, and Canute felt Olaf was taking on too much authority. Olaf in turn was concerned about Canute's son becoming Canute's successor, when Olaf wanted his own chance to be king.

Canute had Olaf arrested by their brother Eric and exiled to Flanders. When news came that Canute had been killed, Olaf was proclaimed king at a council meeting in Denmark, and Olaf was brought back.

When the land was suffering, some religious beliefs held that a sacrifice was needed to turn the tides of their god's favor. Olaf died on 18 August 1095, we do not know how. Saxo Grammaticus (writing decades after the event) reports that Olaf "willingly gave himself to lose the land of its bad luck and begged that all of it (guilt) would fall upon his head alone. So offered he his life for his countrymen." He was a human sacrifice to help Denmark, so Grammaticus believed.

Eric, the brother who was given the responsibility by Canute to get rid of Olaf, became the next king of Denmark. Eric I of Denmark (c.1056 - 1103) was called Eric the Good, or the Evergood. The famines that were such a part of Olaf's reign were over during Eric's.

Saxo Grammaticus records that he was a powerful man who could hold his ground while four men tried to move him, and he was well-liked and a good speaker. He was a man of the people, mixing among them and greeting everyone. He avoided clashing with his nobles, but was ruthless to pirates and robbers.

He managed to get Canute canonized while on a visit to Rome, and achieved his father Sweyn's dream of an archbishopric for Denmark. He traveled to Constantinople where he became ill; he died on Cyprus in July 1103, where he was buried. The illustration is of a memorial stone for Eric in Viborg, Denmark.

Fortunately for Denmark, there were still plenty of Sweyn's illegitimate sons left who could be king, and the crown passed to Niels, who reigned for 30 years. He will be tomorrow's story.

The Children of Sweyn, Part 1

King Sweyn II of Denmark (c.1019 - 1076) had two wives and numerous mistresses, resulting in about 20 children. His first wife was Gyda of Sweden, who we are told by later chronicles was the daughter of King of Sweden Anund Jacob and Queen Gunnhildr Sveinsdóttir. The marriage was short-lived, and Adam of Bremen suspects she was poisoned by Thora, a concubine of Sweyn. His second marriage was to Gyda's mother, Gunnhildr, after Anund Jacob died (c.1050). Although they had a son (Sweyn), Bishop Adalbert of Hamburg ended the marriage by threatening excommunication because the husband was too closely related to his wife/mother-in-law. Gunnhildr returned to Sweden.

Sweyn never re-married that we know of, but that did not stop him from fathering children. His legitimate child by Gunnhildr died young. Of his known children, many survived and become known to history.

Harald Hen, born c.1050, became King Harald III after his father, reigning from 1076 to 1080. The election to succeed Sweyn was between Harald and his brother (who also became king) Canute IV of Denmark (later Canute the Saint). Harald's reign was challenged by his brothers, who were supported by Olaf III of Norway, who might have wanted to carry on the legacy of his father, Harald Hardrada, who hassled Sweyn for much of his reign.

Although Saxo Grammaticus, in his Gesta Danorum ("Deeds of the Danish People"), calls Harald III weak and ineffective, another chronicler says he was beloved by the people. He started no new wars, he standardized Danish coinage, allowed public use of royal forests, and eliminated trial by combat and trial by ordeal, replacing them with the English system of calling other men to swear to your bona fides.

Upon his death, he was succeeded by his brother Canute the Saint (born c.1042; reigned 1080 - 1086). Canute was more ambitious than his brother, and led yet another Danish raid on England. Since his great-uncle Cnut was once king of England, Canute IV considered himself the rightful heir to that crown and considered William I "the Conqueror" a usurper.

Canute IV married Adela, daughter of Robert I of Flanders (an ally of Denmark). With the help of his father-in-law and Olaf III of Norway, he planned an assault on England and assembled a fleet of ships. At the same time, however, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV was being seen as a growing threat to Denmark and Flanders. The fleet never sailed, because Canute and Robert were afraid to leave Denmark and Flanders undefended against Henry's thoughts of expansion.

Canute was killed in 1086 by a lance thrust in his side during a peasant revolt. Canute had also been a devout advocate for the Church. A famine that followed his death was attributed to the unjust killing of a saintly man.  Miracles were attributed to him not long after. Pope Paschal II confirmed the "cult of Canute," and he became the first Dane to be canonized. (The illustration is of his statue in St. Peter's Church in Odense, Denmark.)

His successor was another illegitimate child of Sweyn's, Olaf Hunger, and his nickname was not in any way flattering. I'll explain tomorrow.

Sweyn's Reign, and Religion

The conflict between Sweyn II of Denmark and Harald Hardrada was called off in 1064, with Sweyn agreeing to recognize Harald as King of Norway. With no more conflict against Denmark, Harald sailed to England to conquer that land, where he died in 1066 at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.

The war with Norway had been devastating economically for Denmark, and recovery was slow. Sweyn's reputation for kindness and generosity went a long way toward keeping the loyalty of his people during difficult times, however. He also created close ties to the Church, reaching out to popes for support and friendship. He tried to get his great-grandfather, the first Christian King of Denmark Harold Bluetooth, canonized as a saint.

He divided Denmark into eight dioceses with papal support, and brought Anglo-Dane clerics from England to prevent the expansion of German influence on Danish churches. Bishop Adalbert of Hamburg (with jurisdiction over Denmark's Christian population) was trying to extend more influence of the German-based Holy Roman Empire to the Scandinavian countries. Sweyn requested of Pope Leo IX to have an archbishop for Denmark to stave off Adalbert. The request was not fulfilled before Leo died in 1054.

Churches were built throughout Denmark with the king's support. The German chronicler Adam of Bremen visited Denmark and wrote about how impressed he was with Sweyn's wisdom and how astounded he was at the hundreds of churches he saw. Originally wooden, hundreds of churches were re-built with stone in the 12th century.

Adam of Bremen interviewed Sweyn, who told him much about his family and life. Much of what we know about Denmark in the 9th and 10th centuries comes from Adam's work, Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum ("Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church").

Sweyn tried his own hand at taking over England, the land of his birth, after William of Normandy had conquered it. He allied with Edgar Ætheling to challenge William, but after managing only to conquer York, William bribed him to desert Edgar.

Sweyn had two wives, and numerous mistresses. He fathered at least 20 children, many of whom went on to make names for themselves. Perhaps tomorrow we'll visit a selection of his children and their accomplishments.

Sweyn's Close Call

Sweyn's care for his people allowed Harald Hardrada to escape during their sea skirmish, but Sweyn himself had a similar close call. In 1062, at the Battle of Niså off the coast of Halland (a Swedish province), Sweyn was captured and survived due to the sympathy of his captor.

The tale is told by Snorri Sturluson: Harald and Sweyn agreed to meet in a decisive battle. If Sweyn won, Harald would stop trying to invade and conquer Denmark (he had been calling himself king of Denmark for years). The two navies would meet on 9 August. Harald was there, but Sweyn did not show up. Harald kept his formal navy but allowed his non-soldiers—the villagers who were conscripted for the fight—to go home.

That's when Sweyn appeared, seizing what he saw as an advantage. Harald linked all his ships with rope so that Sweyn's ships could not separate them. Sweyn did the same, and the battle lasted into the night. Then Harald's earl, Haakon Ivarsson, detached his ships and started attacking the weakened and tired Danish ships from a new angle.

Sweyn didn't have a way to do the same, and by dawn 70 of his ships were empty and the rest went into retreat. Sweyn leapt into the water to escape being attacked in his recognizable boat. He was actually rescued by Haakon, who did not turn him over to Harald. Haakon had been an ally of Sweyn's in the past, and saved his life.

Sweyn would have been killed or turned over to Harald by anyone else, but Haakon got him to safety. Later, Haakon claimed that Sweyn was in disguise and unrecognizable, but that is unlikely since they knew each other personally. Haakon's actions caused the Norwegians to condemn him. He later became the earl of Halland under Sweyn.

Harald's forces won, but the damage was so great on his side as well that Norway was suffering. The saga would not be concluded for another couple years. We'll wrap this up tomorrow.

Sweyn II of Denmark

Also known as Sweyn Estridsson or Estridsen, because his mother was Estrid, daughter of Sweyn Forkbeard, Sweyn II was King of Denmark from 1047 to 1078. He was also sometimes known as Sweyn Ulfsson because his father was Ulf Thorgilsson.

Born c.1019, he was raised in England where his parents lived under the reign of his uncle, King Cnut. He was raised as a warrior and eventual king, but he also knew how to read and write. Pope Gregory VII, who became a personal friend of Sweyn, described him as an exceptionally educated monarch.

What we know of him (and much of this era in Denmark) we learned from Adam of Bremen and his chronicle Gesta Hammaburgensis ecclesiae pontificum ("Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church"). As king of Denmark, Sweyn invited scholars from all over to make sure Danes were educated in Latin so they could communicate with the rest of the world. We also know that he was of above average height, based on examination of his skeleton (entombed in Roskilde Cathedral).

King of Denmark Harthacnut, Sweyn's cousin, made him a jarl, and for Harthacnut he started an unsuccessful war against king of Norway Magnus I. Magnus claimed the throne of Denmark at Harthacnut's death in 1042, and Sweyn fought on Magnus' behalf, where he had some success and was proclaimed king by the Danish nobles. He could not formally take the reign from Magnus, however, and fled to Sweden for a time.

Harald Hardrada, Magnus' uncle, had been exiled. He returned and joined Sweyn to challenge Magnus. Magnus chose to share Norway with Harald. Magnus died in 1047, declaring that Harald would rule Norway and Sweyn II could be king in Denmark.

Harald, accustomed to sharing Denmark with Magnus, did not want to give it up to Sweyn. The two sides fought for years. In one notable skirmish, Harald attacked and plundered the coast of Jutland, taking goods and prisoners. Sweyn's ships approached, whereupon Harald had his men throw the plunder overboard to delay his pursuers.

Sweyn ordered his people to ignore the floating wares and keep sailing after Harald's ship. Then Harald had the captives thrown overboard. Sweyn ordered the captives to be rescued, knowing that Harald would escape.

At another encounter at sea, Sweyn almost lost his life. I'll tell you that story tomorrow.

Sweyn's Daughter, Estrid

Estrid Svensdatter, daughter of Sweyn Forkbeard and sister of Cnut, was born c.990 and lived at least until 1057. We do not know about her early life, and there is a great deal of speculation about who her mother was.

One story is that she was the daughter of Sigrid the Haughty, the wife of King Eric the Victorious of Sweden. After Eric's death Sigrid married Sweyn. Other stories about Sweyn say his wife was a Polish princess, Świętosława, the daughter of Duke Mieszko I of Poland.

If she were the daughter of Sigrid, it would make her the sister of Olof Skötkonung. Olof, also called Olof the Swede, became King of Sweden. When Estrid's son, Sweyn II, married Gunnhildr Sveinsdóttir, Pope Leo IX annulled it on the grounds of consanguinity. Gunnhildr was the maternal granddaughter of Olof Skötkonung, whose mother we are certain was Sigrid. This is the anecdotal evidence that Sigrid was her mother.

When Sweyn Forkbeard died in 1014, Estrid came under the guardianship of her brother, King Cnut. She had at least three marriages proposed and/or contracted, the order of which is uncertain because they are all mentioned in different sagas and histories. There is no definitive history written of her life by contemporaries.

One marriage supposedly was to a Kievan Rus son of either Grand Prince Vladimir the Great or Yaroslav the Wise, making her a Rus princess. Whomever it was, that prince died shortly after. She seems to have been, married to a Duke of Normandy, either Richard II or his son, Robert I (depending on which chronicler you read), but these seem unlikely, and most Western European chroniclers do not mention this, or they mention it as very short-lived with no children.

The longer-lasting union seems got have been with Ulf Thorgilsson (also called Ulf Jarl), a Danish earl. Their children were Sweyn II Estridsson, Beorn Estridsson, and Asbjørn Estridsson. 

Ulf was a trusted earl, and Cnut even gave his son, Harthacnut, to Ulf and Astrid to raise. Unfortunately, Cnut and Ulf had a falling out, and Ulf was killed, apparently with Cnut's blessing. (I wrote about it here.)

Although Estrid had not been a consort to a king, during the reign of her son Sweyn she was referred to as dronning, which means "queen." She was also known as Estrith, and sometimes as Margaret. We do not know when she died, but it was recorded that Bishop William of Roskilde officiated at her funeral. Since he was bishop from 1057 to 1073, she must have died during those years.

Her son Sweyn II became King of Denmark, and it is he that we will talk about tomorrow.

Sweyn Invades

It may well have been news of the wholesale slaughter of Danes in 1002 that was ordered by King Æthelred that motivated Sweyn Forkbeard to invade England. The St. Brice's Day Massacre is said to have killed Sweyn's sister Gunhilde and her husband, Pallig.

According to John of Wallingford, a Benedictine monk in the early 13th century, Sweyn was behind invasions between 1002 and 1012, many of which were commanded by Thorkell the Tall. Despite the massacre, an apparent arrangement between Sweyn and Duke Richard II of Normandy to sell Sweyn's plunder in Normandy suggests that one reason for invasion was, as always, loot. Of course the Danes were often bought off with Danegeld, and Sweyn accumulated a lot of it in those invasion years.

Sweyn is said to have personally led an invasion force in 1013, accompanied by Cnut. According to the Peterborough Chronicle:

before the month of August came king Swein with his fleet to Sandwich. He went very quickly about East Anglia into the Humber's mouth, and so upward along the Trent till he came to Gainsborough. Earl Uchtred and all Northumbria quickly bowed to him, as did all the people of the Kingdom of Lindsey, then the people of the Five Boroughs. He was given hostages from each shire. When he understood that all the people had submitted to him, he bade that his force should be provisioned and horsed; he went south with the main part of the invasion force, while some of the invasion force, as well as the hostages, were with his son Cnut. After he came over Watling Street, they went to Oxford, and the town-dwellers soon bowed to him, and gave hostages. From there they went to Winchester, and the people did the same, then eastward to London.

London resisted, partly because by then they had Danish help from Thorkell the Tall, who had defected, with many men and ships loyal to him, because he objected to the stoning of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Ælfheah. Sweyn then went to Bath and other locations where they all surrendered. London soon followed, fearing how severe his revenge would be if they continued to resist.

With the capitulation of London, Æthelred went to the Isle of Wight and sent his sons to Normandy. Sweyn started to manage his new kingdom, but he died five weeks later, on 3 February 1014. His body was embalmed and returned to Denmark for burial.

His position in England was taken over by Cnut, of whom much has been said. Who has never been mentioned is Sweyn's daughter, Estrid, who lived a long and not-dull life. Let's talk about her next time.

The Oxford Massacre

One site of the St. Brice's Day Massacre in 1002 seems to have been Oxford. Æthelred called it in a 1004 charter "a most just extermination" of Danes, because of the rumor that they intended to kill him and all his council and take over the entire island, not just the part known as the Danelaw.

The sad part of the situation in Oxford was that the Danes there saw it coming and decided to take advantage of sanctuary. Sanctuary allowed anyone to take refuge in a church. Sanctuary had a time limit of 40 days, but in that time the refugee could get aid from outside to create a defense on their behalf against the persecutors.

The Danes in Oxford went to St Frideswide's Church (now Christ Church Cathedral), which Æthelred's charter tells:

For it is fully agreed that to all dwelling in this country it will be well known that, since a decree was sent out by me with the counsel of my leading men and magnates, to the effect that all the Danes who had sprung up in this island, sprouting like cockle amongst the wheat, were to be destroyed by a most just extermination, and thus this decree was to be put into effect even as far as death, those Danes who dwelt in the afore-mentioned town, striving to escape death, entered this sanctuary of Christ, having broken by force the doors and bolts, and resolved to make refuge and defense for themselves therein against the people of the town and the suburbs;

This should have been recognized as a safe haven for them,

...but when all the people in pursuit strove, forced by necessity, to drive them out, and could not, they set fire to the planks and burnt, as it seems, this church with its ornaments and its books. Afterwards, with God's aid, it was renewed by me.

Were the Danes all stuck inside while it burned? Or did they flee and meet the angry mob outside?

In 2008, an archaeological dig found the remains of 37 people who had been massacred. So far as could be determined, they were all male, between the ages of 16 and 25, and some had scars suggestive of previous injuries such as would be incurred by warriors. There were, however, newer injuries all over the bodies that did not have time to heal, as if attacked by a crowd from all sides. Radiocarbon dating suggests they all died between 960 and 1020 CE.

This was not the only site of aggression against Danes, but the king's decree and stories about St. Brice's Day may have been the impetus for what Sweyn Forkbeard did next. Let's get back to him.

The St. Brice's Day Massacre

Clashes with Danes in England resulted in establishing the Danelaw, originally just the set of Danish laws agreed upon with Alfred the Great (848 - 899) wherein Danes could rule themselves while living on English soil. It later came to refer to a specific geographical territory (the pink area in the illustration).

This created a time of relative peace, with each group largely staying out of the other's way. In the 980s, however, Danes started making raids into English territory. In 991, after the Battle of Maldon, King Æthelred the Unready paid Danegeld, a tribute to the Danes to stop their attacks.

The attacks did not stop, however, and from 997 to 1001 there were savage raids by Danes across Southern England, burning towns and killing Anglo-Saxons.

Then Æthelred learned of a rumor, that the Danes intended to kill him, all his councilors, and then possess the entire kingdom. To put it in the words of the (translated) Anglo-Saxon Chronicle:

...in the same year the king gave an order to slay all the Danes that were in England. This was accordingly done on the mass-day of St. Brice; because it was told the king, that they would beshrew him of his life, and afterwards all his council, and then have his kingdom without any resistance.

Contemporary and near-contemporary and modern historians disagree on the phrase "all the Danes that were in England." Some say it was only those who were warriors, some (like the A-SC) believe it was every Dane they could find.

The massacre took place on the feast day of St. Brice, a Frankish bishop (c.370 - 444) who succeeded St. Martin as bishop of Tours. It took place in Oxford, and a royal charter issued in 1004 by Æthelred called it "a most just extermination."

Part of it involved an act of cruelty that mirrored the much later Clifford's Tower incident, an act so horrendous that it might have been the deciding factor in Sweyn's invasion. I'll explain more next time.

Sweyn Forkbeard

European history classrooms in America often talk about the Danish King Cnut (Canute) and his conquest of England. The modern world also hears about Cnut's grandfather, Harald Bluetooth, from whom the wireless protocol Bluetooth™ gets its name.

Whom we don't hear enough about is the generation sandwiched between these two familiar names, Harald's son and Cnut's father, Sweyn Forkbeard, who managed to be King of Denmark, King of Norway, and King of England (although in England only for a little over a month). He also fathered two kings and a queen.

His birthdate is unknown, but in the mid-980s he was old enough to rebel against his father, Harald, driving Harald into an exile in which he died in either 985 or 986. Despite this treasonous act, the Encomium Emmæ Reginæ ("Encomium for Queen Emma"), written for Emma of Normandy (widow of Æthelred the Unready and later Cnut's wife), claims Sweyn was universally loved:

Sveinn, king of the Danes, was, I declare, as I have ascertained from truthful report, practically the most fortune of all kings of his time, ... The Divine Power granted him such great favor that even as a boy he was held by all in close affection, and was hated only by his own father. No fault of the boy deserved this: it was due only to envy. When he grew to be a young man, he increased daily in the love of the people, and accordingly, his father's envy increased more and more, so that he wished not in secret, but openly, to cast him out, affirming by oath that he should not rule after him.

Some reports say that it was Sweyn embracing Christianity that ultimately turned his father so against him that Sweyn had to depose Harald and take the throne. One German historian, Adam of Bremen, claimed Sweyn was a rebellious pagan, upset that his father embraced Christianity. We also read in some chronicles that Harald was baptized by a cleric named Poppo, who performed a miracle that convinced Harald that Christianity was true. (Other versions claim Poppo performed for Sweyn instead.)

We know about Sweyn's invasion of England in 1003. Now, Danes were frequently invading England, and had established an enormous foothold, an occupied area known as the Danelaw, an agreed-upon compromise between the Danes and Alfred the Great. Was there a reason why Sweyn felt he had to start ravaging other parts outside of the Danelaw?

He might have had a very good reason, we could even say a legitimate reason, because of an incident in November of 1002. Tomorrow we'll learn about the St. Brice's Day Massacre.

Defectors

It must have been a shock when Thorkell the Tall, a leader and warrior of the early 12th-century Danish invasion of England, changed his stance and defected to join the English forces of King Æthelred the Unready, taking 45 ships' worth of loyal men with him. There is some reason to believe that Thorkell was married to a daughter of Æthelred, possibly Eadgyth (Edith).

As mercenaries for Æthelred, the Danes fought in 1013 against their former liege lord, King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark and his son, Cnut (whom Thorkell had helped raise and educate). Sweyn was successful, forcing Æthelred into exile by the end of 1013. Sweyn died not long after, however, on 2 February 1014, and Cnut was declared his successor.

The remaining English nobles called Æthelred back from the continent to reclaim the throne (Cnut was back in Denmark). While Cnut was preparing a fleet to re-take England, Æthelred's eldest son Æthelstan died, making his second son Edmund Ironside the new heir to the throne of England.

Cnut's invasion arrived in September 1015 with numerous mercenaries and help from Poland and Sweden. Thorkell decided to leave the employ of Æthelred, defecting to join up with Cnut. While they plundered southern England, the elderly and ill Æthelred left leadership of the army to Edmund. Edmund's army was joined by an army raised by Eadric Streona, but Eadric betrayed Edmund and the English, convincing 40 ships to defect with him and join Cnut.

During a Battle of Otford (near the village of Otford in Kent), Eadric defected from Cnut back to the English. This seems to have been simply a ruse, because at the following crucial Battle of Assandun he defected again, leaving Edmund's army alone to fight Cnut. A majority of English nobility were killed, defeated by Cnut. 

For Thorkell's defection back to Cnut, he received East Anglia. Eadric received Mercia, but Cnut knew he could not be trusted. Eadric must have acted true to form for the dastardly fellow he was, because less than two years later Cnut had him beheaded.

Thorkell, again, had some falling out with Cnut, in 1021. Cnut banished Thorkell, who returned to Denmark. Fearing Thorkell's reputation as a powerful leader, Cnut didn't want Thorkell to defect again to join some enemy of Cnut, so he made him an earl of Denmark and foster-father to Cnut's son, Harthacnut.

Mentions of Thorkell end in 1023. The details of his death are unknown. One of his sons was in the retinue of Harthacnut, but after Harthacnut's death Thorkell's wife and sons were expelled from Denmark, suggesting there was suspicion on the family.

Now: mentioned several times but never discussed in detail, let's talk about Cnut's father and Thorkell's lord, Sweyn Forkbeard.

Thorkell the Tall

The Danish raid on Canterbury in 1011 included a leader named Thorkell the Tall. He was an important enough man that his name was recorded on a few runestones, such as the one pictured here in Sweden, commemorating the taking of Danegeld in England. (I actually mentioned Thorkell, though not by name, 12 years ago; same illustration, it turns out; there aren't many graphics available that can be linked to Thorkell.)

Legend says Thorkell helped raise the young Cnut, taking him on raids and teaching him warfare. The Encomium Emmae Reginae ("Encomium of Queen Emma"), about Emma of Normandy, tells us he was a great leader and warrior.

Landing with an army on the shores of Sandwich in the south-east in 1009, he began a progress through southern England either destroying or getting paid off. Canterbury initially gave them 3000 pounds of silver, which assuaged the Danes and sent them to London for their next attacks.

London's defenses and people were too much, however, and the Danes' siege failed to defeat the city, so they returned to Canterbury. Canterbury was besieged for two weeks. It finally fell due to treachery by Ælfmaer, Abbot of St Augustine's, who (according to William of Malmesbury and others) let the Danes into the city. (Cnut made him Bishop of Sherborne in 1023.) Canterbury Cathedral was burned, and the archbishop of Canterbury, Ælfheah, was captured for ransom. The Danes demanded an additional 3000 pounds of silver to let the captives go.

Ælfheah refused to be ransomed, and over seven months took the opportunity to speak to his captors and persuade many of them to convert to Christianity. On 19 April, during a feast in which the Danes got very drunk, they decided to kill Ælfheah.

Thorkell tried to save the archbishop. He begged the Danes to let Ælfheah live, offering them all that he possessed except his ship. The crowd would not be stopped. Ælfheah was pelted with stones and bones and finally beheaded by one impatient man.

More attacks across southern England produced a total of 48,000 pounds of silver, but Thorkell and men loyal to him split from the other Danes. Thorkell and 45 ships defected and offered themselves to King Æthelred as mercenaries.

This would mean that Thorkell would ultimately wind up on the other side of a battle with his own king and the son of that king, Cnut, whom Thorkell helped raise. I'll tell you how that went tomorrow.

A Noble End

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Alfheah (also called Alphege), was captured during an invasion of Vikings in 1011. Eadric Streona was supposedly sent to negotiate. Unfortunately, Eadric might not have been the ideal negotiator; on the one hand because he seemed to be King Æthelred's "enforcer," and on the other hand if we consider William of Malmesbury's opinion of the man:

...the dregs of mankind and a disgrace to his countrymen, a criminal debauchee and a cunning rascal, whose wealth owed its origin to his rank and had been increased by his skill in speech and his effrontery. A skilful deceiver with a ready invention, he sought out the king's intentions as his faithful servant, and spread them around as a common traitor. Often, when sent on a mission to the enemy to secure peace, he rekindled the war.

It is also possible that Eadric decided not to negotiate very diligently out of cowardice. In fact, when Eadric as Ealdormen of Mercia brought forces to join with Edmund Ironside and Æthelred against Cnut, Eadric abandoned the battle and later pledged his loyalty to Cnut. Cnut recognized that Eadric was untrustworthy and ultimately had him executed.

So Ælfheah was still in the hands of the Vikings. We are told that Ælfheah refused to have a ransom paid for his freedom, but I'm not sure how that information came to be known, and lying and reporting it to the king would be a way for Eadric to shirk the responsibility of effecting Ælfheah's release.

One version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports the death thusly:

... the raiding-army became much stirred up against the bishop, because he did not want to offer them any money, and forbade that anything might be granted in return for him. Also they were very drunk, because there was wine brought from the south. Then they seized the bishop, led him to their "hustings" on the Saturday in the octave of Easter, and then pelted him there with bones and the heads of cattle; and one of them struck him on the head with the butt of an axe, so that with the blow he sank down and his holy blood fell on the earth, and sent forth his holy soul to God's kingdom.

The date was 19 April 1012. Pope Gregory VII canonized Ælfheah in 1078 with a feast day of 19 April. Ælfheah's remains were place around the high altar of Canterbury cathedral along with Dunstan's, Ælfheah's friend. (The illustration is a memorial to him in the Church of St. Alphege in Greenwich.)

There was, however, one Viking leader who did not want to see Ælfheah toned, and tried to save him. I'll tell you about him tomorrow.

Ælfheah of Canterbury

Yesterday mentioned that Eadric Streona failed to negotiate the release of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Ælfheah, from the Vikings. Ælfheah (we are told) did not want a ransom paid for his release.

Ælfheah is also known as Alphege. He was born c.953 and joined a monastery early in life, then a little later moving to another monastery and becoming an anchorite, removing himself from the world to devote himself to prayer while residing in a very confined space.

His reputation for piety eventually caused him to be offered the position of abbot of Bath Abbey (the Abbey Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul) by 982. In 984 he was elected Bishop of Winchester, it is believed to be with the influence of the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Dunstan. As bishop, Ælfheah added a large organ to the cathedral, supposedly requiring two dozen men to operate and able to be heard a mile away.

He promoted the cults of St. Swithin and of Æthelwold of Winchester, Ælfheah's predecessor, bringing Æthelwold's body to a new tomb in the cathedral.

A Viking raid in 994 resulted in one of the raiders, Olaf Tryggvason, converting to Christianity. He was baptized by Ælfheah in one account, but another historian claims Olaf was already a Christian prior to this. In either case, Olaf vowed never to fight the English again.

In 1005, Archbishop of Canterbury Ælfric of Abingdon died, and Alfheah was chosen to succeed him in 1006. He needed to receive the pallium from Pope John XVIII. As archbishop he promoted Dunstan's cult and ordered the writing of a biography of the man. He also helped convince the Anglo-Saxon witenagemot to recognize Wulfsige of Sherborne as a saint.

Then came 1011 and a Danish raid on Canterbury in September. Ælfheah was captured, along with the Bishop of Rochester, the abbess of St. Mildrith's. The abbot of St. Augustine's Abbey, Ælfmaer, managed to escape, and there is some suspicion that he betrayed the others. We'll talk about Ælfheah's end tomorrow.

Eadric Streona

Eadric, the son of Ethelric, started as a relative unknown. His father was at the court of Æthelred the Unready, but was not distinguished. Something in Eadric caused him to get the attention of Æthelred, and he somehow became the king's enforcer.

This seems to have started in 1006 when he arranged the death of Ælfhelm, the Ealdorman of Northumbria. The Worcester Chronicle, which borrowed from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and supplemented the information, says:

The crafty and treacherous Eadric Streona, plotting to deceive the noble ealdorman Ælfhelm, prepared a great feast for him at Shrewsbury at which, when he came as a guest, Eadric greeted him as if he were an intimate friend. But on the third or fourth day of the feast, when an ambush had been prepared, he took him into the wood to hunt. When all were busy with the hunt, one Godwine Porthund (which means the town dog) a Shrewsbury butcher, whom Eadric had dazzled long before with great gifts and many promises so that he might perpetrate the crime, suddenly leapt out from the ambush, and execrably slew the ealdorman Ælfhelm.

Eadric was rewarded for his service. In 1007 he was made Ealdorman of Mercia. By 1009 he was married to Æthelred's daughter, Eadgyth.

His job was not only eliminating people. Vikings in 1011 had captured Archbishop of Canterbury Ælfheah. Eadric was tasked with negotiating Alfheah's release. (This was unsuccessful.)

The nickname "Streona" is translated as "The Acquisitive" or "The Grasper" because he was known to appropriate church lands and funds for himself, creating fake charters to support his claims to property. Of course many of the histories that write about him (like the page from Hemming's Cartulary, shown here, collected by a monk named Hemmings around the time of the Norman Conquest) came from clerics and monks, so his actions did not prompt them to write about him in a good light.

William of Malmesbury described him thusly:

the dregs of mankind and a disgrace to his countrymen, a criminal debauchee and a cunning rascal, whose wealth owed its origin to his rank and had been increased by his skill in speech and his effrontery. A skilful deceiver with a ready invention, he sought out the king's intentions as his faithful servant, and spread them around as a common traitor. Often, when sent on a mission to the enemy to secure peace, he rekindled the war.

He also arranged the deaths of two friends of Edmund Ironside, and then most egregiously abandoned the fight against King Cnut at the Battle of Assandun. After Cnut's victory, however, Eadric did not last long. Cnut no doubt realized the man was not trustworthy, and was ordered by Cnut on Christmas Day 1017 to be executed. We are told he was beheaded, his body thrown outside the city to rot, and the head displayed on a pole on the highest battlement of the Tower of London.

But what happened to Alfheah, the Archbishop of Canterbury whose release from the Vikings Eadric failed to gain? Let's find out tomorrow.

Edmund Ironside

Edmund, son of Æthelred the Unready and his first wife Ælfgifu of York, was likely born between 990 and 993, one of several siblings. He was raised in Wessex by his grandmother, Ælfthryth, wife of King Edgar the Peaceable. He might have had an education at Wherwell Abbey, a place important to his grandmother.

In his youth, there were constant raids on England from Vikings. He may have been put into the field early as a soldier, but we don't really have any evidence of his actions until about 1014 when his older brother Æthelstan Ætheling died. Edmund and Æthelstan were still in England, even though his father had taken the family to Normandy to flee from the invasion of Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark. Æthelstan's will left most of his goods to Edmund, including estates and a sword that had belonged to Offa, King of Mercia c.730 - 796.

Edmund became angry with his father when Æthelred allowed the execution of two friends, Sigeferth and Morcar. They were killed by Æthelred's enforcer and son-in-law, Eadric Streona, probably so that the king could seize their lands. Edmund boldly married Sigeferth's widow and occupied the area that had been controlled by Sigeferth. Edmund began issuing charters, in one of which he referred to himself as king.

His revolt against his father didn't last, since Sweyn's son Cnut invaded in the summer of 1015. Edmund was forced to raise an army and fight alongside Eadric and Æthelred, but distrust caused their effort to collapse. After Æthelred died in 1016 the succession passed to Edmund. Edmund was successful in several battles, inspiring all the English to unite. Eadric fled, however, from the climactic Battle of Assandun, and the English were suddenly outnumbered. Edmund was forced to give most of his kingdom to Cnut, leaving himself with only Wessex.

Edmund's total rule was 222 days. Cnut executed or exiled all of Edmund's relatives and consolidated the rest of England under his rule. Although Cnut was his enemy, on the tenth anniversary of Edmund's death, Cnut visited the grave at Glastonbury Abbey and honored it with a cloak of peacock feathers to symbolize Christian resurrection. Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries destroyed Glastonbury and the location of the remains of Edmund are unclear.

Why was he called "Ironside"? The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle refers to a lost history called Life of King Edmund Ironside. We can guess that it was the source for the nickname "Ironside" denoting a strong and relentless warrior. It also is where we find the source to call Eadric "Streona" meaning "The Acquisitive" must originate.

Speaking of Eadric Streona, what an interesting man. Let's talk about him next.

The St. Edmund Cult

After Edmund of East Anglia began to be treated as a saint, he became an important focal point for Christians in East Anglia, and embraced by important figures.

The Danish King Cnut (c.990 - 1035), who conquered England in 1016, was a good Christian who supported the Church. Cnut founded an abbey at Bury St. Edmunds.

The shrine of St. Edmund became famous, and fame brought wealth in the form of donations, making the abbey wealthy. (The illustration shows John Lydgate worshipping at the shrine.) King Edward the Confessor in 1044 created the Liberty of St. Edmund, placing the entire area of the County of West Suffolk under the jurisdiction of the abbot of Bury St. Edmunds. A Steward was appointed by William the Conqueror to manage the Liberty on behalf of the abbot. Although Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries eliminated the abbot's prerogative, the position of Hereditary High Steward of the Liberty of St Edmund still exists.

King John gave the abbey a great sapphire and a stone set in gold. His son, King Henry III, prayed to St. Edmund for a second son, which he eventually received, and named him Edmund. At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the shrine was defaced and silver and gold valued at 5000 marks was taken away.

Edmund's cult was revived in, of all places, France. The city of Toulouse was spared from a plague (1628 - 1631), which they ascribed to the intercession of relics in their basilica of a saint referred to as Aymundus. They built a new reliquary to hold the saint's relics. In 1664, a Toulouse lawyer published the theory that the relics of Edmund had been taken from England by King Louis VIII of France in 1217 after the Battle of Lincoln, giving them to the basilica in Toulouse. This newly revived cult of St. Edmund flourished in Toulouse until the French Revolution (1794), but found and returned to the basilica in 1845.

The relics were offered to the Archbishop of Westminster by Toulouse in 1901 to be placed in the altar of the under-construction Westminster Cathedral.

There was another Edmund connected to Cnut, the man he killed to take over England. Tomorrow we look at Edmund Ironside, often mentioned but never examined.

Saint Edmund

When King Edmund of East Anglia bought off the Vikings of the Great Heathen Army in 865, he might have thought he was safe from that point on. They returned to East Anglia in 868, however. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle:

...here the army rode across Mercia into East Anglia, and took winter-quarters at Thetford; and that winter King Edmund fought against them, and the Danish took the victory, and killed the king and conquered all that land.

Originally buried at a chapel near the site of his death, years later it was removed and taken to a place then called Beodricesworth, but is now appropriately called Bury St. Edmunds.

About 890, moneyers who were responsible for minting the coins during Edmund's reign started minting new commemorative coins for Edmund. The coins (see illustration) are proof that a cult was cropping up around veneration of Edmund's burial place and his reputation. They are mostly half-pennies, but also include pennies with the inscription SCE EADMVND REX, "O St. Edmund King."

The coins were minted in numerous locations. The Cuerdale Hoard found in 1840 includes over 1800 commemorative Edmund coins.

The importance of Edmund as a saint did not attach him to liturgical calendars until three centuries after his reign. Abbo of Fleury (c. 945 – 13 November 1004), while running the school at Ramsey Abbey,  wrote the Passio Sancti Eadmundi ("Passion of Saint Edmund") that is no doubt highly fictitious, but nevertheless brought Edmund into prominence. Abbo depicts the Vikings as emissaries of the devil, there to make Edmund fall into despair. Edmund resists and is put to death (not dying in battle).

Whatever the strength of the Edmund cult was, the minting of coins declined by 910. In 1010, Edmund's remains were considered important enough (probably thanks to Abbo's account, which survives in several manuscripts) to translate them to London to keep them out of the hands of invading Vikings. They were kept there for three years before being returned to Bury St. Edmunds.

Edmund remained a symbol worthy of veneration, however, and was promoted by kings to come along, one of which was Canute. I'll explain what Canute did for the saint next time.

King Edmund of East Anglia

The Kingdom of East Anglia formed in the first half of the 6th century. Its first king was Wehha, ruling people who came from Frisia and Jutland. He was followed by Luffa, who was followed by Tytila. Except for references in Bede's Ecclesiastical History of the English People, we have no real evidence of these men.

There is scant evidence for King Edmund of East Anglia; what we have is thanks to Dudda, Eadmund, and Twicga. These three men were moneyers, men allowed to mint coins. They were responsible for coins of King Æthelweard of East Anglia, who died c. 854. Æthelweard is not even mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, but the evidence of the coins confirm his existence and royal title.

The same three moneyers were responsible for the coins made for the reign of Edmund, who followed Æthelweard. The coins usually have the inscription + EADMUND REX AN[glorum] ("Edmund, King of the Angles"). The large number of coins still existing from his reign suggest that he reigned for several years, but there are no contemporary records from his time as king.

Later accounts say that he was crowned on Christmas Day in 856.

The lack of records is attributed to the Vikings. In 865, a Viking invasion, called by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle the Great Heathen Army, came to England and seemed to intend to stay, rather than make their usual raiding parties on defenseless monasteries and then go back home. Edmund assuaged them with horses and other supplies. In the summer of 866 they went north to York, but they were back in East Anglia in 868.

This time they fought, and Edmund took the first step in becoming a saint: he died. We'll continue this tomorrow.

Edmund at War

There were few times in England's Medieval period when it was not at war with someone. Even when they were not forced to defend themselves, they chose to go to war for territory or to start a Crusade.

During the time of Edmund Crouchback, younger brother of King Edward I, the relationship between Wales and England was not good. During the Second Barons' War against their father, Henry III, the chief rebel, Simon de Montfort, had made an alliance with the Prince of Gwynedd, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd.

Llywelyn kept up good relations with Simon de Montfort's family, and married Simon's daughter Eleanor by proxy in 1275. Eleanor (Edward's cousin: her mother and his father were both children of King John) was in France, and when she sailed to England to meet Llywelyn, Edward had her ship seized and herself imprisoned at Windsor Castle.

Edward's intent was to force Llywelyn to make certain concessions. Llywelyn was not universally liked by his countrymen, and Edward considered taking over Gwynedd himself or splitting it up and letting the parts be ruled by Llywelyn's brothers, Dafydd and Owain. Dafydd was on-board with this plan.

Edward declared Llywelyn a rebel and made military preparations in 1276. In 1277 Edmund was put in charge of the forces in southern Wales. Some Welsh castles had already been captured, so Edmund was able to move north, taking Aberystwyth in July. He rebuilt Aberystwyth Castle before returning to England.

Through Edmund's marriage to Blanche of Artois, he became Count of Brie. In January 1280, the capital of Brie, Provins, was taken over by rebels who opposed a new tax. They killed the mayor and installed their own. Edmund marched to Brie. The mob fled, leaving the town undefended. Edmund removed the town's privileges, confiscated weapons, and declared the rebels to be executed or banished. (He returned in 1281 and pardoned Provins after negotiations with church officials, but hit them with a heavy tax that caused the town to deteriorate.)

In 1282 Wales started a war with England (it was still Llywelyn in charge), in violation of the Treaty of Aberconwy signed just a few years earlier, and Edmund returned to England to help. It was part of the forces under Edmund's control that lured Llywelyn into a trap and killed him.

There was more to his life—another 15 years or so—but I'd like to go back to the man for whom Edmund was named, an earlier king who became a saint. Tomorrow we'll examine what we know about Edmund the Martyr, King of East Anglia.

Edmund's Second Wife

After returning to England from failed Crusade attempts, Edmund Crouchback had to deal with some unrest. His father, Henry III, died on 16 November 1271. The succession passed to Edward, who was still returning from the Mediterranean. In fact, Edward was gone so long that there was a rumor that he would never return. This prompted some unrest and a rebellion in the north. Edmund had to suppress that rebellion with help from royalist supporter Roger, 1st Earl Mortimer.

Edmund's wife Aveline turned 14 in 1273, so Edmund was allowed to consummate the marriage. She died suddenly on 10 November 1274, however, meaning there would be no chance of Edmund inheriting any of the titles and lands of Aveline's still-living mother, Isabel. The search for a new wife commenced. 

Enter Margaret of Provence, Edmund's aunt, who had been married to Louis IX and was therefore the Dowager Queen of France. She wanted Edmund to marry Blanche of Artois (c.1248 - 1302). Blanche was recently widowed after the death of King Henry I of Navarre (c.1244 - 1274). Blanche was also Countess of Champagne and Brie, making her quite wealthy.

Blanche was willing, because she had to manage Champagne and Brie, and wanted a husband who was on good terms with the current king of France, Philip III. Since Edmund and Philip were cousins, this seemed like a sensible choice. At least one chronicler of the time, the Benedictine monk John of Trokelowe (flourished about 1290 - 1330) claimed the two knew of each other already, and the reputation of Edmund as a handsome knight and Blanche as an attractive woman made them both amenable to the union.

One person was not in favor. Blanche had a brother, the Robert II, Count of Artois, who still thought of England as an enemy of France. King Edward I supported the union, however. The couple was close in age; Edmund was only three years older.

Edmund went to France to meet her after August 1275, and met and married Blanche sometime between December and January of 1276. Edmund was now Count of Champagne, and paid homage to King Philip III as his vassal in Champagne.

Edmund and Blanche returned to England in June to see Edmund's lands, and then in July went to Navarre to see the lands there that she still possessed. The couple's first child, Thomas, was born in 1278. Henry was born c.1281, and John, Lord of Beaufort was born in 1286.

In many of those years of their marriage Edmund was away fighting wars on behalf of his brother Edward. We'll take a brief look at those tomorrow.

Funding a Crusade

When Henry III's son Edmund Crouchback was 23 years old, he pledged to go on crusade with his brother, Edward, and a cousin, Henry of Almain (son of Henry III's brother, Richard of Cornwall; Henry would be killed three years later by relatives of Simon de Montfort).

Crusades cost money, of course, and that was a problem. The recent Second Barons' War had depleted the king's funds. Edward turned to his uncle, King Louis IX of France, for a loan. (Louis was already planning a Crusade against Tunis.) Edmund decided it was time to make a political marriage (to someone with wealth).

A wealthy countess, Isabel de Forz, had been widowed several years earlier. Henry arranged a marriage between his son and Isabel, but Edmund thought he would be better off marrying one of Isabel's daughters, and in early April 1269 he married Aveline de Forz, Countess of Aumale (arranged by Edmund's mother, Eleanor of Provence). Aveline was only ten years old, and the marriage couldn't be consummated until she was 14.

The 6th Earl of Derby, Robert de Ferrers, was unable to recover his lands financially after his participation in the Second Barons' War; his title was removed from him and given to Edmund. Edmund was already Earl of Leicester and Lancaster. This gave him some additional income.

By the summer of 1270, however, they had still not started on Crusade because Henry was vacillating about being absent from England. It was decided that Edward would lead the English. Edward and his people arrived in Tunis on 10 November 1270, but it was too late to help Louis. The Treaty of Tunis had been signed 11 days earlier after Louis died of an epidemic and the Crusade failed. Edward led his men to Palestine, arriving on 9 May 1271.

Edmund, however, left England for the Holy Land by March 1271, leaving Eleanor of Provence in charge of his estates. He stayed briefly with his maternal great uncle Philip I, Count of Savoy, and possibly met James of Saint George (a master mason who would later build castles in England for Edward).

Edmund joined Edward in September 1271 with an army that was expanded with the participation of Hugh III of Cypress. Unfortunately, despite a few successful attacks, the Crusade was outnumbered and eventually forced to concede defeat. Hugh III had to coexist with the other powers in the Eastern Mediterranean, and so signed a 10-year-treaty with the Mamluk sultan Baibars.

There is no contemporary account for why Edmund had the epithet "Crouchback." The idea that he had a hunchback is countered by contemporary chronicles that claim he was handsome and good at combat. The best theory historians have to offer is that the epithet is a corruption of the term "crossback," referring to the practice of stitching a cross onto the back of one's clothing to indicate being on Crusade.

Aveline died at the age of 15, childless, in 1274, and Edmund went looking for another wife. We'll talk about his later life tomorrow.

Edmund Crouchback

Henry III wanted another son. His first son, Edward, was followed by a daughter, Margaret, and Henry needed at least "an heir and a spare." So he prayed to the 9th-century East Anglian king Edmund the Martyr, who was canonized a saint not long after his death. Henry and Eleanor of Provence's next child was a son born in London on 16 January 1245 (the illustration is of Edmund's birth by Matthew Paris), named Edmund after the saint.

Edmund grew up at Windsor Castle with his siblings and parents—Henry rarely spent time away from the family—and was very attached to them all. Edmund would become his older brother Edward's faithful administrator.

When Edmund was nine, the "Sicilian Business" happened, in which Pope Alexander IV was looking for a suitable (to him) ruler of Sicily and the Regno (southern Italy), to get it away from the German Hohenstaufens.

Edmund actually made preparations to become King of Sicily while his father tried to persuade the barons to give him money and soldiers. His mother took him to Gascony in May 1254 to be closer to the Mediterranean for the eventual invasion. In October 1255, Henry started referring to Edmund as "king." In April 1257, Edmund was back in England, being displayed to Parliament in Italian garb and trying to raise money. A marriage to Manfred of Sicily (currently acting as ruler of Sicily) was suggested in order to make him seem the natural successor to Sicily. None of that worked out.

Meanwhile, Pope Alexander had been financing Henry's preparations, but was giving up on ever seeing Henry take the lead and succeed. He demanded £90,000 from Henry in compensation. Henry's failed attempt to raise the money only accomplished two things: turning the barons against him and helping to motivate the Second Barons' War, and prompting the pope to rescind the offer and offer it instead to Charles of Anjou. (Henry extorted money from the clergy to try to pay off the debt to Alexander after being threatened with excommunication.)

During the Second Barons' War, Edmund went to France with his mother to raise funds to fight. After the war and the death of Simon de Montfort, Simon's title as 6th Earl of Leicester was eliminated and Edmund became the 1st Earl of Leicester of the Second Creation in 1267.

An adult now with his own title, it was time for him to do what several nobles of his era did: go on Crusade. How that went, and how it created his nickname, will be tomorrow's topic.