Emma

From CANUTE The Great 1912 by Laurence Marcellus Larson

The Queen, who now came back from Normandy to marry her husband's old enemy, was also a masterful woman. If heredity can be stated in arithmetical terms, she was more than half Danish, as her mother Gunnor was clearly a Danish, woman while her father had a non-Danish mother and also inherited some non-Danish blood on the paternal side. She was evidently beautiful, gifted, and attractive : her flattering Encomiast describes her as of great beauty and wisdom.¹ But the finer instincts that we commonly associate with womanhood cannot have been highly developed in her case ; what we seem to find is love of life, a delight in power, and an overpowering ambition to rule. At the time of her second marriage she was a mature woman ; it is not likely that she was less than thirty years old, perhaps she was nearer forty. At all events, she must have been several years older than Canute. Two children were born to this marriage : Harthacanute, who ruled briefly in Denmark and England after the death of his father and of his his half-brother Harold ; and Gunhild, who was married to the Emperor Henry III. Emma lived to a ripe old age and died in 1052, fifty years after her first marriage.

    ¹ Encomium Emmæ, ii., c. 16.

The wedding was celebrated in July, 1017, the bride presumably coming from Normandy. The object sought was attained ; for more than ten years there seems to have been unbroken peace between England and Normandy. When trouble finally arose after the accession of Robert the Devil, Canute was strong enough to dispense with further alliances.

CANUTE THE GREAT   995 (circ)-1034 by L.M. Larson
New York and London : Putnam 1912, pp. 129-130.

Selected bibliographic (University of California)

Author Langebek, Jacob, 1710-1775. Title Scriptores rerum danicarum medii aevi, partim hactenus inediti, partim emendatius editi, qvos / collegit, adornavit, et publici juris fecit Jacobus Langebek. Publisher Nendeln, Liechtenstein : Kraus Reprint, 1969.

Uniform Title [ Encomium Emmae Reginae.] Title Kong Knuts liv og gerninger : eller, Aereskrift for Dronning Emma / oversat af M. Cl. Gertz. Publisher K�benhavn : K. Sch�nberg, 1896. Description 73 p. ; 20 cm.

Author Langebek, Jacob, 1710-1775. Title Breve fra Jacob Langebek, udg. af det Kongelige danske selskab for f�drelandets historie og sprog til erindring om selskabets stiftelse den 8. januar 1745 ved Holger Fr. R�rdam. Publisher Kj�benhavn : Gyldendal, 1895.

Uniform Title [ Encomium Emmae Reginae.] Title Cnutonis regis gesta; sive, Encomium Emmae reginae, auctore monacho Sancti Bertini. In usum scholarum ex Monumentis Germaniae historicis recudi fecit Georgius Heinricus Pertz. Publisher Hannoverae : impensis bibliopolii Hahniani, 1865. Description viii, 39 p. 23 cm. Series Scriptores rerum germanicarum in usum scholarum ex Monumentis Germaniae historicis recudi fecit Georgius Heinricus Pertz Series Monumenta Germaniae historica.Scriptores rerum Germanicarum in usum scholarum separatim editi ;[22] Note Bibliographical foot-notes.

Uniform Title [ Encomium Emmae reginae, Richardi I ducis Normannorum filiae.] Title Cnutonis regis gesta: sive, Encomium Emmae reginae, auctore monacho Sancti Bertini. In usum scholarum ex Monumentis Germaniae historicis recudi fecit, Georgius Heinricus Pertz. Publisher Hannoverae, Impensis Bibliopolii Hahniani, 1865. Description viii, 39 p. 23 cm. Series Scriptores rerum germanicarum in usum scholarum ex Monumentis Germaniae historicis recudi fecit Georgius Heinricus Pertz. Note Bibliographical foot-notes.

Author Langebek, Jacob, 1710-1775. Title Scriptores rerum danicarum medii aevi, partim hactenus inediti, partim emendatius editi, qvos / collegit, adornavit, et publici juris fecit Jacobus Langebek. Publisher Hafniae : Typis viduae Andreae Hartvici Godiche, per Frider. Christ. Godiche, 1772-1878.

Author Langebek, Jacob, 1710-1775. Title Det Kongelige Danske Selskabs begyndelse og tilvext i de tre f�rste aar 1745, 1746, 1747. Publisher Ki�benhavn : Glasing, 1748.

Author Du Chesne, Andr�, 1584-1640. Title Histori� Normannorvm scriptores antiqvi, res ab illis per Galliam, Angliam, Apvliam, Capv� principatvm, Siciliam, & Orientem gestas explicantes, ab anno Christi DCCCXXXVIII. ad annvm MCCXX. Insert� svnt monasteriorvm fvndationes vari�, series episcoporum ac abbatum: genealogi� regum, ducum, comitum, & nobilium: plvrima deniqv alia vetera, tam ad profanam qu�m ad sacram illorum temporum historiam pertinentia. Ex mss. codd. omnia fer� nvnc primvm edidit Andreas Dvchesnivs Tvronensis. Publisher Lvteti� Parisiorvm, 1619. Description 6 p. l., 1104, [14] p., 1 l. 35 cm. Note Title vignette, engraved (device of publisher) Colophon: Lvtetiae Parisiorvm, apud Robertum Fo�et, Nicolaum Buon, Sebastainum Cramoisy, M.DC.XIX. According to preface this collection was to consist of 3 vols; no more published. --Gesta Stephani regis Anglorum et ducis Normannorum.--Chronica Normanniae continens multa ad Francos & Anglos pertinentia, ab anno MCXXXIX. ad annum MCCLIX.--Annalis historia breuis in Monasterio sancti Stephani Cadomensis conscripta.--Catalogi varij nobilium Normannorum, qui floruerunt in Anglia tempore Guillelmi Conqu�storis.--Nomina militum ferentium bannerias in Normannię et alijs Franciae prouincijs, tempore Philippi II. r.F.--Feoda Normanniae.--Scriptum de seruitijs militum, quae debentur duci Normannię.--Officium ad ducem Normannię constituendium.--Chartae plures regum Francię, ducum comitum, & aliorum nobilium, quae in hoc volumine deducuntur. Contents Gesta Normannorum ante Rollonem ducem, ab anno scilicet Christi DCCCXXXVII. ad annum DCCCXCVI.--Chronici Rheginonis abbatis prumiensis excerptum, de Normannorum gestis.--Annalium in Fuldensi monasterio scriptorum excerptum, de Danis & Normannis.--Alia variorum chronicorum excerpta de Normannis.--Abbonis De obsessa � Normannis Lutetia Parisiorum libri duo.--Dudonis decani S. Quintini, De moribus & gestis primorum Normanniae ducum libri tres.--Emmae, Anglorum reginae, Richardi I. ducis Normannorum filiae, encomium.--Gesta Guillelmi II., ducis Normannorum, regis Anglię I. � Guillelmo Pictauensi, Lexouiorum archidiacono scripta.--VVillelmi Calculi Gemmeticensis monachi, Historiae Normannorum libri VIII.--Orderici Vitalis Angligenae, coenobij Vticensis, seu sancti Ebrulfi, presbyteri et monachi, Historiae ecclesiasticae libri XIII.