CANUTE, THE GREAT, Knud, or Knut, the second king of Denmark of that name, and first Danish king of England: b. in the former country, about 995; d. Shaftes bury, England, 1035. He was the son of Sweyn, King of Denmark, and accompanied his father in his victorious campaigns in England. Sweyn, having proclaimed himself king of England, died in 1014, before his power was established, and appointed Canute his successor there. The latter was immediately driven out by Ethelred, the representative of the Saxon line, and fled with 60 ships to the court of his brother, Harold, king of Denmark. Harold enabled him to collect a large fleet in the north to prosecute his cause in England. He invaded that country anew in 1015. He fought many battles with Edmund Ironside, who had suc ceeded his father, Ethelred, in 1016, and was finally victorious at the battle of Ashington. After this battle, Edmund and Canute agreed upon a division of the kingdom. To Canute were assigned Mercia and Northumbria, while the Saxon Prince reserved West and East Anglia. By the death of his brother Harold, he obtained the crown of Denmark (1016). In the same year, and but one month after the ratification of the treaty of partition, Edmund died, and Canute became sole king of England without further resistance. He refrained from murdering the children of his late rival, and sent them to his half-brother, Olave, king of Sweden. He put away his wife, Alfgive, the daughter of the Earl of Northampton, and es poused Emma, the widow of Ethelred, the Saxon monarch (1017), on the condition that their children should succeed to the throne of Eng land. He made the greatest exertions to gain the affections of his English subjects, to whom his Danish origin was no recommendation. He accordingly disbanded his Danish army, retain ing only a body-guard. He endeavored to blend the two races as far as possible and to induce them to live in harmony with each other. He erected churches, and made donations to abbeys and monasteries on the scenes of former conflicts and massacres. In a witenagemote at Winchester, he compiled a code of laws which is still extant. In this code he denounced those who kept up the practice of pagan rites and superstitions, and forbade the sending of Christian slaves out of the country for sale. Al though Canute generally resided in England,. he made frequent visits to Denmark. He carried with him on these occasions an English fleet, English missionaries and English artisans. He promoted three Englishmen to the newly-erected bishoprics of Scania, Zealand and Fionia. In 1025 he was attacked by the King of Sweden and defeated; but in the night, Earl Godwin, at the head of the English contingent, sur prised the Swedish camp and dispersed the enemy. His absence from Denmark, and the Oestowal of so many dignities in Denmark upon his English subjects, made him unpopular in that kingdom. To appease this discontent, he
left behind in Denmark his son, Hardicanute, then aged 10 years, under the guardianship of his brother-in-law, Ulf (1026). In this year he made a pilgrimage to Rome. He was well received there by the Pope, John, and by the Emperor, Conrad II, who gave up to the Danish King all the country north of the river Eider. From the Pope he obtained privileges for the English school established in Rome, and an abatement of the sums demanded from his archbishops for the pallium; and from the various princes, relief for all English and Dan ish pilgrims and merchants from all illegal tolls and detentions which they had endured on their route to Rome. He returned from Rome to Denmark. In 1028 he made an expedition into Norway, expelled Olave and restored Haco who swore allegiance to him. In 1029 he re turned to England, and his Danish subjects proclaimed Hardicanute king of Denmark. Canute immediately returned to Denmark, put down the revolt and executed the traitor, Ulf. In 1030 Canute was acknowledged king of Nor way, and laid claims to the crown of Sweden. On returning again to England, he allowed his son Hardicanute to share with him the Danish crown. His reign is very important in the con stitutional history of Denmark. Canute issued the first national coinage of Denmark, and pub lished the first written code of Danish law wherein the custom of private vengeance was prohibited. He raised the clergy in their cor porate capacity to a separate estate of the realm, and instituted the Thinglith or royal guard of 3,000 men. The members of this body were all men of good family and rich enough to equip themselves at their own expense. From them sprang the Danish order of nobility; they were tried only by their peers and formed with the king the highest court of justice. Canute's last compaign was against Duncan, king of Scotland, respecting the possession of Cumber land, but before the armies could engage the two kings were reconciled, and ancient stipula tions concerning the tenure of Cumberland were renewed (1033). Canute was buried at Win chester. By Emma he had two children, namely, Hardicanute or Canute the Hardy and a daughter, Gunhilda, married to Henry, the son of Conrad II, of Germany, Emperor. By Alfgive he left two sons, Sweyn and Harold. To Sweyn was given the crown of Norway; Hardicanute retained that of Denmark, and Harold, surnamed Harefoot, took possession of that of England. Canute is most popularly known, not by his extended rule and legislative enactments, but by the familiar story of the monarch, the courtiers and the disobedient sea. Consult Larson, (Canute the Great' (New York and London 1912) ; Freeman,