history4: 1016-1066

After defeating Edmund Ironside, Canute came to the throne of England.Actually, he was the king of Denmark, England, Norway, and parts of Sweden, together often referred to as the Anglo-Scandinavian or North Sea Empire. In 1018, Canute arranged for a massive Danegeld to be paid to the Viking fleet,and the Viking army returned home leaving just a small number of ships under the control of Canute.  He was a great king who united Anglo-Saxons and Danes. His reigned from 1016 to 1035.

When Canute died in 1035, his son Harold Harefoot seized the throne. Harold died in 1040 at Oxford leaving the English throne open for his brother, Hathacanute to claim. As Hathacanute had no wife, thus no heir, he invited Edward,the Confessor,who the Chronicle notes was Harthacnut's brother on his mother's side, to return from Normandy to England. Edward's reign lasted 14 years (1042- 1066). He was a Saxon. His father was Aethelred (or Ethelred), the Unready and his mother was Emma, Aethelred's second wife. He had been brought up in Normandy and was more French than English. The two main points of Edward's reign are perhaps the rival importances of the House of Godwine and of the Normans. The Godwines (Godwine, earl since 1018, and his daughter Edith, who married the king, and sons Swein, Harold, Tostig, Gyrth, Leofwine, and Wulfnoth) at times controlled much of the country.In fact, Edward was a weak king who was instrumental in bringing England under the rule of the Normans. He died in 1066. As he had no son, the English national essembly, the Witan, chose Harold, son of Godwine, the Saxon Earl of Wessex, as the king of England. But as Harold was not of royal blood, William, the Duke of Normandy, and king of Norway claimed for the throne of England. Norwegian forces landed in Northumbria. As Harold was fighting with them in north, Norman army landed in south. Harold defeated Norwegians and hurried south, but his armies were exhausted of long march. Harold, though deserted but the northern earls, fought bravely in famous battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066. Harold was mortally wounded, and William seized the throne of England.