- Encomium Emmae
"Encomium Emmae Reginae" or "Gesta Cnutonis Regis" is an 11th century Latin
encomium in honour of QueenEmma of Normandy . It was written in 1041 or 1042. The single manuscript surviving from that time is lavishly illustrated and believed to be the copy sent to Queen Emma or a close reproduction of that copy. One leaf has been lost from the manuscript in modern times but its text survives in late paper copies.The "Encomium" is divided into three books. The first deals with
Sweyn Forkbeard and his conquest of England. The second deals with his son,Canute the Great , his reconquest of England, marriage to Emma and career as king. The third deals with events after Canute's death; Emma's troubles during the reign ofHarold Harefoot and the ascension of her sons,Harthacanute andEdward the Confessor to the throne.The "Encomium" is a heavily biased and selective work. Commissioned by Queen Emma herself, it strives to show her and Canute in as favorable a light as possible. For example it completely omits mention of Emma's first marriage, to Æthelred.
Despite its faults the "Encomium" is an important primary source for early 11th century English and Scandinavian history.
References
* Campbell, Alistar (editor and translator) and Simon Keynes (supplementary introduction) (1998). "Encomium Emmae Reginae". Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-62655-2
External links
* [http://www.stephen.j.murray.btinternet.co.uk/emmae.htm Encomium Emmae Reginae] Overview by Stephen J. Murray
* [http://www.fh-augsburg.de/~harsch/Chronologia/Lspost11/Emma/ema_enc0.html Encomium Emmae reginae] Georg Heinrich Pertz's 1865 edition
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