The life of Earl Godwine presents us with one of the enduring enigmas of English history; was he greedy and grasping, or protector of English rights against the hated Normans?
The life of Earl Godwine presents us with one of the enduring enigmas of English history; was he greedy and grasping, or protector of English rights against the hated Normans?
Harold Godwineson, the Last Anglo-Saxon King, owed everything to his father. Who was this Godwine, first Earl of Wessex and known as the Kingmaker? Was he an unscrupulous schemer, using King and Witan to gain power? Or was he the greatest of all Saxon Earls, protector of the English against the hated Normans? The answer depends on who you ask. He was befriended by the Danes, raised up by Canute the Great, given an Earldom and a wife from the highest Danish ranks. He sired nine children, among them four Earls, a Queen and a future King. Along with his power came a struggle to keep his enemies at bay, and Godwine's best efforts were brought down by the misdeeds of his eldest son Swegn. Although he became father-in-law to a reluctant Edward the Confessor, his fortunes dwindled as the Normans gained prominence at court. Driven into exile, Godwine regathered his forces and came back even stronger, only to discover that his second son Harold was destined to surpass him in renown and glory.
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The kind of read you don’t want to end, and can’t wait for the next in the series, the rise of the house of Godwine (First Earl of Wessex) under Canute and the struggle to hold onto his power in later years, is so beautifully described in the political and military confrontations, that come the end of this first part, if you don’t have the second part ready to go, you will be kicking yourself, trust me! ~ Exclusive Magazine, Review
