This is an excellent overview of Emma’s life – thank you! I have just one small question: Do we actually have evidence that ‘Edward made it to his mother at Winchester safely’ in 1036, as you write? I always thougth that the evidence was not as clear-cut. (But I might be wrong on this.)
Hi Dominik! Thanks for your comment! For Edward arriving in Winchester I defer to Pauline Stafford's Emma and Edith, p. 239, but the argument in question doesn't have a footnote. I'm aware Frank Barlow earlier argued that Edward may have fought a skirmish near Southampton and returned to Normandy - but this is based on later Norman tales which were interested in retrospectively implying Edward owed his life to the Norman court. You're right the evidence does not appear to be clear-cut!
Thanks for your reply. I think Pauline refers to John of Worcester here (see p. 239, n. 128), whereas the ASC as well as the Encomium don’t mention Edward’s coming (cf. John of Worcester, ed. Darlington/McGurk, p. 523, n. 6). Thus, whereas the Norman sources report of Edward returning to Southampton, the contemporary sources don’t mention Edward’s journey at all. I know that Keynes in his introduction to the 1998 reprint of Campbell’s edition of the Encomium (p. xxx–xxxi) says that there was good reason for the contemporary sources to keep silent regarding Edward’s whereabouts, but I would be hesitant to deduce his travels to Winchester from such a scarce base of evidence. But, of course, this is just a small issue, so we can just leave it at that, I think.
Indeed, three in the one short biography. Could have been four with Ælfgifu (daughter of Æthelred and Ælfgifu, later wife of Uhtred) but she obviously lays beyond the scope of a bio focussing on Emma-Ælfgifu.
Well written and has inspired me to read the relevant sections in Stafford’s monograph.
This is an excellent overview of Emma’s life – thank you! I have just one small question: Do we actually have evidence that ‘Edward made it to his mother at Winchester safely’ in 1036, as you write? I always thougth that the evidence was not as clear-cut. (But I might be wrong on this.)
Hi Dominik! Thanks for your comment! For Edward arriving in Winchester I defer to Pauline Stafford's Emma and Edith, p. 239, but the argument in question doesn't have a footnote. I'm aware Frank Barlow earlier argued that Edward may have fought a skirmish near Southampton and returned to Normandy - but this is based on later Norman tales which were interested in retrospectively implying Edward owed his life to the Norman court. You're right the evidence does not appear to be clear-cut!
Thanks for your reply. I think Pauline refers to John of Worcester here (see p. 239, n. 128), whereas the ASC as well as the Encomium don’t mention Edward’s coming (cf. John of Worcester, ed. Darlington/McGurk, p. 523, n. 6). Thus, whereas the Norman sources report of Edward returning to Southampton, the contemporary sources don’t mention Edward’s journey at all. I know that Keynes in his introduction to the 1998 reprint of Campbell’s edition of the Encomium (p. xxx–xxxi) says that there was good reason for the contemporary sources to keep silent regarding Edward’s whereabouts, but I would be hesitant to deduce his travels to Winchester from such a scarce base of evidence. But, of course, this is just a small issue, so we can just leave it at that, I think.
That's really interesting, thank you!
Thanks for these amazing biographies! I'm truly loving every detail of them and see how GRRM was inspired by English history for his works!
Ælfgif-who?
Indeed, three in the one short biography. Could have been four with Ælfgifu (daughter of Æthelred and Ælfgifu, later wife of Uhtred) but she obviously lays beyond the scope of a bio focussing on Emma-Ælfgifu.
Well written and has inspired me to read the relevant sections in Stafford’s monograph.