Family futures
We all know the 1066 story: Edward the Confessor dies; Harold Godwinson succeeds him; William of Normandy seizes the crown; England becomes Norman.
So far, so obvious – but this excellent book oʘers an original premise that there is much new to learn by considering the children whose lives were upended by the ConSuest. This is, in part, a story of the sins of the fathers, as 'leanor 2arMer eZplores how
Harold’s children carved out new lives post despite their damaged prospects.
Some of Harold’s relatives lived and prospered outside 0orman 'ngland. Their lives are remembered not in English nor Norman records but, rather, in Scandinavian sources, because “the future of this family did not lie in England, and they were soon forgotten there”. You have to turn to Old Norse histories to learn, for instance, that Harold’s daughter, Gytha, married the future grand prince of -iev and was the ancestor of Mings and Sueens across 'urope.
Parker contends that the deeds of the oʘspring of the ousted *arold would have been an awkward subject, best avoided by Anglo 0orman writers. The situation was, though, more complicated for the surviving relatives of 'dward the Confessor. *is great nephew 'dgar presented a possible threat to 9illiam and was briefly a focus for 'nglish resistance. It’s not surprising, then, that his was pan uncomfortable side storye in the larger narrative of Anglo 0orman 'nglandq.
Edgar’s sister Margaret did, however, have a role to play in this narrative. 5he wed -ing /alcolm III of 5cotland, and their daughter married Henry I of England. /argaret’s life thus pprovided a popular way of thinking about how some form of Anglo 5aZon culture might be transmitted to the post conSuest worldq.
Parker insightfully shows how the eZperiences of these children of Anglo Saxons (among others) illustrate the accommodations being made in England as conSuered and conSuerors adLusted to the new reality, and reframed the 1066 narrative for future generations.