The later English chroniclers supply some very curious
versions, chiefly grounded upon that of Malmesbury.
Bromton first talks of Godwine as marrying the daughter of Cnut "by his first wife or mistress,"[1] by whom he was the father of Harold; but afterwards he says, that "by his Danish wife Gytha, the sister of Svend, he had six sons, Swegen, Wulfiioth, Leufwine, Harold, Tostig, and Griffin." This last must be a confusion between Gyrth and Gruffydd of Wales. In like manner Hemingburgh gives Godwine a son "Griffus,"[2] by which he seems to mean Gyrth.
Knighton marries Godwine first to Cnut's sister, whom he accuses of gaining wealth by exposing young women to prostitution, apparently without selling them into Denmark, then to another wife, by whom he had six sons, Swegen, Harold, Tostig, Wulfnoth, Gyrth, and Leofric.
Those who may care to trace the progress of confusion among later writers, I should recommend to refer to Fabyan, 223; Holinshed, 186, 191; Polydore Vergil, 156, (and especially the English translation published by the Camden Society, 289, 356 ;) Duchesne, Histoire d'Angleterre, 405—19; Rapin, 423; Speed, 413 ; Brady i. 131; Hayward, Norman Kings, 48, who represents Harold's claim to the throne as being that he was " borne of the daughter of Hardicanutus the Dane." These passages are worthy of some attention as specimens of the way hi which the history of this period has been written. It is really instructive to observe the manner in which, when two different stories are current in the early chronicles, the later copyists will combine both, apparently careless of the contradiction, or else jumble the two into something entirely different from either.
Let us now see what real facts Ave can gather out of Statement of the evidence all this. The best authorities, Florence and Domesday Dook, together with Ordericus Vitalis, call the mother of Harold Gytlia. Ordericus adds, that the other celebrated sons of Godwine were
- ↑ De primâ uxore sive amasiâ suâ. That is, I suppose, by Ælfwyn, the reputed mother of Harold I., not by Queen Emma.
- ↑ Cum uxore et duobus filiis Sweyno et Griffo fugit ad comitem Flanderensem, i. 4.
of Pausanias, read the letters by the way; "expalluit novus Urias," the legend adds, but, recovering himself, he substitutes others, directing the Danes to receive him as Regent, and to give him the king's sister in marriage. All this being done, Cnut puts the best face upon the matter, receives Godwinw as a brother, and raises him to the rank of "Consul." Some such story as this must also be referred to in the Chronicle of Radulphus Niger, quoted by Turner (ii. 493). "In Diaciam cum breve Regis transmissus callidè suxit sororem Cnutonis."
