00:11Cnut the Great, also known as Canut or CNUT, is one of the most powerful rulers
00:16of 11th century Europe.
00:18Born around 995, he was the son of the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard.
00:23At that time, the Vikings regularly carried out raids against Anglo-Saxon England.
00:27In 1013, Cnut accompanied his father during a major invasion of England.
00:32Sven manages to overthrow the English king Eselred II, but he dies shortly afterwards, in 1014.
00:37Knut then tries to retain the throne, but the English nobles recall Eselred, forcing the young Danish prince to return
00:43in Denmark.
00:44In 1015, Cnut returned with a new army to definitively conquer England.
00:49After several battles against Edmund Ironside, son of Eselred, he won a decisive victory at the battle of
00:55'Assandin in 1016.
00:56A few weeks later, Edmond dies, leaving Knut the sole ruler of the kingdom.
01:01Having become King of England, he quickly consolidated his power.
01:04He married Emma of Normandy, Eselred's widow, in order to strengthen his legitimacy with the Anglo-Saxons.
01:10Contrary to the traditional image of brutal Viking chieftains, Knut proves to be a skilled administrator.
01:15It maintains English institutions, enacts laws, and actively supports the Christian church.
01:19From 1019 onwards, after the death of his brother Harald, Knut also inherited Denmark.
01:25He then reigned over a vast territory dominated by the North Sea.
01:29In 1028, he also conquered Norway after driving out King Olaf Haraldson.
01:34This collection of territories is sometimes called the North Sea Empire.
01:38Knut travels extensively between these kingdoms and plays an important role in European diplomacy.
01:42In 1027, he even went to Rome to attend the coronation of Emperor Conrad II and met the
01:48pope.
01:48This shows that its power extends far beyond the traditional Scandinavian framework.
01:52Cnut's reign is often regarded as a period of stability and prosperity for England after several
01:58decades of conflict.
01:59He encourages trade, maintains order, and seeks to unite peoples of different origins, Anglo-Saxons, Danes, and
02:05Norwegians.
02:06His authority rests as much on military strength as on his ability to govern effectively.
02:12Medieval chroniclers often describe him as a wise and pious king.
02:15A famous legend tells that he ordered the waves of the sea to stop to show his
02:19courtiers believe that no king is more powerful than God.
02:22Knut died in 1035, probably in Winchester.
02:25After his death, his immense empire rapidly weakened.
02:29His sons fought over the inheritance, and the union between England, Denmark, and Norway did not survive.
02:34a long time.
02:35Despite this, Cnut the Great remains in history as the most powerful Viking ruler of his time.
02:39and as a king capable of integrating the Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon worlds into a single political entity.
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