CHAPTER VII

CONCLUSIONS

There has been general agreement among the various sources that Cnut was a Christian before he became king of England in 1016 and that he continued to practice Christianity while he was king. However, there has been a tendency to admit his Christianity, but then to concentrate on the political benefits or consequences of his actions. The usual procedure has been to say, "Yes, Cnut was a Christian, but ...", and then go on to discuss the political and economic implications of Cnut's actions.

While it is impossible to separate the religious, economic and political aspects of the acts of a medieval king, Cnut's Christianity should not be minimized. Of course there were political implications in just about everything he did, but the focus of this thesis has been to reverse the usual stipulation and say, "Yes Cnut was a politician, but ...", and then go on to discuss the religious implications of his deeds.

It is very difficult to judge the true nature of a personal matter such as religion, but by the standards of his day, and probably even those of today, Cnut was a very good Christian. He listened to the admonitions of his ecclesiastical advisors and performed his duties as a Christian monarch well. The law codes that were instituted during his reign demonstrated the concerns of the church and the desire to obey the law of God. Cnut's gifts to churches and monasteries were well known and even impressed foreign dignitaries. He was also a supporter of monastic reform and his gifts aided the rebuilding of ecclesiastical structures and the refounding of monastic institutions after the disruptions of the Danish invasions.

Cnut's relationship with Ælfgifu of Northampton has been used to show that he ignored the advice and convictions of his ecclesiastical advisors. That may be true, but we also do not know anything of their relationship after Cnut became king other than his commendable action of finding positions for the support of his children and their mother. The primary sources are open to an interpretation that Cnut discontinued his sexual liaison with Ælfgifu after he married Emma.

Cnut's pilgrimage to Rome was the first made by an English king in over one hundred years. His letter to the English people in which Cnut discussed his visit stressed his religious concerns first and then discussed political and economic gains. The spiritual side was at least as important to Cnut as economics and politics. Agreement regarding political and economic affairs was speeded by Cnut's presence, but negotiations could have been handled by his representatives just as English kings before and after him arranged their foreign affairs. Thus, Cnut may have had urgent spiritual concerns that required his presence in Rome and then used the occasion to initiate or speed political and ecomonic negotiations.

The English church benefited greatly from the stability and peace of Cnut's reign. His strong position in support of the church was an additional benefit. The peace allowed the church to rebuild its leadership and its capital infrastructure and gave people the freedom to serve God as best they could without the worry of attack by invaders. The primitive structure of the church in Scandinavia also opened a field for English missionary activity.

The benefits for the Church in Scandinavia were mixed. Cnut's position in Denmark allowed the Danish church to learn from association with the ancient church of England, but the struggle for supremacy between Canterbury and Hamberg-Bremen disrupted that association and weakened the church in Scandinavia. The political confrontation between Danish and native interests in Norway did the same. The struggle between Cnut and Olaf weakened the church both through the disruptions it caused and the moral degradation caused by the bribery and murder that accompanied their conflict. Olaf's death and defeat were caused as much by bribery with English money as they were by the heathen reaction to Olaf's efforts to convert the people of Norway.

The empire that Cnut built depended on his personal attention to maintain it. Despite some setbacks, Cnut earned the later title given to him, "Cnut the Great." By his life and strong support of the church after he became king of England, Cnut also earned a title he has not yet been given, "Most Christian King."