Iljitsch van Beijnum said:
Right now, the only strong objections I'm seeing appear to be somewhat Canutist, despite being otherwise well-informed. Wow, that word apears only 4 times on the entire internet. What does it mean?
King Cnut 'the Great' ruled England, Denmark, and Norway [1] in the 11th century. The story is told that his courtiers flattered him to the extent of claiming that the king was all-powerful. To prove them wrong, he had his throne set on the beach and pointed out that even the king could not stop the tide coming in. [1] By 1013 the English nobility were so disillusioned by the existing king, Ethelred II 'the Unready' [2], that they deposed him and acknowledged Sweyn "Forkbeard" as king. Following Sweyn's death the next year, Ethelred returned from exile in Normandy but died in April 1016. His son Edmund II "Ironside" took the throne but was defeated at the Battle of Ashingdon by Sweyn's son Cnut. Under the resulting peace treaty Edmund ruled Wessex while Cnut took the rest of England. Edmund died in November leaving Cnut undisputed master of the country. Cnut died in 1035. His sons Harold I "Harefoot" and Harthacanute split the country, the former taking Mercia and Northumbria and the latter Wessex. Up to Harold's death in 1040 [3], Harthacanute spent most of his time in Denmark (which he was also king of) leaving Harold to effectively rule England. Harthacanute died in 1042, to be succeeded by his half-brother (Ethelred's son) Edward III "the Confessor". On Edward's death in 1066 the throne was claimed by both Harold II (his brother-in-law) and William I (a relative by marriage); the matter was decided near Hastings. [2] This word actually means "un-wise" or "ill-advised", not "unprepared". [3] Also the year in which Macbeth succeeded Duncan I in Scotland. Macbeth died in 1057, succeeded by his son Lulach. -- Clive D.W. Feather | Work: <clive@demon.net> | Tel: +44 20 8495 6138 Internet Expert | Home: <clive@davros.org> | Fax: +44 870 051 9937 Demon Internet | WWW: http://www.davros.org | Mobile: +44 7973 377646 Thus plc | |