Wulfnoth Godwinson facts for kids

Wulfnoth Godwinson (born around 1040, died 1094) was a younger brother of Harold II of England. He was the sixth son of Godwin, a very powerful earl in England.

Wulfnoth's Story

A Hostage for His Family

In 1051, Wulfnoth was given as a hostage to Edward the Confessor, the King of England. This happened because his father, Godwin, had a big disagreement with the king. Wulfnoth was meant to be a promise that Godwin would behave well.

Because of this fight, Godwin and his other sons had to leave England for a while. A year later, Godwin came back with an army. Many of King Edward's supporters, especially Archbishop Robert of Jumièges, fled England. It seems that Wulfnoth and his cousin Hakon were taken by the archbishop to Normandy. There, they were given to Duke William of Normandy.

Harold's Promise

Some historians, like Eadmer, say that Wulfnoth's brother, Harold, went to Normandy around 1064 or 1065. Harold wanted to free Wulfnoth and Hakon. He brought a lot of treasure with him. But his ship crashed, and a local ruler, Count Guy I of Ponthieu, took all his wealth.

However, we are not completely sure why Harold went to Normandy. He might have also been checking to see if other powerful leaders would support him becoming king. King Edward was old and had no children.

Later, Harold supposedly made an oath to Duke William. He promised to become William's helper and support William becoming King of England. In return, William was said to have promised to free Wulfnoth once he became king.

Long Years of Captivity

When Harold became King of England, it broke this supposed agreement. So, Wulfnoth was not set free. He stayed a prisoner until 1087. At that time, King William I (who was dying) released him as part of a general pardon.

But Wulfnoth's freedom did not last long. King William II Rufus, William I's son, quickly took him back into captivity in England.

There are other ideas about why Wulfnoth stayed a prisoner for so long. Even after William won the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and became King of England, the country was still unsettled. William might have kept Wulfnoth as a hostage. This would stop any remaining power from Godwin's family from causing trouble.

Wulfnoth was held captive in Normandy and later in England, in places like Hampshire and Wiltshire. He died in Winchester in 1094, still a prisoner.

Wulfnoth in TV Shows

Wulfnoth's story has been shown on TV. The British actor Michael Pennington played him in a two-part BBC TV play called Conquest (1966). This play was part of a series called Theatre 625.