Ælnoth of Canterbury facts for kids

Ælnoth or Ailnoth was an Anglo-Saxon monk from Canterbury who belonged to a religious group called the Benedictines. He moved to Denmark and is famous for writing a story about the Danish king Saint Canute (also known as Canute IV). King Canute was killed in Odense in 1086 and was later officially recognized as a saint by the Pope in 1100 or 1101.

Ælnoth's Life in Denmark

Moving to a New Land

Ælnoth might have been a leader, called a prior, in a Benedictine monastery in Odense, Denmark. This monastery was connected to the Abbey at Evesham in England.

According to a Danish historian named Hans Olrik, Ælnoth arrived in Denmark and Odense around the year 1100. He joined other English people who had been invited earlier by King Eric. They were there to help build a new church, a cathedral, which was planned as the burial place for King Canute, Eric's older brother, who had been killed. However, some people think Ælnoth might have arrived even earlier, in 1085, possibly bringing important religious items, called relics, of Saint Alban.

What We Know About Him

We don't know much about Ælnoth's life, except that he came from Canterbury. Even the exact dates of his arrival in Denmark and when he wrote his famous book, Life and Passion of St Canute, are not certain.

There are hints that Ælnoth felt he was being treated unfairly, possibly by a priest who was higher up in the church. Historian Hans Olrik noted that Ælnoth knew a lot about Denmark and its customs. However, he didn't seem to like the Danes very much. He also appeared to dislike the Normans, a group of people who had caused him to leave his home country.

Ælnoth's Important Book

The Story of Saint Canute

After living in Denmark for 24 years, Ælnoth wrote his book, Vita et Passio S. Canuti, which means Life and Passion of St Canute in Latin. This was likely written sometime between 1109 and 1122, depending on when he first arrived in Denmark.

Historian Olrik called this book "one of the most important sources for the history of Denmark in the Middle Ages." Ælnoth was very honest in his writing. Even though he greatly admired King Canute, he still mentioned some of the king's faults, even though Canute was known for being a strong and sometimes violent ruler. Ælnoth's writing style, which switched between regular prose and poetry, was typical of Anglo-Saxon writers.

His book was dedicated to King Niels. It also had a political purpose: to support the claims of the royal family, the sons of Sweyn Estridson, to the Danish throne.

Where to Find His Work

Early printed versions of Ælnoth's Life of Saint Canute include Historia S. Canuti Regis et Martyris, Othoniæ sepulti, which was printed in Copenhagen in 1602. A more recent edition is found in Gesta Swenomagni regis et filiorum eius passio gloriasissimi Canuti regis et martyris, edited by Martin Clarentius Gertz (Copenhagen, 1908-12), on pages 77-136. A Danish translation, Ælnoths Krønike, was made by Erling Albrectsen (Odense: Odense Universitetsforlag, 1984). In 2020, Laura Gazzoli made a "rough and partial" English translation of the work available.