Death of King Edmund Ironside

Death of King Edmund Ironside is in 1000-1049 Cnut.

On 30th November 1016 King Edmund "Ironside" I of England (age 26) died. He was buried near his grandfather King Edgar I of England in Glastonbury Abbey [Map].

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. On the feast of St. Andrew [30th November 1016] died King Edmund (age 26); and he is buried with his grandfather Edgar at Glastonbury [Map]. In the same year died Wulfgar, Abbot of Abingdon; and Ethelsy took to the abbacy.

Hammaburgensis Eecclesiae Pontificum by Adam of Bremen. Æthelred’s brother Edmund (age 26), a warlike man, was removed [30th November 1016] by poison to satisfy the victor’s wishes, and his sons were condemned to exile in Russia.

Frater Adelradi Emund, vir bellicosus, in gratiam victoris veneno sublatus est, filii eius in Ruzziam exilio dampnati.

Chronicon ex Chronicis by Florence and John of Worcester. 1016. After these events, King Edmund Ironside (age 26) died at London, about the feast of St. Andrew the apostle [the 30th November] in the fifteenth indiction, but he was buried with his grandfather, king Edgar the Pacific, at Glastonbury.

Estoire dea Engleis by Geffrei Gaimar. [30th November 1016]

QUANT un traitre en out envie,	When a traitor conceived the desire,
Donc fist cel fel sa felunie.	Then that wretch carried out his wickedness.	4400
Fadmund sumunst, e veit prier	He summoned Edmund, and went to beg him
K’ il vengez od lui herberger.	That he would lodge and protect him.
Cil ert sis hom, tant le preiad,	He was the king’s man, and begged so much
Li reis Fadmund si herbergat.	That King Edmund lodged him.
Cunrei i out à grant plentez,	There was plenty of provisions there,	4405
Mais malement fu aloueed ;	But they were ill-rewarded;
Cil ki l’ donat tut le perdi,	For the one who had given them all was ruined,
Car come fel le rei murdri.	For like a villain he murdered the king.
Edriz out feit un engin feire ;	Edriz had had a device made:
L’arc ki ne falt eissi set traire ;	A bow that never failed in its aim.	4410
Si rien atuche sa cordele,	If anything touched its string,
Tost pot oir male novele.	Soon he could hear the evil news.
Nais un ewet, s’il s’i fereit,	But there was a notch such that, if someone struck it,
De la seite le fendreit.	It would split from the side.
La à cel arc fu apresté,	There the bow was made ready,	4415
Un novel ostel i out posé ;	A new chamber was set up there;
Privé ostel l’apela l’om,	It was called a “private chamber,”
Pur tel mester i entrad hom.	For such a purpose a man entered it.
Li reis i fu la nuit mené,	The king was led there that night,
Si com Edriz out comandé,	Just as Edriz had ordered,	4420
Tresk’il s’asist sur la sette,	And as soon as he sat upon the seat,
El fundement li fiert la saiette.	The arrow struck him in the buttocks.
Amiunt li vint tresk’al pomun,	It came up as far as the lung,
[Onc ne parurent li penon]	[The feathered vanes were never seen]
De la saiette k’ot el cors,	Of the arrow that was in his body,	4425
Ne neient del sanc n’en issi fors.	Nor did any blood issue forth.
Li reis criad un cri mortel,	The king cried a mortal cry;
L’alme s’en vait, il n’i out el,	His soul departed, nothing remained,
Del revenir ne fu nient.	There was no return from it.
D’iloc l’emporterent sa gent ;	From there his men carried him away;	4430
En un muster fu porté.	He was brought into a minster.
Assez i out lit e chanté,	There many prayers were read and chanted,
E dit matines, e servise ;	Matins and the service were said;
Deus, si li pleist, face justise	May God, if it please Him, do justice
Del mal felon, del traitur,	Upon the wicked felon, the traitor	4435
Ki si out murdri son seignur.	Who had murdered his lord.
Li reis fu bien enseveliz,	The king was properly buried,
E enterrez, e bien serviz.	Interred and fittingly served.

Economium Emmae Reginae. Thus, when the treaty had been confirmed, hostages were given on both sides, and so the armies, released from the hardship of war, rejoicingly obtained the long-desired peace. Yet God, mindful of His ancient teaching, namely, that every kingdom divided against itself cannot long stand, shortly thereafter brought Edmund (age 26) forth from the body^e, having pity on the English realm, lest perhaps, if both kings were to live, neither should reign in security, and the kingdom, through renewed contention, should be gradually destroyed. The royal youth, being dead, was buried in a royal tomb, and was long and deeply mourned by his people of the land. May God grant him all joy upon His heavenly throne. And the reason why God willed that he should die soon became plain; for the whole realm immediately chose Cnut as king, and to him, to whom before they had resisted with every effort, they then willingly submitted themselves and all that was theirs.

Foedere itaque firmato, obsides dantur ab utraque parte, et sic exercitus solutus bellorum inportunitate, optata letus potitur pace. Verumtamen Deus memor suae antiquae doctrinae, scilicet omne regnum in se ipsum divisum diu permanere non posse, non longo post tempore Aedmundum eduxit e corpore, Anglorum misertus imperii, ne forte si uterque superviveret, neuter regnaret secure, et regnum diatim adnihilaretur renovata contentione. Defunctus autem regius iuvenis regio tumulatur sepulchro, defletus diu multumque a patriensi populo; cui Deus omne gaudium tribuat in celesti solio. Cuius rei gratia eum Deus iusserit obire, mox deinde patuit; quia universa regio ilico Cnutonem sibi regem elegit; et cui ante omni conamine restitit, tunc sponte sua se illi et omnia sua subdidit.

Note 1. King Edmund "Ironside" I of England died on 30th November 1016.

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The Chronicle of Abbot Ralph of Coggeshall describes the reigns of Kings Henry II, Richard I, John and Henry III, providing a wealth of information about their lives and the events of the time. Ralph's work is detailed, comprehensive and objective. We have augmented Ralph's text with extracts from other contemporary chroniclers to enrich the reader's experience. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.

Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon 1016. 1016. King Edmund (age 26) was treasonably slain a few days afterwards. Thus it happened: one night [30th November 1016], this great and powerful king having occasion to retire to the house for relieving the calls of nature, the son of the ealdorman Edric, by his father's contrivance, concealed himself in the pit, and stabbed the king twice from beneath with a sharp dagger, and, leaving the weapon fixed in his bowels, made his escape. Edric then presented himself to Canute, and saluted him, saying, "Hail! thou who art sole king of England!" Having explained what had taken place, Canute replied, "For this deed I will exalt you, as it merits, higher than all the nobles of England." He then commanded that Edric should be decapitated and his head placed upon a pole on the highest battlement of the tower of London. Thus perished King Edmund Ironside, after a short reign of one year, and he was buried at Glastonbiny, near his grandfather Edgar.