Encomium Emmae Reginae

Reprint of a primary source which gives important insights into the Danish conquest of England in the early eleventh century.

Alistair Campbell (Edited by), Simon Keynes (Introduction by)

9780521626552, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 August 1998

268 pages, 5 b/w illus.
22.9 x 15.3 x 1.5 cm, 0.4 kg

"This reprint of the Encomium Emmae Reginae is most welcome. not only does it make an important eleventh-century source of English and women's history more readily available, but Simon Keynes' supplementary introduction provides a helpful and thorough discussion of the historical issues raised in this work." The Medieval Review

The Encomium Emmae Reginae is a political tract in praise, as its title suggests, of Queen Emma, daughter of Duke Richard I of Normandy, wife of King Ethelred the Unready from 1002 to 1016, and wife of the Danish conqueror King Cnut from 1017 to 1035. It is a primary source of the utmost importance for our understanding of the Danish conquest of England in the early eleventh century, and for the political intrigue in the years which followed the death of King Cnut in 1035. It offers a remarkable account of a woman who was twice a queen, and of her determination to retain her power as queen-mother. This reprint, which contains the definitive text and translation of the Encomium Emmae Reginae first published in 1949, traces the basic outline of Queen Emma's career and transports us to the heart of eleventh-century politics by defining as clearly as possible the historical context in which the Encomium was written.

Preface to the 1998 reprint
Introduction to the 1998 edition
Abbreviations and bibliography
Introduction
Encomium Emmae Reginae
Appendices
General index
Index to the text of the Encomium
Glossary.

Subject Areas: Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500 [HBLC], British & Irish history [HBJD1]