Cnut’s Childhood and Youth

This chapter talks about Cnut's early upbringing and the fundamental forces that drove him throughout the rest of his life. It explores the general nature of the system in which Cnut grew up, which was a disorganized form of political structure. It was dynamic and overall robust, guaranteeing that the strongest and best connected candidates for rule held power at any time. It enabled great social mobility, allowing successful and resourceful individuals to surge up through its ranks. However, it also promoted rivalry and conflict, especially in a society in which raiding and conflict played such key roles. Much of this instability have informed Cnut's character and later decisions, as he grew up in a society where his family's grasp on power was one of conquest.

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