A mission he bore - to Duke William he came’

Harold Godwineson's Commentum and his covert ambitions

Bibliographic Data

ID7793484
AuthorsAd F J van Kempen (Fontys University of Applied Sciences, corresponding author)
Year2016
Volume89
Issue246
Pages591-612
Publication date2016-11-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHistorical Research (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0950-3471 • E-ISSN: 1468-2281
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1111/1468-2281.12147
OpenAlexW2471362767
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited5

Harold Godwineson's journey to France, depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry, is nowadays mostly regarded as rather reckless attempt to free two hostages in Normandy. It is a curious incident, interrupting Harold's ascent to power in his homeland. William of Malmesbury's description of it as a fishing party has always been dismissed as a silly explanation. This article connects Malmesbury's phrase ‘commentum’ (‘pretext’) with other sources on the expedition. This comparison shows that Harold's boat trip and his intended diplomacy in France were not an interlude in his policy, but formed a continuation of his cautious, calculated manoeuvres towards possession of the English throne

Ancient history · Diplomacy · Political science · Politics · Pretext · Throne · Classics · Historical Studies of British Isles · History · Law · Medieval Literature and History · Philosophy · Scottish History and National Identity

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub