This research paper examines the roles played by Queen Emma in 11th century England and Queen Wealtheow, a fictional character in Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon Christian heroic poem based on a pagan Norse legend of events in about the fifth century A.D.. Both queens were powerful women who exemplified traits extolled in Norse mythology, strength of character, family loyalty and a certain degree of guile.
Queen Emma was the wife of King Ethelred II, the Saxon King of England of the House of Wessex (978-1016), and later married Canute, the Danish ruler who was King of England (1016-1035). She became involved in the internecine struggle between Danes and Saxons for the succession to the throne after Canute's death. Two of her sons were also Kings of England, Hardicanute (1040-1043) and Edward the Confessor (1043-1066). Queen Wealtheow shared the rule of Denmark in Beowulf with the old King Hrothgar to whose aid came the young Geat or pagan warrior prince, Beowulf. Beowulf slayed the dragon, Grendel, and its mother, who threatened the kingdom, and nobly sacrifices his own life in the process.
Their Goals, Methods, Qualities, Dilemmas and Accomplishments
Both Queens faced daunting tasks in seeking to maintain in power their family dynasties. After the Vikings' raids on England which began in 830, and their later conquests there threatened the divided kingdoms of ninth century England, Saxon King Alfred (871-900) and his sons and grandsons stemmed the tide of the Norse/Danish advance. During the rule of Ethelred, who was dubbed the Unready, the country was convulsed in civil war. Despite Ethelred's attempts to buy peace with the invaders by bribing them with danegeld, the Vikings/Danes made further inroads. In 1002 Ethelred sought to strengthen his position by entering into a dynastic marriage with Emma, the sister of Robert, the Duke of Normandy. Normandy had been settled by the Vikings, but by the 11th century opposed their depreda...