Life of Edith Swan-neck, Harold Godwinson's First Spouse
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Edith the Fair, also known as Edith Swanneck, was a woman of considerable status and power in the 11th century. She was the first wife of Harold Godwinson, the last crowned king of Anglo-Saxon England.
Born into a wealthy and influential East Anglian family, Edith the Fair might have had a claim to the queenship, but her marriage to Harold marked a personal and legal turning point. The marriage was a political arrangement to secure the loyalty of the earls of Mercia, as Harold's wife was Ealdgyth, a sister of Edwin, Earl of Mercia, and Morcar, Earl of Northumbria.
Edith the Fair played a part in the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of 1066. Harold faced two major invasions that year: one from Harald Hardrada of Norway and the other from Duke William of Normandy. In September, Harold defeated Hardrada and Tostig at the battle of Stamford Bridge, but he was killed at the battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066.
According to some sources, it was Edith the Fair who identified Harold's body after the battle. She appealed to William the Conqueror for the right to bury Harold's body and was granted permission, with the body being interred at Waltham Abbey.
If Edith the Fair is the 'Eddeva' of the Domesday Book, her estates were confiscated or transferred to Norman lords by 1086. The Domesday Book records an 'Eddeva the Fair' as the pre-Conquest holder of more than 270 hides of land across various English counties, which might refer to Edith Swanneck.
Edith the Fair lived primarily at Harold's estates in East Anglia and Wessex. She earned the nickname "Swan-neck" likely due to her reputed beauty, suggesting a graceful, slender neck reminiscent of a swan's, as she was known as a noblewoman and legendary beauty.
Edith the Fair and Harold Godwinson had at least five children, including another Harold and Ulf. Their sons, Harold and Ulf, survived the Conquest and may have fled to Ireland or Scandinavia.
Edith the Fair, with her significant status and role in the events leading up to the Norman Conquest, is an intriguing figure in the history of Anglo-Saxon England. Despite the loss of her husband and the confiscation of her estates, her legacy continues to be a topic of interest and study for historians today.
