SueScape

By SueScape

King Canute's Daughter

In Bosham church this plaque lies in the floor  in the nave.  It is supposed to be the burial place of King Canute's little daughter who died aged 8 in the mill stream nearby. I've recently read the latest thinking is that the contents of this grave are too recent to be this child, but the story had its obvious attractions and has been around for centuries. The Raven Banner was carried by Canute King of England, Norway and Denmark, and Bosham is supposedly the place where he failed to hold back the waves.

The inscription reads:

To the glory of God and in memory of a daughter of King Canute who died early in the 11th century aged about 8 years., whose remains lie enclosed in a stone coffin beneath this spot.
Placed by the Children of the Parish, August 1906.

 

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