Viking Age · 1013-1042

Cnut and the North Sea empire

In 1016 a Danish prince wins the English crown, and soon he rules Denmark and Norway as well. Students map Cnut's empire around the North Sea, examine how a Viking conqueror ruled as a Christian king, and test the famous legend of the waves.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
45 minutes
Ages
12–15
On the map
3 steps, AD 1030 to AD 1027
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

In 1016 a Danish prince wins the English crown, and soon he rules Denmark and Norway as well. Students map Cnut's empire around the North Sea, examine how a Viking conqueror ruled as a Christian king, and test the famous legend of the waves.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Locate the three kingdoms of Cnut's North Sea empire on the map.
  • Explain how Cnut won and kept power in England, including his marriage to Emma and his earls.
  • Distinguish between the facts of Cnut's reign and the later legend of the waves.
2

Explore the map

12 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 1030

Around the North Sea

Open the map in 1030 and zoom out over the North Sea. Find England and the Scandinavian kingdoms. Why might the sea join these lands rather than divide them?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1030

Winchester

Zoom in on Winchester in southern England, the old royal city of Wessex where Cnut was buried in 1035. Why would a Danish king choose an English royal city?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1027

The road to Rome

Zoom out to see England and Rome together. In 1027 Cnut traveled to Rome to see a new emperor crowned. Find the Holy Roman Empire on the way. Why make such a long journey?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

14 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Cnut married Emma, the widow of the English king his family had fought. Why was this a clever move?
  2. Cnut split England into large earldoms run by trusted men. What are the risks of giving nobles so much power?
  3. The story of Cnut ordering the tide to stop was written down about 100 years after his death. What was it meant to show?
  4. Cnut gave gifts to churches and went on pilgrimage to Rome. Why would a former Viking warrior want to be seen as a pious Christian king?
  5. Cnut's empire fell apart within seven years of his death. Why are empires built by one person so fragile?
4

Game round

9 min

Play Rule History as Charlemagne, another king who ruled several peoples at once. Afterwards, compare with Cnut: what did each do to win the loyalty of the peoples he had conquered?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.