GORVI JANUARY 13

SAINT CANUTE

Not every saint has led a simple and peaceful life. The patron saint of Denmark, for instance, became king of the country in 1080. His mother wasn’t married to his father who was King Sweyn III Estrithson. He had a brother called Harald the Slothful, after whose short reign he himself became king. This saint’s name was King Canute (Knud) IV (born 10 January 1040?). His son, who is known as Charles the Good, also became a saint. [The pages of European history speak of many Charleses: Charles the Bald and Charles the Bold, Charles the Good and Charles the Fat, and of course Charles the Great (Charlemagne), let alone so many king Charles numbered from I and XVI.

Saint Canute was an extremely devout Christian. As in most religious frameworks, he subjected himself frequently to harsh penitence and fasting in his efforts to evolve spiritually. He subsidized missionaries to go to many lands, built churches for the people, and enforced Christianity with considerable zeal.

King Canute felt he had a claim to the English throne. After all, his predecessor Knud den Store (Canute the Great) had been Lord of Denmark, England, Norway and southern Sweden. That was the great Canute who is said to have commanded the sea to calm the waves. His underlings were probably more impressed by the royal boldness than by how the sea responded. But the great man quickly explained the tidal disobedience by declaring loudly and clearly: “Let all men know how empty and worthless the power of kings is. For there is none worthy of the name but God, whom heaven, earth and sea obey” It was thanks to him that Denmark was Christianized.

In an episode in Valmiki’s epic the Ramayana, King Vishvamitra, unable to overpower a saint, exclaims: Dhik kshatriya balam! Brahma tejo balam. Balam: Fie unto royal strength! Spiritual power alone is true power!”

Canute IV understood that his goal of getting the English throne could be realized only by force of arms since the Normans had installed themselves firmly on English soil. Since war meant extra military expenses, Canute levied taxes for his army to boot the Norman barons out of the Anglo-Saxon realm. They say he sent a fleet of 200 ships to assist rebels against William the Conqueror, but he was not successful. Guillaume le Conquérant and his French-speaking entourage were there to stay.

Canute’s subjects now became impatient and angry, even his own brother Olaf rebelled. Canute fled to the little island of Funen (where Hans Christian Andersen was to emerge centuries later). But his opponents wouldn’t let him live there in peace. They hunted him all the way to the town of Odense where, according to tradition, he was mercilessly killed along with a handful of his followers while he was in a prayerful posture at Saint Alban’s Church: perhaps the first Murder in the Cathedral, well before the awful event in Canterbury.

It is said that in medieval times they used to perform a Ludus de Sancto Kanuto Duce (Play of Saint King Canute) in public squares.

According to the English monk Ælnoth, after Canute the Holy died in 1086, some miracles occurred at his tomb. Because of such reports and his commitment to Christianity, he was declared a saint, and his Feast day was specified to be January 13. This day is observed as Tyvendedagen in Norway, and as Tjugondedag In Sweden: twentieth day after Christmas. According to one custom, people eat all leftover goodies on this Little Christmas day. Ornaments are removed from Christmas trees which are not supposed to be in homes any longer for now the season is officially over.