From: "Betty Owen" <winteros@wt.net>
To: "Todd A. Farmerie" <farmerie@lamar.colostate.edu>
Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2004 9:27 PM
Subject: Re: Emma, Engalns 1st queen
Hi Taf and all,
Yes, Aelfgifu was the mother and first wife of King of England Atherlred
II.
Anywhere from 4 to 10 Children are assigned to her as mother.
I think it is assumed she did die before Emma but that is not certain. I
dont think you can assume he married h er Viking style either. I think it
is suspected she came from a good family.
I suppose it is up for grabs as to weather he married Emma before Aelfgifu
died . I had read somewhere that a couple of humble actions were assigned
to
him just before he was married to Emma that might be interpeted as someone
mourning a lost wife or loved one.
Ecgbert b @987 died @1006
Edmund Iron Sides B 989 died 11/30/1016
Edred d@1012
Edwy born b4 1006
Edward (killed on orders of Cnut_ died 12-25-1017
Edgar D@1012
Edith married to Eadraic Streona
Aelfgifu married Ucthred E North Cumbria
Wulfhilda
and a Dtr who was Abbess of Wherewell known to have died after 1051.
None of these were Emma;s children.. but the childern of An AS woman.
I think it may have been important that Emma was called queen since she
came
from a Duke in Normandy... at that time this was considered equal to an
Earl an Earl was almost equal to a King in AS during this period. It was
not really custom that women were made Queen.
Betty
ferdon wrote:
But AElgifu is said in this program to have been AEthelred's
mistress. I was under the impression that she was his first wife. ??
AElfgifu is named by several sources as mother of Eadmund Ironside, and
(according to Barlow's Edward the Confessor) the chronicler formerly
known as Florence of Worcester attributes AEthelsan, Eadwig and Eadgyth
to AElfgifu. Apparently (I don't have the Worcester chronicle handy),
none of these explicitly call AElfgifu wife of AEthelred or Queen of
England. Barlow says that they were undoubtably married (although
perhaps not by a church-sanctioned marriage), but I don't know that such
certainty is justified.
taf