Dear Mr. Cornwell

In my research of the old Danish Kings and Queens, I have discovered an overlap between Uthred and Saxo Grammaticus description of Gorm the Old in Gesta Danorum. This overlap has created one of the greatest mysteries in Danish Viking history about the parentage of Gorm’s queen Thyra, as Saxo lists her as a daughter of Ethelred. Since no Danish historian seems to have been very interested in the life of Uthred before your books, I believe this is why this has remained a mystery.

>From Gesta Danorum:

“This man was counselled by the elders to celebrate the rights of marriage, and he wooed Thyra, the daughter of Ethelred, the king of the English, for his wife. She (…) laid the condition on her suitor that she would not marry him till she had received Denmark as a dowry.”

No one knows the exact birth of Thyra, but it has been estimated to be between 880 and 900, she dies around 935-940. This would mean that the only ruler (not king) of English people named Ethelred around that time would be Aethelred of Mercia.

Aethelred of Mercia 833-911

Ethelred the Elder 847 – 871

Ethelred the Unready 968 – 1014

However, I came across a description of Uthred, that is worded very closely to the story Saxo is telling:

>From “English and Norse Documents” Margaret Ashdown

Cambridge University Press, 14 Aug 2014

“Symeon of Durham states that Uthred was son of Walteof, Earl of Bernicia, and he distinguished himself in driving back the invading Scots from Durham, and for this was given the hand of Ethelred’s daughter and the Danish kingdom south of the Tyne, the old Deirs.”

Since I would like to make the bold statement, that you are the most well researched historian on the life of Uthred, would you know if the original source of that statement dates back to before Saxo wrote Gesta Danorum, and he simply might have misunderstood. Since Gorms father was Godfred/Hardacnut king of York, Saxo might have mistaken one Northumbrian lord for another, the name Tyne for Thyra, and the Danelaw/Danish kingdom for Denmark?

I know this is not an exact science, but it would cool to debunk one of the greatest myth of the Danish viking age.

Thank you so much for spending time considering this brain teaser.

All the best and a merry christmas.

Ulrik Paludan

(33 x great grandson of Gorm the old)