Havelok and Godard
Havelok and Godard are central figures in the medieval romance "Havelok the Dane," which dates back to between 1280 and 1310 CE. The story unfolds in Denmark under the rule of King Birkabeyn, who fears for the safety of his three children after his death. He entrusts them to his advisor, Jarl Godard, who ultimately betrays the royal family, imprisoning the children and plotting their demise instead of safeguarding them. Havelok, the youngest, narrowly escapes death with the help of a fisherman and his wife and is later revealed to possess a divine birthmark, indicating his royal lineage.
The narrative explores themes of betrayal, rightful kingship, and the merging of England and Denmark, framing Havelok's journey as a quest for justice and identity. Havelok's physical attributes symbolize both power and vulnerability, reinforcing the idea of body politic throughout the story. Ultimately, Havelok marries Goldeboru and defeats the usurpers, uniting the two kingdoms and establishing a legacy of leadership. This tale is considered significant in discussions of English identity and the historical context surrounding Viking influence in England.
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Havelok and Godard
Author: Traditional
Time Period: 1001 CE–1500 CE
Country or Culture: England
Genre: Legend
PLOT SUMMARY
A powerful and respected king named Birkabeyn (or Birkabein) rules Denmark. Birkabeyn loves his three children, Swanborow, Elfleda the Fair, and Havelok, his young son and heir to the realm. When death comes for the king, he is terribly upset at the prospect of leaving his three children unprotected and fatherless. Birkabeyn prays to God for wisdom and guidance on how to ensure the children’s safety. He decides to entrust the children to a faithful advisor and friend, Jarl Godard.
Birkabeyn instructs Godard to keep his three royal children safe until Havelok is old enough to be knighted and crowned king. Godard takes an oath that he will rule over Denmark and keep the land safe until Havelok comes of age. Shortly after, King Birkabeyn dies, comforted by the belief that Godard will keep his beloved children and country safe. After the king’s funeral, Godard assumes rule over Denmark and hides the children away in a castle where they can be kept in secret. But Godard betrays his oath, and the castle becomes a prison for the children.
Godard quickly begins taking action to strip the royal rights of Swanborow, Elfleda, and Havelok. He orders that only a minimum amount of food and clothes be supplied to the imprisoned children, so they will die of starvation and cold. Finding this slow method of death to be taking too long, Godard decides to kill them himself. When he enters the children’s room, Havelok throws himself down before Godard and begs for food and clothes. Havelok’s pleas have no effect on Godard, who coldly seizes the two girls and cuts their throats.
Havelok is terrified and begs Godard for mercy. He cries that if Godard will let him live, he will flee the kingdom and leave Denmark forever. This sparks some compassion in Godard, but the ruthless man knows he will never be safe as long as Havelok lives. Godard promises riches and freedom to a naïve fisherman named Grim in exchange for secretly taking the boy and throwing him into the sea with an anchor tied around his neck. Grim agrees and binds Havelok with cords, sticks a rag in his mouth, and throws him into a sack. He carries the boy to his cottage, where he tells his wife, Dame Leve, about the agreement he has made with Godard. The promise of riches excites her, and she throws Havelok into a corner, nearly breaking his head.
At midnight, Grim and Dame Leve awake to complete the task. When they enter the room where they had thrown Havelok, they are terrified to see a bright gleam shining around the boy and coming from his mouth. On his right shoulder is a cross of red gold, a symbol of true royalty. They untie Havelok and begin weeping in front of the boy. They plead with Havelok, stating that they will hide him from Godard in return for their lives. Havelok demands food and rest, which the couple provide.
The next morning, Grim steals away to Godard to tell him that the task is complete and that Havelok is dead. When he asks for his reward, Godard laughs in his face and tells him to flee before he has him hanged for the murder of Havelok. Grim returns home and tells his wife about Godard’s betrayal. Worried for their safety, they decide to flee Denmark with Havelok and their five children. After selling all of their possessions, they sail for England, where they all arrive safely.
SIGNIFICANCE
The story of Havelok and Godard comes from a larger poetic work commonly titled Havelok the Dane, an early Middle English romance. It is considered by many scholars to be part of the Matter of England, the collection of localized English romances in medieval literature. Havelok the Dane dates back to between 1280 and 1310 CE and is believed to be a compilation or composite of various Anglo-Norman sources, the earliest of them being Geoffrey Gaimar’s L’estoire des Engleis, written around 1140 CE.
Havelock the Dane concerns the merging of two kingdoms, Denmark and England. It contains similar dual plots involving kings being betrayed after death and the rightful heir to the throne being dispossessed. In England, the traitor Godrich takes the throne away from Princess Goldeboru (Goldborough or Goldeburgh). This parallels what occurs in the story of Havelok and Godard. Later in the story, Havelok marries Goldeboru and defeats both usurpers, claiming his kingship in Denmark and England. They go on to have over a dozen children, all of whom become kings and queens.
Scholars have noted the ideological way in which the story creates an integrated Anglo-Danish kingdom in the period following the Viking raids. While in reality the Vikings invaded and pillaged England, Havelok the Dane provides a revisionist history wherein the union of Havelok and Goldeboru consolidates the two kingdoms. Some argue that this story was meant to reflect the validity of Danish rule over England in the eleventh century. This makes the story relevant to studies of Englishness and a unified English identity.
Some examinations of Havelok the Dane have given much attention to his physical body and its role in the narrative. Havelok’s body is literally a sign of power and kingship. Light streams from his mouth, and a kynmerk, the red, cross-shaped birthmark on his shoulder, display his divinely appointed status. In later parts of the story, Havelok’s body, strength, and appetite are described as being much greater than those of ordinary men.
Scholar Donna Crawford goes further, stating that Havelok’s body is meant to represent England itself and its vulnerability. This is an example of body politic, a metaphor for hierarchical social entities with the corporate head at the top, or, in this particular case, the king. Throughout the story, connections are made between the perils facing Havelok and their social context. At the end, Havelok is safe, and the lands he comes to rule over are thoroughly incorporated.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barron, W. R. J. English Medieval Romance. London: Longman, 1987. Print.
Crawford, Donna. “The Vulnerable Body of Havelok the Dane.” Medieval Forum. English Dept., San Francisco State U, 2009. Print.
Drake, Graham, Ronald B. Herzman, and Eve Salisbury, eds. Four Romances of England. Kalamazoo: Medieval Inst., 1999. Print.
Ebbutt, Maud Isabel. “Havelok the Dane.” Hero-Myths and Legends of the British Race. London: Harrap, 1910. 73–94. Print.
Kleinman, Scott. “The Legend of Havelok the Dane and the Historiography of East Anglia.” Studies in Philology 100.3 (2003): 245–77. Print.
Shepherd, Stephen H. A., ed. Middle English Romances. New York: Norton, 1994. Print.