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Earl Godwin's children...

15th June 2008, 10:20 pm by Huscarl

According to the different sources, there were between 9 and 12 issue of Earl Godwin and his second wife, the Danish noblewoman Gytha (niece of Canute?), whom he married in c.1020, a year after Thyra (Canute's sister) died.

Godwin honoured his lord and benefactor, Canute (and once brother-inlaw) by naming his first son Swein after Canute's father, Harold after Gytha's Great grandfather and Wulfnoth after his own father, Wulfnoth Cild.

The list from eldest to youngest generally accepted, is;-

Edith (Edward the Confessor's wife),
Swein (the wild card of the pack, d.1052);
then of course Harold, Tostig, Gyrth, Leofwine and several sisters to Wulfnoth (Harold's youngest brother held in Norman captivity most of his adult life from 1052).

Some add an eldest sibling, Driella (though I've never read about her?) and a brother younger than Wulfnoth, called Ylfgar?

Has anyone read any convincing sources which give an accurate-sounding genealogy of Harold II's siblings?

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