Canute II the Great, king of Denmark, Norway, and England 147They were first recorded in a PORTOLANchart of 1339. In
1341, an expedition explored the area further. Aragon
and Castile had both claimed the islands in 1345, but
there was yet little settlement. In 1351 missionaries
established their first missions there. In the mid-15th
century colonization began in earnest. After the conquest
of Gomera in 1440, and the Treaty of Alcàçovas in 1479,
the Castilian Crown began the conquests of Gran
Canaria, La Palma, and Tenerife. Not until 1496 were the
islands fully pacified as the conquests and establishment
of permanent settlements proved difficult because of
native resistance. However, after 1500 colonization was
systematically completed as the local agricultural prod-
ucts proved desirable and financially lucrative. In the
16th century the native laboring population, the
Guanches, had nearly died off and were, in great part,
replaced by African slaves.
Further reading: Felipe Fernández-Armesto, The
Canary Islands after the Conquest(New York: Oxford Uni-
versity Press, 1982); John Mercer, The Canary Islanders:
Their Prehistory, Conquest and Survival(London: Collings,
1980).
canon and ecclesiastical law SeeLAW, CANON AND
ECCLESIASTICAL.
canonization See individual names of saints;HAGIOGRAPHY.
canons and canonesses See CLERGY AND CLERICAL
ORDERS.
Canossa Canossa was a CASTLEin northern TUSCANY,
near Reggio Emilia, that belonged to the marquises of
Tuscany. In 1077, Matilda of Tuscany took in Pope
GREGORY VII on his way to GERMANY to join the
rebels against the excommunicated emperor Henry IV
(r. 1050–1106). Henry, in an effort to avoid this went to
the castle in the winter and made a very public penance
before the pope, perhaps even standing in snow for three
days January 24, 1076. Gregory could not refuse to grant
absolution to such a penitent, even an emperor. Thus,
Henry repented his sins and regained authority over his
rebellious subjects. The pope, deemed unreliable, was
placed in an unfavorable light. The castle was destroyed
in 1255.
See alsoGREGORIANREFORM;HOLYROMANEMPIRE.
Further reading:Karl F. Morrison, “Canossa: A Revi-
sion,” Traditio18 (1962): 121–148; I. S. Robinson, “Pope
Gregory VII (1073–1085),” Journal of Ecclesiastical His-
tory,36 (1985): 439–83.
Cantar de Mío Cid SeeRODRIGODÍAZ DEVIVAR(EL
CIDCAMPEADOR), HISTORY AND LEGENDS OF.
Canterbury, city, cathedral, and Episcopal see
Canterbury is a city in Kent in southeastern ENGLAND
and the seat of the chief churchman in England. Existing
from Roman times under the name Durovernum Cantio-
rum,it became the capital of the kingdom of Kent in the
sixth century. In 597, St. AUGUSTINEof Canterbury set-
tled to introduce the Christian faith in England. From
601, Canterbury was the diocese of an archbishop, with
authority over all the bishops of the southern, and per-
haps the northern, part of England.
Its ancient CATHEDRAL has often been rebuilt and
enlarged in accordance with evolving styles of architec-
ture, ROMANESQUEand GOTHIC. Another ancient building
and shrine was the Monastery of Saints Peter and Paul. It
was to provide BURIALplaces for the archbishops and for
the kings of Kent. The CLOISTERchurch of the monastery
was dedicated in the eighth century to Saint Augustine,
whose tomb is still venerated there. In the 12th and 13th
centuries its monks challenged the privileges of those
belonging to the order of regular canons of Christchurch.
Canterbury remained the religious capital of England in
the late Middle Ages; however, from the 13th century, the
archbishops tended to reside in LONDON at Lambeth
Palace to be near the Crown.
See alsoANSELM OFCANTERBURY;BECKETTHOMAS,
SAINT; LANFRANC OFBEC.
Further reading:P. Collinson et al., A History of Can-
terbury Cathedral (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1995); William Urry, Canterbury under the Angevin Kings
(London: Athlone Press, 1967); Francis Woodman, The
Architectural History of Canterbury Cathedral (London:
Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1981).Canterbury Tales SeeCHAUCER,GEOFFREY.Canute II the Great, king of Denmark, Norway,
and England (Knud in Denmark and Knut in Norway,
Cnut, Lambert)(994–1035)Viking king who united the
English and Danish people of England
Canute was born in 995, perhaps at a royal center in
DENMARK, the son of the Danish king Svein Forkbeard
(r. 987–1014). Canute’s grandfather was Harald Bluetooth
(d. 988) and his great-grandfather was King Gorm
the Old (d. 958). In ENGLAND, in the year 1000, the Saxon
king ÆTHELRED THEUNREADYplundered the Isle of Man
and parts of the DANELAWto try to crush the independent-
minded Scandinavians living there. Æthelred’s fear of the
Scandinavians caused him to make this serious mistake.
In the year of his marriage to Emma (ca. 985–1052), the
sister of the duke of Normandy, he over-confidently
ordered the massacre of all the “Danish” men in England.
Svein Forkbeard’s sister and his brother-in-law were
among those killed. Svein traveled to England to avenge
their deaths and first raided southern and eastern England
throughout the years 1003 and 1004. He took his army