The Performance of Piety: Cnut, Rome, and England Elaine Treharne T he Old Norse Fargrskinna contains the unique Skaldic stanza by Sigvatr Þórðarson detailing Cnut’s journey to Rome in 1027. In that manu- script, the whole poem is referred to as an eridrápa, a eulogistic drápa. Following the narration of Cnut’s conquest of England and victory in the Battle of Helgeå in 1027, the tenth stanza reveals the impetus for Cnut’s journey south from Denmark to Rome: Kom á fylki Desire for travel farlyst, þeims bar came to the king, he hervíg í hug, carried warfare in his heart, hafanda staf. staf in hand. Rauf ræsir af he leader, broke of [enjoyed] Rúms veg suman some of Rome’s honour, kærr keisara dear to the emperor, klúss Pétrúsi. 1 close to Peter. 1 This edition is Matt Townend’s (Sigvatr, Knútsdrápa (‘ Drápa about Knútr’), no.  11, <http://skaldic.arts.usyd.edu.au/db.php?table=verses&id=3810> [accessed 29 April 2013]), though I have tinkered with the translation. Dr Townend’s work is part of the major collaborative project, Skaldic Poetry, ed. by Whaley and others. I am deeply indebted to Dr Townend for sending me his editions, translations, and notes prior to publication, and for permission to use them here. he poem is widely discussed, most recently by Bolton, he Empire of Cnut the Great, pp. 294–95. Elaine Treharne (treharne@stanford.edu) is Roberta Bowman Denning Professor of the Humanities at Stanford University. England and Rome in the Early Middle Ages: Pilgrimage, Art, and Politics , ed. by Francesca Tinti, SEM 40 (Turnhout: Brepols, 2014) pp. 343–364 BREPOLS PUBLISHERS 10.1484/M.SEM-EB.1.102299 © BREPOLS PUBLISHERS THIS DOCUMENT MAY BE PRINTED FOR PRIVATE USE ONLY. IT MAY NOT BE DISTRIBUTED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER.