I’m a freelance proofreader and editor from the UK. My website is called TIDE and CANUTE because of a story about a Danish king who ruled England from 1016 to 1035 CE.
I chose the website’s name out of nostalgia for a childhood storybook, but I later realised that it’s peculiarly apt for a proofreader’s website.
Canute (or Cnut) was a tremendously powerful man. In addition to being king of England, he was also the king of Denmark from 1019 and Norway from 1028. You may have seen Bradley Freegard’s performance as King Canute in the TV show Vikings Valhalla (2022–2024).
In Britain today, King Canute is perhaps best known for the story about his attempt to turn back the tide. Historians think it was first told in Henry of Huntingdon’s Historia Anglorum (History of the English) in the 12th century.
In the story, Canute goes down to the sea. He commands the tide not to come in, but it does anyway. For Henry of Huntingdon, this tale was evidence of Canute’s religious piety. Canute acted as he did to demonstrate that only God had power over nature.
The story of Canute and the tide has changed over the years. This article at Medievalists.net looks at versions of it from the 18th and 20th centuries. Both still mention God, but they portray Canute’s chief motivation as being a desire to rebuke his courtiers for flattery.
When I was a child, I heard yet another version of the story. In this one, King Canute was described as a silly man who overestimated his own power. I guess a lot of other British people heard it told that way too. In 2011, the BBC ran an article about how King Canute’s name had become a byword for arrogance and foolishness.
The Danish king and the British proofreader
I think TIDE and CANUTE is an appropriate name for a proofreading website. That’s because proofreading and editing are about protecting meaning. I keep a close eye on writing to make sure that the writer’s intention comes through in their words. I look for twists and drifts in wording that move the content off the road and into the bushes.
The story of Canute and the tide is an extreme example of this kind of information drift. Over the centuries, it kept its key elements but moved away from its original shape. The big thing that changed was the understanding of King Canute’s motivation. First, the emphasis shifted. Then it turned itself inside out.
I wonder if our picture of King Canute has drifted because British society itself has also changed. These days, we’re far more likely to criticise a ruler for foolishness than praise them for their piety.
The silly version of King Canute fits a familiar modern template. That’s why I liked the story as a child and felt nostalgic enough to put his name on my website.
Featured picture credit: Tony Wu on Pexels.com
TIDE and CANUTE 