Edith the Fair
| Edith the Fair | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1025 |
| Died | c. 1086 (age about 61) |
| Spouse | Harold Godwinson |
| Issue | Godwin Edmund Magnus Gunhild Gytha Ulf |
| Father | Thorkell the Tall |
| Mother | a daughter of Æthelred the Unready? |
Edith the Fair (Old English: Ealdgȳð Swann hnesce, "Edyth the Gentle Swan"; c. 1025 – c. 1086), also known as Edith Swanneck, was one of the wealthiest magnates in England on the eve of the Norman conquest, and may also have been the first wife of King Harold Godwinson. "Swanneck" (or Swan-Neck) comes from the folk etymology which made of her name, Swann Hnecca in Old English, "Swan Neck." This formula was actually most likely a corrupted form of Swann Hnesce, "Gentle Swan" .