Siward

SIWARD (d. 1055)

A polar bear was said to figure in Siward's pedigree, and the giant Earl of Northumberland was reputedly a dragon-slayer in Orkney. He was a Dane by birth and supported Edward the Confessor in his quarrel with Earl Godwin in 1051. In 1054, he invaded Scotland in support of his kinsman Malcolm Canmore, and routed Macbeth. Siward's son was killed in this battle and Shakespeare, who includes both father and son in Macbeth has him say:

Had I as many sons as I have hairs,
I would not wish them to a fairer death.

He himself deeply regretted 'dying like a cow' and not having been killed in battle. He is reputed to have risen from his death-bed and donned his armour to meet his end more fittingly.

A son of Siward, Waltheof of Bamburgh, was Earl of Northumbria in 1065. He married a niece of William the Conqueror, but was eventually put to death in 1076 after having been involved in two conspiracies against the king. Waltheof was the only Anglo-Saxon noble to be executed by William.

Myers Literary Guide:	The North-East
SIWARD (d. 1055) A polar bear was said to figure in Siward's pedigree, and the giant Earl of Northumberland was reputedly a dragon-slayer in Orkney. He was a Dane by birth and supported Edward the Confessor in his quarrel with Earl Godwin in 1051. In 1054, he invaded Scotland in support of his kinsman Malcolm Canmore, and routed Macbeth. Siward's son was killed in this battle and Shakespeare, who includes both father and son in Macbeth has him say: Had I as many sons as I have hairs, I would not wish them to a fairer death. He himself deeply regretted 'dying like a cow' and not having been killed in battle. He is reputed to have risen from his death-bed and donned his armour to meet his end more fittingly. A son of Siward, Waltheof of Bamburgh, was Earl of Northumbria in 1065. He married a niece of William the Conqueror, but was eventually put to death in 1076 after having been involved in two conspiracies against the king. Waltheof was the only Anglo-Saxon noble to be executed by William.
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