Cnut the Great

About Cnut the Great

Cnut the Great, a towering figure of the early 11th century, was a Viking leader who successfully united the crowns of England, Denmark, and Norway, creating a vast North Sea empire that lasted for decades. As a politician and ruler, his reign (995–1035) was characterized by consolidating power, integrating Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon cultures, and maintaining peace through strong naval control. This immense achievement in state-building and geopolitical dominance secures his position at #198 in MIT's Historical Popularity Index (HPI).

Despite his significance, Cnut's modern digital footprint is comparatively modest. He garnered approximately 427K annualized Wikipedia views in 2025. This attention level is notably low relative to his historical weight, yielding an Attention Gap of only ~1x, suggesting he receives attention only commensurate with his HPI rank, unlike some more sensationalized contemporaries. For comparison, Attila, ranked just slightly lower at #230 importance, commanded 1.2M views in the same period.

Furthermore, Cnut's online presence shows signs of erosion; his 2025 viewership saw a year-over-year decline of -19.7%, and his momentum from Q1 to Q3 dropped by -11%, indicating that the internet's focus on this crucial medieval king is waning.