On Fri, 28 Dec 2007, Michael Smith wrote:
> BBC: We have King Canute on the line. Good evening, your majesty.
Just for the record, I believe this is terrible slander of King Canute, although it's very common reversal of the original legend. In the original legend, his courtiers told him he was so powerful he could command the tide and he went down to the sea to try it and show it couldn't be done as a public display of ridiculing them. Although it's unclear whether it was to goad them to stop being toadies, or to strengthen his position next time they offered concilium he didn't want to take (yeah, aren't you the guys who told me I could command the waves? Well you're wrong this time too).
Michael