Siward, Earl of Northumberland, general of the English forces

Earl Siward of Northumbria was invested with that title and position by Cnut the Norseman who came to rule England at that time. Siward was probably of Norse blood himself as Cnut was replacing all the old Frankish nobility with his own trusted men. Siward married the grand daughter of Uhtred the former earl of Northumbria thus strengthening his own position in that domain. Some sources say that through this marriage Siward was now distantly related to Duncan .

For many years the men of the Strathclyde area had been engaged in raids against the north of England and viceversa. When Duncan was on the throne one of the disasters he incurred was an attempted invasion of Northumbria only to be trounced at the siege of Durham. Siward must have seen great possibilities of influence, if not outright occupation of certain parts of Scotland, when Malcolm and his brother sought refuge at his court. An opportunity had fallen right into his lap and all he needed was a little patience.