It's one thing to smear poor Michael with unproven allegations (other than amazingly stupid behavior) but on this thread somebody else has been smeared: King Canute.

According to the famous legend, he did not in fact want to turn back the waves. Rather he was demonstrating to his courtiers how little power he had against nature (i.e. God). Admittedly part of the good press he received--which has since morphed into a simplistic misunderstanding-- was due to his good relations with the historians of the time (i.e. the Church).