Aethelstan, King of the Anglo Saxons, first English King

  • Thread starter Thread starter Astronuc
  • Start date Start date
Astronuc
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
22,340
Reaction score
7,138
Historian seeks recognition for first English king
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d07w50e15o
A University of Cambridge academic has joined calls for greater recognition of the first king of England.

Aethelstan ruled England from 927 AD to 939 and united the kings of Wessex, Mercia, Northumberland and East Anglia/Danelaw under a single crown.

He was also king of the Anglo Saxons from his coronation in 925, and was buried in Malmesbury Abbey in Wiltshire.

David Woodman, a professor of history at Cambridge University who has written a new book about the king, said: As we approach the anniversaries of Aethelstan's coronation in 925 and the birth of England itself in 927, I would like his name to become much better known. He really deserves that."

Aethelstan was the grandson of Alfred the Great and in 929 he conquered the last Viking kingdom, York, at the Battle of Brunanburh, making him the first Anglo-Saxon ruler of the whole of England.

He died in Gloucester in 939 and was succeeded by his half-brother Edmund.

Woodman, from Robinson College, said: "There has been so much focus on 1066, the moment when England was conquered.

Somewhere I have a list of Anglo-Saxon, Wessex and English kings.

He (Prof Woodman) added Aethelstan brought England together just as parts of continental Europe were fragmenting.

"Nobles across Europe were rising up and taking territory for themselves.

"Aethelstan made sure that he was well placed to take advantage of the unfolding of European politics by marrying a number of his half-sisters into continental ruling houses."

Well there is nothing new there. Parts of Britain experienced tribal rivalries/conflicts as well as invasions by the Romans, Vikings/Norsemen, Angles, Saxons and Jutes, then Normans, and various monarchs/emperors declared war on other monarchs/emperors. Seems that behavior has not ceased.
 
Last edited:
Science news on Phys.org
We’re talking viking age aren’t we? He was the supposedly timid king who nevertheless had some tactical acumen?
 
Although titled "Vikings", Canadian History Channel drama gives equal time to English king Alfred Magnus and grandson Athelstan though primarily from a Scandinavian viewpoint. "Vikings" converts actual historical king Ragnar Lodbrook to a semi-fictional character Ragnar Lothbrook, superbly portrayed by actor Travis Flimmel.

Alfred and his ideas of a unified England hosting Scandinavian farmers to the east bears the ring of verisimilitude. Young King Athelstan also rings true as far as court intrigues but his adventures alongside Ragnar read more like a Scandinavian saga than a dry history of early England. History buffs will enjoy "Vikings" and sequel "Vikings: Valhalla". Apropos to current events, Ragnar's sons visit medieval city Kiev ancestral home of the Rus.
 
  • Like
Likes sbrothy and Astronuc
Furthermore -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Æthelstan
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monarchs_of_Wessex


https://www.athelstanmuseum.org.uk/malmesbury-history/people/king-athelstan/
Æthelstan was the son of Edward the Elder and grandson of Alfred the Great. He was illegitimate, at the time of his birth, his mother was Egwina the King’s mistress although she later became his queen.

William of Malmesbury records how fond the king was of Athelstan and he made him a knight at an early age giving him a sword with a golden scabbard. He also describes how handsome he was ‘A boy of astonishing beauty and graceful manners’.

When his father ,King Edward died in 924 Athelstan being the eldest son was quickly proclaimed their king by the Mercians. The West Saxons however proclaimed as king Aelfweard ,Edward’s second eldest son – but the eldest from his second wife and the first born to Edward as reigning king. Aelfweard followed his father to the grave within a month. About a year later on 4th September 925 Athelstan was crowned King of Saxons and Angles at Kingston – upon- Thames situated on the border between Mercia and Wessex.

The First King of England: Æthelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom – a deep and nuanced analysis of a complex monarch

https://theconversation.com/the-fir...-nuanced-analysis-of-a-complex-monarch-264145
The reign of Æthelstan (924 to 939) has excited a significant amount of study in recent years. In 2004 there was The Age of Athelstan, by Paul Hill. In 2011, Sarah Foot published Æthelstan: The First King of England, and in 2018, Tom Holland released Athelstan: The Making of England. A key theme in these books is the role of Æthelstan as unifier of the kingdom of England.

Æthelstan’s most famous battle, Brunanburh (937) was fought against a coalition of vikings and Celtic-speaking peoples. Brunanburh was seen, perhaps erroneously, to secure the future of a unified England. As a historian of this period, I have argued that the “kings and battles” story of the past often cloaks the longer-term engines of political change.

This latest book to add to this history is The First King of England: Æthelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom by David Woodman, which addresses both themes of English unification and viking politics. It also seeks to provide deeper insights into the personality of King Æthelstan. The result is a highly engaging and informative biography.

A People Profiles biography of Athelstan - First King of England Documentary

 
  • Informative
Likes sbrothy and gmax137
Historian seeks recognition for first English king https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9d07w50e15o Somewhere I have a list of Anglo-Saxon, Wessex and English kings. Well there is nothing new there. Parts of Britain experienced tribal rivalries/conflicts as well as invasions by the Romans, Vikings/Norsemen, Angles, Saxons and Jutes, then Normans, and various monarchs/emperors declared war on other monarchs/emperors. Seems that behavior has not ceased.

Similar threads

Back
Top