aethelflaed the last kingdom

[54] At the end of the year, the East Anglian Danes submitted to Edward. On their way back they were caught by an English army in Staffordshire and their army was destroyed at the Battle of Tettenhall, opening the way for the recovery of the Danish Midlands and East Anglia over the next decade. You're now subscribed to our newsletter. Æthelwold joined forces with the Vikings when he was unable to get sufficient support in Wessex, and his rebellion only ended with his death in battle in December 902. When this failed they applied to Æthelflæd, her husband being ill, for permission to settle near Chester. View All The Last Kingdom News . In the Midlands and the North she came to dominate the political scene. But there is one warrior woman who is less celebrated. [4], Ceolwulf is not recorded after 879. [12] Tim Clarkson, who describes Æthelflæd as "renowned as a competent war-leader", regards the victory at Derby as "her greatest triumph". In The Last Kingdom, he is depicted as abusive to Lady Aethelflaed, although this may not have been the case in real life. His successor as the ruler of the English western half of Mercia, Æthelflæd's husband Æthelred, is first seen in 881 when, according to the historian of medieval Wales, Thomas Charles-Edwards, he led an unsuccessful Mercian invasion of the north Welsh Kingdom of Gwynedd. The next year she secured Leicester, and from there made her way towards the prestigious Viking-held city of York. The marriage may have taken place earlier, perhaps when he submitted to Alfred following the recovery of London in 886. The Vikings’ purpose was to conquer the kingdoms completely, yet the battle of Edington in 878 stemmed the tide and a tentative alliance was drawn up, splitting the country in two between English-ruled territory and lands administered by the Danes (the Danelaw). Her name most likely means “overflowing with nobility” according to scholar Joanna Arman (32). She is a rallying point to all those searching for strong female role models. Now she should be celebrated in the words of William of Malmesbury, as a “woman of enlarged soul”. In 913 she built forts at Tamworth to guard against the Danes in Leicester, and in Stafford to cover access from the Trent Valley. Æthelstan, the eldest son of Edward the Elder and future king of England, was brought up in their court and, in the view of Martin Ryan, certainly joined their campaigns against the Vikings. The following year, the Vikings conquered East Anglia. [7] Brief details of her actions were preserved in a pro-Mercian version of the Chronicle known as the Mercian Register or the Annals of Æthelflæd; although it is now lost, elements were incorporated into several surviving versions of the Chronicle. Lorsqu’il s’est agi de déterminer le vrai père de la fille de d’Aethelflaed, Aelfwynn.The Last Kingdom a déchiré les livres d’histoire et a introduit un peu de sang danois dans la lignée royale. Ahead of series four of The Last Kingdom, we revisit a feature by Janina Ramirez in which she reveals how the wife, mother, diplomat – and, above all, warrior-queen – left an indelible mark on Anglo-Saxon England in the 10th century. She was exceptional for many reasons. There is little information on her childhood, and she first appears in the historical record as a fully grown adult. Thereafter the two kingdoms became allies, which was to be an important factor in English resistance to the Vikings. Hywel Dda was king of Dyfed in south-west Wales, Clydog ap Cadell probably king of Powys in the north-east, and Idwal ab Anarawd king of Gwynedd in the north-west. Only then did Mercia's independent existence come to an end.[78]. Wainwright sees Æthelflæd as willingly accepting a subordinate role in a partnership with her brother and agreeing to his plan of unification of Wessex and Mercia under his rule. A translation of the Mercian Register is an appendix in Tim Clarkson's biography of Æthelflæd. [17] Æthelred was much older than Æthelflæd and they had one known child, a daughter called Ælfwynn. Æthelflæd’s name languished over the following centuries, but was revived in 1913 with a statue in Tamworth erected to commemorate her achievements. [16] Æthelflæd was first recorded as Æthelred's wife in a charter of 887, when he granted two estates to the see of Worcester "with the permission and sign-manual of King Alfred" and the attestors included "Æthelflæd conjux". [12] According to Frank Stenton, Æthelflæd led Mercian armies on expeditions, which she planned. Read more about the real history behind The Last Kingdom here. Aethelflaed became a hunted refugee, along … Just three years earlier, a Great Viking Army had launched a massive assault on East Anglia. She understood the importance of aligning herself with other powerful rulers and supported her brother, Edward, in his reconquest of Mercian territories in the Danelaw. In 917 she sent an army to capture Derby, the first of the Five Boroughs of the Danelaw to fall to the English, a victory described by Tim Clarkson as "her greatest triumph". It did not suffer major attacks and it did not come under great pressure from Wessex. To secure power in Anglo-Saxon England, you first needed the support of ‘ealdormen’ (high-ranking royal officials). Æthelflæd of Mercia (before, Æthelflæd of Wessex) is a main character in both The Saxon Stories novel series, and The Last Kingdom television series. Aethelred was an ambitious leader on The Last Kingdom with the wrong motive, always seeking to become greater by exterminating those around him. It is in this context that the establishment of a new minster at Gloucester by Æthelred and Æthelflæd is to be seen. If King Alfred was great, was Æthelstan even greater? At about the age of nine she received a different kind of education, in the harsh realities of her turbulent times. Aethelflaed was succeeded by her daughter Aelfwyn, whom Aethelflaed had made a joint ruler with her. Gloucester History Festival, of which I am president, has arranged talks, exhibitions and events to raise awareness of her place in England’s history. Aethelflaed: who was the warrior queen who crushed the Vikings? She is the daughter of Alfred and Ælswith . Even so, she would constantly pale next to the name of her father, Alfred the Great, who English historians continued to celebrate as scourge of the Danes and saviour of England. Aelfwyn is not known to have married and may have gone to a convent. Æthelstan took control of it in 927 but after his death in 939 the kingdom was contested until the expulsion of the last Norse king in 954. Stafford sees her as a "warrior queen", "Like ... Elizabeth I she became a wonder to later ages. Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians (c. 870 – 12 June 918) ruled Mercia in the English Midlands from 911 until her death. Equally, there is some confusion over the circumstances of his death. [a] Information about Æthelflæd's career is also preserved in the Irish chronicle known as the Three Fragments. Her caution was rewarded when in that same year, 907, the Wirral Vikings attacked Chester but failed to breach its walls. The East Anglians were forced to buy peace and the following year the Vikings invaded Northumbria, where they appointed a puppet king in 867. By entering your details, you are agreeing to HistoryExtra terms and conditions and privacy policy. A second series of eight episodes was aired on BBC Two in the UK in March 2017. She was the eldest daughter of Alfred the Great, king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, and his wife Ealhswith. Defences were built before 914 at Hereford, and probably Shrewsbury and two other fortresses, at Scergeat and Weardbyrig, which have not been located. She was developing a name as a keen diplomat, an engaged ruler and a military strategist. You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email. He was described by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as "a foolish king's thegn" who was a puppet of the Vikings. Æthelflæd, like her father, sought to strengthen the prestige of her kingdom by investing extensively in urban renewal, education (through the monasteries) and in the arts. He argues that King Edward was anxious not to encourage Mercian separatism and did not wish to publicise his sister's accomplishments, in case she became a symbol of Mercian claims. [50] Alfred had constructed a network of fortified burhs in Wessex, and Edward and Æthelflæd now embarked on a programme of extending them to consolidate their defences and provide bases for attacks on the Vikings. A shy, blonde child who recoils at the mere sight of the show’s hero Uhtred, she was raised, most likely by her pious mother Aelswith, to fear the heathen her father King Alfred despised and respected. As well as being a formidable warrior, Æthelflæd was also a shrewd ruler who set about extending the work of her father, Alfred, by strengthening his fortifications at Tamworth, Stafford and Warwick. Alfred adopted the title King of the English, claiming to rule all English people not living in areas under Viking control. Thanks! No similar offer is known to have been made to Edward. Derby was the first to fall to the English; she lost "four of her thegns who were dear to her" in the battle. Among the towns where she built defences were Wednesbury, Bridgnorth, Tamworth, Stafford, Warwick, Chirbury and Runcorn. Why do we not know more about Æthelflæd? [b] Ealhswith's mother, Eadburh, was a member of the Mercian royal house, probably a descendant of King Coenwulf (796–821). Gwent in south-east Wales was already under West Saxon lordship but, in the view of Charles-Edwards, this passage shows that the other Welsh kingdoms were under Mercian lordship until Edward took direct power over Mercia. The Register covers the years 902 to 924, and focuses on Æthelflæd's actions; Edward is hardly mentioned and her husband only twice, on his death and as father of their daughter. [86], This article was submitted to WikiJournal of Humanities for external academic peer review in 2018 (reviewer reports). It was on to this tumultuous stage that Æthelflæd stepped. [82], In June 2018, Æthelflæd's funeral was re-enacted in front of a crowd of 10,000 people in Gloucester, as part of a series of living history events marking the 1,100th anniversary of her death. Millie Brady is a British actress, born in London, England. However, she maintained a celebrated reputation – particularly, and surprisingly, under the Normans – with chroniclers going out of their way to laud her military achievements. By the time of her birth, the Great Heathen Army had already come to East Anglia and conquered them, as well as Northumbria. Aethelflaed a eu une relation amoureuse après son mariage avec Aethelred. In the 12th century, the historian Henry of Huntingdon declared Æthelflæd to be “so powerful that in praise and exaltation of her wonderful gifts, some call her not only lady, but even king”. In Mercia, Alfred's sister Æthelswith had been the wife of King Burgred of Mercia; she had witnessed charters as queen and had made grants jointly with her husband and in her own name. [42][43] Heighway and Michael Hare wrote: In the age when English scholarship and religion reached their lowest ebb, Mercia and in particular the lower Severn valley seem to have maintained traditional standards of learning. By Billy Oduory 15 minutes ago If Aethelred had given Aethelflaed a chance to be a partner and friend, he would have achieved his ambition of becoming a true King of Mercia. Eleven centuries ago, Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, died and was buried in Gloucester. Æthelflæd took advantage of a tradition that granted women in Mercia greater rights. So, while Bernard Cornwell’s novels and the BBC series The Last Kingdom are cavalier with the historical facts, perhaps they are right to give Æthelflæd a major role. [12][18], Æthelred's descent is unknown. There is a wealth of evidence to support the contention that Mercia was a force to be reckoned with in the Anglo-Saxon period. Millie Brady as Aethelflaed in series four of ‘The Last Kingdom’. He commented: "It was through reliance on her guardianship of Mercia that her brother was enabled to begin the forward movement against the southern Danes which is the outstanding feature of his reign". [83], The 1,100th anniversary of the death of Æthelflaed was marked throughout 2018 in Tamworth with a number of major events, including the unveiling of a new six-metre statue,[84] the creation of the town's biggest ever piece of community art,[85] a major commemorative church service, talks, a special guided walk, commemorative ale and an academic conference weekend drawing academics and delegates from all over the world. [56] In the Three Fragments, Æthelflæd also formed a defensive alliance with the Scots and the Strathclyde British, a claim accepted by Clarkson. By 878, most of England was under Danish Viking rule – East Anglia and Northumbria having been conquered, and Mercia partitioned between the English and the Vikings – but in that year Alfred won a crucial victory at the Battle of Edington. [52][d], In 917 invasions by three Viking armies failed as Æthelflæd sent an army which captured Derby and the territory around it. They granted the church of Worcester a half share of the rights of lordship over the city, covering land rents and the proceeds of justice, and in return the cathedral community agreed in perpetuity to dedicate a psalm to them three times a day and a mass and thirty psalms every Saturday. She is one of the few known women who not only held a role within the household as mother and lady – and within the court, as daughter and wife to kings – but also wielded power on the battlefield. In 877 the Vikings partitioned Mercia, taking the eastern regions for themselves and allowing Ceolwulf to keep the western ones. Æthelflæd benefited from a Mercian tradition of queenly importance, and was able to play a key role in the history of the early tenth century as Lady of the Mercians, which would not have been possible in Wessex. She is mentioned in Alfred’s will, where he leaves her an estate plus 100 pounds, while her husband is bequeathed a precious sword. You have successfully linked your account! In 909 Edward sent a West Saxon and Mercian force to the northern Danelaw, where it raided for five weeks. [58] According to a version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle strongly sympathetic to Edward the Elder, after Æthelflæd's death "the kings among the Welsh, Hywel and Clydog and Idwal, and all the Welsh people sought to have [Edward] as their lord". He praised her as “worthy of a man’s name” and “more illustrious than Caesar”. Lady Aethelflaed has been one of the main characters in The Last Kingdom story since her introduction in the first season and the ‘Lady of Mercia’ remains incredibly popular with fans. In January 878 Viking invaders swooped down on the palace at Chippenham in Wiltshire where Alfred and his family were staying. It is difficult to know when Æthelflæd was born. According to Pauline Stafford, "like ... Elizabeth I she became a wonder to later ages". The updated content was reintegrated into the Wikipedia page under a CC-BY-SA-3.0 license (2018). They returned with the remains of the royal Northumbrian saint, Oswald, which were translated to the new Gloucester minster. [57], Little is known of Æthelflæd's relations with the Welsh. Æthelred played a major role in fighting off renewed Viking attacks in the 890s, together with Æthelflæd's brother, the future King Edward the Elder. It is only now, on her 1,100-year anniversary, that Æthelflæd can take centre stage. Then, over more than a decade, a coalition of Norse warriors took land in all the major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms – except Wessex, which had so far managed to defy them. But it is an unfortunate characteristic of historical studies that so many important individuals have been left unexamined, because they have not fitted into the cast of ‘great white men’. It is now that she should be remembered as mother, diplomat, warrior and queen. Theirs was an entirely political union, designed to strengthen the two kingdoms against Danish and Norwegian incursions in the north. Placement next to the saint would have been a prestigious burial location for Æthelred and Æthelflæd. When Æthelred died in 911, his wife was declared ‘Lady of the Mercians’ and took over control of the kingdom. Æthelred of Mercia was a main character in both The Saxon Stories novel series, and The Last Kingdom television series. [80], Simon Keynes points out that all coins were issued in Edward's name, and while the Mercian rulers were able to issue some charters on their own authority, others acknowledged Edward's lordship. Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians (c. 870 – 12 June 918) ruled Mercia in the English Midlands from 911 until her death. In Higham's view, Keynes makes a strong case that Edward ruled over an Anglo-Saxon state with a developing administrative and ideological unity but that Æthelflæd and Æthelred did much to encourage a separate Mercian identity, such as establishing cults of Mercian saints at their new burhs, as well as reverence for their great Northumbrian royal saint at Gloucester: There must remain some doubt as to the extent to which Edward's intentions for the future were shared in all respects by his sister and brother-in-law, and one is left to wonder what might have occurred had their sole offspring been male rather than female. Qui est le vrai père de Aelfwynn ? After a long wait, ... Alfred's death in the last series means that his children Edward and Aethelflaed have become more prominent. Edward, who already controlled Wessex, seized the kingdom of Mercia from Aelfwyn, took her captive, and thus solidified his control over most of England. [35] After Æthelflæd's death, Edward encountered fierce resistance to his efforts to consolidate his control of the north-west and he died there in 924, shortly after suppressing a local rebellion. She invested in church buildings throughout Mercia, particularly in Gloucester, which she transformed from a derelict backwater to a vibrant town. For other people called Æthelflæd, see, 9th and 10th-century ruler of Mercia in England. He may have been misinformed about the position but it is also possible that the tombs were moved from their prestigious position next to the saint, when the couple became less known over time or when tenth-century kings acted to minimise the honour paid to their Mercian predecessors. In 917 her troops reconquered the Viking city of Derby, a critical victory as this had been one of the ‘Five Boroughs of the Danelaw’. The official website for BBC History Magazine, BBC History Revealed and BBC World Histories Magazine, Save over 50% on a BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed gift subscription, She is a medieval marvel, but – as the daughter of Alfred the Great, and ultimately succeeded by her nephew Æthelstan – Æthelflæd has been overshadowed by the men in her life. [39] The Mercian rulers built a new minster in Gloucester and, although the building was small, it was embellished on a grand scale, with rich sculpture. "[9] She was praised by Anglo-Norman chroniclers such as William of Malmesbury and John of Worcester[10] and she has received more attention from historians than any other secular woman in Anglo-Saxon England. Henry of Huntingdon's poem was translated, "freely" according to Paul Szarmach, "Gloucester funeral procession honours Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians", "Aethelflaed, Tamworth's Warrior Queen, Installation and opening-event", "Luke Perry, artist, on making Aethlflaed, Warrior Queen of Tamworth", "Æthelflæd [Ethelfleda] (d. 918), ruler of the Mercians", "Æthelred (d. 911), ruler of the Mercians", "Edward [called Edward the Elder] (870s?–924), king of the Anglo-Saxons", WikiJournal of Humanities/Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians, List of English words of Old Norse origin, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Æthelflæd&oldid=995094430, Wikipedia articles published in peer-reviewed literature, Wikipedia articles published in WikiJournal of Humanities, Wikipedia articles published in peer-reviewed literature (W2J), Burials at St Oswald's Priory, Gloucester, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from open access publications, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 19 December 2020, at 05:20. In 915 Chirbury was fortified to guard a route from Wales and Runcorn on the River Mersey. According to Nick Higham, "successive medieval and modern writers were quite captivated by her" and her brother's reputation has suffered unfairly in comparison. [3] The situation was transformed the following year when Alfred won a decisive victory over the Danes at the Battle of Edington. She is a medieval marvel, but she has been overshadowed by the men who surrounded her in life – her father, Alfred the Great; her husband, Æthelred of Mercia (a kingdom in what is now central England); and her ultimate successor, her nephew, Æthelstan, ‘the king of the whole of Britain’.

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