Aethelwulf: Worthy Successor?
Following in the difficult footsteps of Egbert, first-ever king of all England, was Aethelwulf, Egbert’s son, who took the throne of Wessex in 839....
Aethelwulf’s Grand Experiment: A New Kind of Succession
Aethelwulf, King of Wessex, had a grand idea for how to solve the power struggle problem he had inherited from his predecessors: make his...
The Coming of Alfred the Great
At last we come to Alfred, one of the greatest monarchs the British Isles have ever produced.
The fifth son of King Aethelwulf of Wessex...
The Danelaw (Or, How to Gain on Your Neighbors While Claiming to Protect Them)
Alfred’s victory at Edington gave him a unique position. He was quite a success on the battlefield, and he had routed the seemingly invincible...
Danegeld: Another Word for Blackmail
One term used throughout the years of the Viking settlements in Britannia was the Danegeld. This meant any payment made to the Danes (or...
The Dooms of King Ine
King Ine of Wessex was a strong and popular king. He reigned for many years as the strongman of southern England. He is most...
Glastonbury Abbey: Christian Beginnings in Wessex
The name Glastonbury is associated with the Arthurian tradition in several ways. Most famously, Glastonbury is said to have been Avalon, the “apple isle,”...
Glastonbury: More Christian “Borrowing”
The abbey at Glastonbury and the inclusion of the Tor as a whole into the Arthurian tradition is yet another example of the Christian...
A King Is Burnt to Death: What Caused It?
A curious entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle from 687 spurs this question: When is a king not in charge of his kingdom?
The entry in...
Offa a Muslim? What Does This Question Really Tell Us?
It has been suggested that King Offa of Mercia, he who held sway for 40 years and had built the huge Offa’s Dyke to keep...