Ethelstan: Or, the Battle of Brunanburgh, a Dramatic Chronicle

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Athelstan then turned his eyes on Scotland, invading their territory and forcing their King Constantine II to pledge allegiance to him. Charles-Edwards, T. M. (2013). Wales and the Britons 350–1064. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-821731-2. Williams, Thomas (September–October 2021). "Review of 'Never Greater Slaughter: Brunanburh and the Birth of England' ". British Archaeology: 58. ISSN 1357-4442. On the show, Athelstan claims to have learned the tongue as a missionary, and this is possible. Missionaries were active in Scandinavia from the 8 th century, though conversions were few until the 10 th century. Deakin, Michael (2022). "Bromborough, Brunanburh and Dingesmere". Notes and Queries. 69 (2): 65–71. doi: 10.1093/notesj/gjac020.

Smyth, Alfred P. (1984). Warlords and Holy Men: Scotland, AD 80–1000. E. Arnold. ISBN 978-0-7131-6305-6. In the year 937, Constantine II of Scotland in alliance with Eógan of Strathclyde and Olaf Guthfrithson, King of Dublin, invaded England. The King marched an army north to meet them, gaining a glorious victory at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937, against a combined invasion force of Vikings and Scots. The Annals of Ulster record the battle as' a great battle, lamentable and terrible was cruelly fought...in which fell uncounted thousands of the Northmen. ... And on the other side, a multitude of Saxons fell; but Æthelstan, the king of the Saxons obtained a great victory The Dacre Stone commemorating peace between Athelstan and Constantine, King of Scots

Popular Saxons

Brunanburh is thought to have been one of the bloodiest battles of the period. Five kings and seven earls lost their lives in the carnage. The king's cousins Alfric and Athelwin and a prominent Saxon bishop were also among the casualties. The events of the battle are unclear, but according to some sources, the West Saxons mounted a cavalry charge on the enemy, directly contradicting the popular belief that the early English fought on foot. Cavalry in the Saxon forces was most likely to be mercenaries, however, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle itself makes no such mention of a cavalry charge and it is believed that the mention of the Saxons using cavalry has arisen through a mistranslation of the Anglo-Saxon 'eorodcistum,' which means troop, not cavalry. Constantine of Scotland fled the battlefield after his son was killed in the fighting. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the King's resounding victory in the form of a jubilant poem in celebration of the event:- or Athelstan ( / ˈ æ θ əl s t æ n/; Old English: Æðelstān [ˈæðelstɑːn]; Old Norse: Aðalsteinn; lit. 'noble stone'; [4] c. 894 – 27 October 939) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924 to 927 and King of the English from 927 to his death in 939. [a] He was the son of King Edward the Elder and his first wife, Ecgwynn. Modern historians regard him as the first King of England and one of the "greatest Anglo-Saxon kings". [6] He never married and had no children; he was succeeded by his half-brother, Edmund I. Athelstan succeeded to the throne of Mercia upon the death of his father in 924, with Wessex going to his brother Elfweard. But Elfweard died just three weeks after his father, leaving the kingship of Wessex vacant. Nevertheless, the people of Wessex did not seem keen on Athelstan, and it took him several months to have himself named king of Wessex as well.

The mid-12th century text Estoire des Engleis, by the Anglo-Norman chronicler Geoffrey Gaimar, says that Æthelstan defeated the Scots, men of Cumberland, Welsh and Picts at "Bruneswerce". [39] On 27 October 939 Athelstan – the first and perhaps the greatest King of England– died in Gloucester at the age of 47. This man was remembered as a famous warrior who defeated the Danes and the Scots and forged the Kingdom we now call England.

Athelstan’s rise to power

a b Cavill, Paul. ”The Place-Name Debate". In The Battle of Brunanburh. A Casebook. Ed. Michael Livingston. University of Exeter Press. 2011. pp. 331–335 Athelstan, 18th Century Depiction. Image credit: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons …yet it was not without challenge

But, aside from the name and general piety, and a connection between Athelstan and King Alfred, it is hard to see much of the Athelstan character that we see on Vikings in this English monarch. Following an unchallenged invasion of Scotland by Æthelstan in 934, possibly launched because Constantine had violated a peace treaty, it became apparent that Æthelstan could be defeated only by an alliance of his enemies. Olaf led Constantine and Owen in the alliance. In August 937 Olaf and his army sailed from Dublin [2] to join forces with Constantine and Owen, but they were routed in the battle against Æthelstan. The poem Battle of Brunanburh in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recounts that there were "never yet as many people killed before this with sword's edge... since the east Angles and Saxons came up over the broad sea". Peter of Langtoft. ”Chronique". In The Battle of Brunanburh. A Casebook. Ed. Michael Livingston. University of Exeter Press. 2011. pp. 90–97

The Battle of Brunanburh was fought in 937 between Æthelstan, King of England, and an alliance of Olaf Guthfrithson, King of Dublin; Constantine II, King of Scotland; and Owain, King of Strathclyde. The battle is sometimes cited as the point of origin for English national identity: historians such as Michael Livingston argue that "the men who fought and died on that field forged a political map of the future that remains, arguably making the Battle of Brunanburh one of the most significant battles in the long history not just of England, but of the whole of the British Isles." [1] With his power finally secure, the young king wasted no time in pursuing an aggressive foreign policy. Marching north in 927 he conquered the Viking Kingdom of York (Jorvik), thus bringing all the English under one King for the first time in history. Cavill, Paul (2001). Vikings: Fear and Faith in Anglo-Saxon England (PDF). HarperCollins Publishers. He was also extremely pious, had vowed not to marry or father children, and worked closely with the church. Athelstan took an active role in appointing bishops, collecting and donating relics to churches, and improving the quality of education. Much has been said about Athelstan founding new churches but most historians consider this folklore since he did not do much to renovate the churches that had been destroyed by the Vikings.

England, Sally (2020). "The Nunburnholme Cross and the Battle of Brunanburh". The Archaeological Forum Journal. Council for British Archaeology. 2: 24–57. Clarkson, Tim (2012). The Makers of Scotland: Picts, Romans, Gaels and Vikings. Birlinn Limited. ISBN 978-1-907909-01-6. Anonymous. ”Scottish Chronicle". In The Battle of Brunanburh. A Casebook. Ed. Michael Livingston. University of Exeter Press. 2011. pp. 132–133Aethelweard conveniently died just 3 weeks after Edward's death, and Athelstan was able to claim both Wessex and Mercia. Egil's Saga is an Icelandic saga written in Old Norse in 1220–40, which recounts a battle at "Vínheidi" (Vin-heath) by "Vínuskóga" (Vin-wood); it is generally accepted that this refers to the Battle of Brunanburh. [41] Egil's Saga contains information not found in other sources, such as military engagements prior to the battle, Æthelstan's use of Viking mercenaries, the topology of the battlefield, the position of Anlaf's and Æthelstan's headquarters, and the tactics and unfolding of events during the battle. [42] Historians such as Sarah Foot argue that Egil's Saga may contain elements of truth but is not a historically reliable narrative. [41] Guthfrith, a cousin of Sihtric, tried to retake the throne but Athelstan captured York and the Danes submitted to his rule. On 12 July 927 King Constantine of Scotland, King Hywel Dda of Deheubarth, Ealdred of Bamburgh, and King Owain of Strathclyde gathered at Eamont, near Penrith, to accept Athelstan as their overlord. Athelstan could with justification now call himself 'King of the English'. Battle of Brunanburh