THE LADY OF MERCIA PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Paul Magrs | none | 31 May 2013 | Big Finish Productions Ltd | 9781781780732 | English | Maidenhead, United Kingdom The Lady of Mercia PDF Book During the relatively peaceful period between and AD, Alfred was building burhs at key locations in his kingdom. Stream the best stories. As noted before, Aethelred and Aethelflaed had only one daughter, and the former did not have any known close male relatives. 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. The assumption that Mercia was in some sort of limbo in this period, subordinate to Wessex and waiting to be incorporated into "England" cannot be sustained Annie Whitehead delves into all the corners of Mercia, her history and conflicts and relates the story of not just the land, but of the generations of people who occupied it. School children know all about King Alfred burning the cakes, but more importantly, this Saxon king left behind an extraordinary legacy, reforming the traditions and structure of early English society, maintaining peace and introducing structure, judicial processes and education…. Historians have had to gather much of what they know of Aethelflaed from sources other than the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which serves as the main source for the period. The stories of these women is told with a passion and eloquence which makes every chapter a pleasure to read. Johnson, B. Derby was the first to fall to the English; she lost "four of her thegns who were dear to her" in the battle. The Worst Epidemic in History? Origin Stories About Contact Us. Medieval miniature of Aethelflaed in Genealogical roll of the kings of England. Next article. However, Annie Whitehead constantly retains the focus firmly on Mercia, while clearly demonstrating the shifting political alliances and the internal and external forces which decided the direction in which Mercian — and English history as a whole — would eventual be drawn. Studies in Late Anglo-Saxon Settlement. Where there is uncertainty or conflicting evidence , she carefully sets out the opposing theories, providing her own thoughts and analysis, while making it clear what alternative reasoning there is available. What a coincidence. Britain after Rome: The Fall and the Rise, to Search Search for:. This article is about the Lady of the Mercians. The choice was a shrewd one. 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. Post to Cancel. History Article by:. It is not entirely clear what happened to Aelfwynn. The Chronicle of Henry of Huntingdon. And then Edward cured cancer and invented the internet. Furthermore, the political situation in England at that time was precarious, and the Mercians needed stability in their kingdom, as well as good relations with Wessex. Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia was a Queen in all but name. Tewdr survived the attack, but submitted to Aethelflaed soon after. Additionally, the earlier Mercian royal dynasties seemed to have either died out or were collaborating with the Vikings. Handbook of British Chronology 3rd, with corrections ed. Retrieved 2 August To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Our Cookie Policy. The Lady of Mercia Writer Your email address will not be published. The revolutionary invention of the wheel. These lands came to be known as the Dane Law. It provides a very different account from another version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which focuses on her brother, Edward the Elder. In Baker, Peter S. In Fryde, E. Ancient Technology. In Stafford, Pauline ed. Categories :. Once inside the city walls, the gates would close and the pursuing Vikings would be slaughtered by an army hiding inside. London, UK: Routledge. Additionally, the earlier Mercian royal dynasties seemed to have either died out or were collaborating with the Vikings. Many Anglo-Saxon kings are familiar. In Keynes's view, "the conclusion seems inescapable that the Alfredian polity of the kingship 'of the Anglo-Saxons' persisted in the first quarter of the tenth century, and that the Mercians were thus under Edward's rule from the beginning of his reign". It is from this version that we have today the little details regarding the life and deeds of Aethelflaed. While still in her early teens, Aethelflaed was married off to Aethelred of Mercia, a nobleman from the Gloucestershire area who had pledged allegiance to her father. It is impossible to read this book without being made aware of the depth of research that has gone into producing such an authoritative depiction of Mercia. Secondly, the Mercian troops posted on the border could be freed from their responsibility of defending the area. Using her impressive ingenuity, she led her army to thwart the Danes during The Battle of Chester, a conflict started by the aforementioned Ingimund, who was unsatisfied with the lands she had granted him a few years prior. St Oswald's Priory, Gloucester. At the beginning of the 10th century AD, perhaps as early as AD, Aethelred fell seriously ill, and was unable to govern Mercia. Aethelflaed, Lady of Mercia was a Queen in all but name. They returned with the remains of the royal Northumbrian saint, Oswald , which were translated to the new Gloucester minster. Tegan , Turlough , Kamelion. Floki and the Viking Discovery of Iceland. She led armies in battle and founded six new towns. Ace , Hex , Sally. All other stories are represented in other navigation boxes. This victory was followed by the capture of Derby itself, which was a major Viking settlement. I believe that intellectual engagement by advocates from both ends of the spectrum would serve to The Lady of Mercia Reviews Charters of Burton Abbey. 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. The British Library, Fortunately, another version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle contains something called the Mercian Register. The accession of a female ruler in Mercia is described by the historian Ian Walker as "one of the most unique events in early medieval history". Throughout the book, Annie Whitehead retells the story from the available sources, taking great care to avoid filling in the gaps with invention and clearly offering theories and analysis to explain the direction in which the narrative proceeded. Assandun Brentford. Whitelock and others London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, , p. The UK now has a female prime minister and Elizabeth II has been queen for more than six decades, but few would associate Anglo-Saxon England with powerful women. This marked the beginning of the end for the southern Danelaw. Tegan , Leela. The author also helps to dispel some of the myths that have arisen about these women, whether by historical fiction writers or the over- active imaginations of the chroniclers of the past. According to Wainwright, it "contains much that is legendary rather than historical. The Church in Anglo-Saxon Society. The years that followed saw the husband and wife team take back vast swathes of Mercian land from the Danes, both in the Midlands and to the north. So, he came to terms with Guthrum. The New Cambridge Medieval History. Top image: Representative image of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians. Her subjects were extremely devoted to her and her legacy endures to this day. She disappears after that. Age of Revolution. Clarkson, Tim Historians consider this unlikely, but she may have sent a contingent to the battle. England and the Continent in the Tenth Century. It seems that there was no real serious opposition to Aethelflaed being the sole ruler of the kingdom, despite her being a woman. Aethelflaed and Aethelred had a daughter, Aelfwynn, who was their first and only child, early in their marriage. At that time, Alfred had married Ealhswith three years earlier, and the marriage is likely to have been politically motivated. In AD, the Vikings invaded Mercian territory around Hereford while the main Mercian army was on campaign further up north. Athelstan ruled over both Mercia and Wessex and would become the first king of a united England. Handbook of British Chronology 3rd, with corrections ed. Evelyn , Brewster. She may also have translated the relics of the martyred Northumbrian prince Ealhmund from Derby to Shrewsbury. For instance, in AD, when two divisions of Vikings arrived from Denmark, one landing in Appledore , and the other in Milton both situated in Kent , the Mercians took part in the defense of England under the leadership of Aethelred. Initially, it landed in East Anglia, moving north to attack and take over York. Only then did Mercia's independent existence come to an end. Danes and Saxons alike agreed that all the lands south of a line that ran roughly between London and Chester were allotted to the Saxons. It was a strategy pioneered by Alfred in Wessex and carried on both by Aethelflaed and by her brother Edward, now ruling in Wessex. Lady of the Mercians. Tegan , Turlough , Kamelion. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. What Aethelflaed may have looked like. A royal abbess educated five bishops and was instrumental in deciding the date of Easter; another took on the might of Canterbury and Rome and was accused by the monks of fratricide. It is not entirely clear what happened to Aelfwynn.