Æthelstan
Sign in to saveÆthelstan or Athelstan (; ; ; ; – 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. 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". He never married and had no children; he was succeeded by his half-brother, Edmund I.
AI overview
Æthelstan was a 10th-century Anglo-Saxon king who ruled from 924 to 939 and is considered by modern historians to be the first true King of England. His reign marked an important consolidation of English power, and he is remembered as one of the greatest Anglo-Saxon rulers, though he died without an heir and was succeeded by his half-brother.
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Person
- Born
- 0895-00-00
- Died
- 0939-10-26
via Open Library + Wikidata
Listeners · Last.fm
- Listeners
- 268
- Total plays
- 449
<a href="https://www.last.fm/music/%C3%86thelstan">Read more on Last.fm</a>
Key facts
- Royalty.caption
- Æthelstan presenting a book to St Cuthbert, an illustration in a manuscript of Bede's Life of Saint Cuthbert, probably presented to the saint's shrine in Chester-le-Street in County Durham by Æthelstan when he visited the shrine on his journey to Scotland in 934. He wore a crown of a similar design on his crowned bust coins. It is the oldest surviving portrait of an English king, and the manuscript is the oldest surviving made for an English king.
Article
24 sectionsContents
- Background
- Early life
- Reign
- The struggle for power
- King of the English
- Invasion of Scotland in 934
- Battle of Brunanburh
- Kingship
- Administration
- Law
- Coinage
- Church
- Learning
- British monarch
- European relations
- Death
- Aftermath
- Primary sources
- Legacy
- Notes
- References
- Sources
- Further reading
- External links
Æthelstan or Athelstan (; ; ; ; – 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. 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". He never married and had no children; he was succeeded by his half-brother, Edmund I.
When Edward died in July 924, Æthelstan was accepted by the Mercians as king. His half-brother Ælfweard may have been recognised as king in Wessex, but died within three weeks of their father's death. Æthelstan encountered resistance in Wessex for several months, and was not crowned until September 925. In 927, he conquered the last remaining Viking kingdom, York, making him the first Anglo-Saxon ruler of the whole of England. In 934, he invaded Scotland and forced Constantine II to submit to him. Æthelstan's rule was resented by the Scots and Vikings, and in 937 they invaded England. Æthelstan defeated them at the Battle of Brunanburh, a victory that gave him great prestige both in the British Isles and on the Continent. After his death in 939, the Vikings seized back control of York, and it was not finally reconquered until 954.