Tag Archives: Edmund Ironside
From my blog...
Vikings Valhalla 1.7: And Now–Too Many Kings
Let me begin with the Norway plot and then put it aside while I deal with events in England. Almost everything that happens in Norway is invented. Kattegat itself is invented and I suppose that having this imaginary place as … Read More
Vikings Valhalla 1.4 The Battle at London Bridge
Question One: Did Olaf Haraldsson pull down London Bridge? Yes. But he did it in 1014. In that year the armies of Swein Forkbeard had taken control of England and London. Æthelred, Emma and their sons had fled to Normandy. … Read More
Vikings Valhalla 1.3: The Viking War on England Begins
Remember, we’ve telescoped time in this series. Events that happen in the course of a year are actually pulled from an entire decade between 1002 and 1015. Episode 3 starts with gruesome scenes of battle and plundering in Kent. We … Read More
Vikings Valhalla 1.2: Enter the Queen
There is a lot to unpack in this second episode of Vikings Valhalla, most of it having to do with what’s happening in England. The thing is, we know a lot about what was happening in England because we have … Read More
On the Life & Early Death of the Ætheling Athelstan
Athelstan was the eldest son of King Æthelred II of England. One of at least 9 brothers and sisters, Athelstan was born sometime in the mid-to-late 980s—we don’t know the exact year—and he died on 25 June 1014 at about … Read More
On the Passing of a Queen
Entry from The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 1052: Ymma Ælfgifu, King Edward’s and Harthacnut’s mother, passed away. The very mention of Emma of Normandy’s passing in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is an indication of the significance of her career as queen, queen mother, … Read More
THE LIFE OF EDMUND IRONSIDE at The Road to Hastings Website
Novelist Paula Lofting very kindly asked me to write something recently for The Writers of Anglo-Saxon Literature series on her Road to Hastings Website, and I posted a brief bio there of Edmund Ironside. That’s Edmund up there on the … Read More
The Battle of Assandun
And all the nobility of the English nation was there undone! … Read More
Tolkien and the Anglo-Saxons
Where has the horse gone? Where is the rider? Where is the giver of gold? Where are the seats of the feast? Where are the joys of the hall? O the bright cup! O the brave warrior! from The Wanderer, … Read More
The Death of Æthelred
Æthelred II, Anglo-Saxon king of England, died on 23 April, 1016. His passing was noted in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in an entry that was probably written within a decade of his death: He ended his days on St. George’s day; having held … Read More