Chapter 4 - Edward the Elder 899-924 Flashcards
Why was there no guarantee Edward would take over?
Concept of primogeniture not introduced yet
Where did Aethelwold seize?
Seized Wimborne - staking claim to throne
What did Edward do to get Aethelwold to leave Wimborne?
Set up camp near Wimborne, which was enough to get Aethelwold to flee to Northumbria
Why was Aethelwold’s alliance a threat?
He now had extra resources to launch offensives from
Who did Aethelwold encourage to raid Wessex and Mercia in 903?
East Anglian vikings
How did Edward respond to 903 raids?
Raided parts of Cambridgeshire - lead to battle of holme, Edward retreats, but Kent division stays, Aethelwold attacks, many casualties, Aethelwold killed
Evidence for Mercian independence
Charters suggest that they didn’t agree to Edward’s overlordship, construction of new church (St Oswald) shows independence
Evidence against Mercian independence
Charter hint they did accept Edward’s overlordship, coins struck in Mercia were under Edward’s name, Edward lead combined Wessex and Mercian army to raid Northumbria in 909
Edward Marriage 1
Ecqwynn - provide heir, secure lineage
Edward Marriage 2
Aelflaedd - Unite members of Wessex dynasty during succession crisis
Edward Marriage 3
Eadgifu - strengthen relations with Anglo-Saxons in Kent, invaluable in reclaiming parts of Danelaw
What seemingly established peace with settlers?
The founding of the Danelaw, under the treaty between Alfred and Guthrum
What does Scandinavian settlement suggest?
An integration with the Anglo-Saxon people
Scandinavian settlers by 903
A mix of Viking armies and Danes from Ireland
Sources of evidence for settlement
Place names, material culture, genetic data
Order of burhs
Burh constructed, Vikings yield, people in area would submit to Anglo-Saxons
First major burh
911 Hertford - designed to repel Vikings from East Anglia and East Midlands
Where were new burhs?
Mainly on the border of the Danelaw
Forms of force
Raiding and plundering
Force - Edward example
909 - harried Northumbrian Vikings, lead to negotiated peace deals and payment of riches to Edward
Force - Aethelflaed example
Offensive campaigns to capture Derby and Leicester - so successful that people of York wanted to form an alliance with her, but she died before this could happen
Edward’s position at time of Aethelflaed’s death
918 - strong position made it easier to take control of Tamworth and assume title of King of Wessex and Mercia
Peaceful methods of recapture
Edward wanted to broker peace deals, he encouraged Athens to purchase land in Viking territory - so they could monitor Viking expansionism
Submission of Welsh - how
918 Aethelflaed’s death, Edward takes Tamworth, Mercians and Welsh sought him as lord
Submission of Welsh - why
Extension of friendship, Mercians hostile so Welsh need protecting
Submission of Scottish - how
Scottish ‘chose him as lord’ at the meeting in 920
Submission of Scottish - why
impressed with Edward’s handling of Vikings and wanted to see what could be gained form negotiation
Submission of Reginald - how
920 - Acknowledged Edward’s overlordship at the same time as Scots
Submission of Reginald - why
Possibly frightened into submission due to Edward’s success in defeating other vikings
Anglo Saxon Chronicle - Submission
Only record of these events, may have been glorified in favour of Edward to gain Mercian support
Viking threat - Ireland
Viking armies attacked monasteries and created encampments in Ireland. 902 - overpowered and forced to flee to north-east england
Growing Viking threat
As settlements spread and grew the vikings posed a greater threat to Edward
Raegnald and the Scots
Fought Constantine, at Battle of Corbridge and was defeated. 918 - Vikings take revenge and win
Why is Raegnald’s victory against the Scots worrying?
A number of Anglo-Saxons were rumoured to be fighting on his side
Political continuity
Mercian independence exaggerated - Aethelflaed and Aethelred had acknowledged Edward’s overlordship
Political discontinuity
Aethelflaed’s role in helping Edward consolidate and expand his power has been marginalised in order to make the Wessex royal family seem more important
