A new biography of Æthelstan, released to mark 1,100 years since his coronation in 925, seeks to restore the early medieval ruler’s reputation as the first king of England. The book, The First King of England, by David Woodman of the University of Cambridge, argues that Æthelstan’s overlooked achievements deserve far greater recognition in both scholarship and public memory.
While events such as the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and the signing of Magna Carta in 1215 dominate the popular imagination, the decisive years of 925 and 927—when Æthelstan was crowned and recognised as the ruler of a united England—remain little known. “As we approach the anniversaries of Æthelstan’s coronation in 925 and the birth of England itself in 927, I would like his name to become much better known. He really deserves that,” says Woodman, a Professor at Robinson College and Cambridge’s Faculty of History.
Alongside his book, published today by Princeton University Press, Woodman is campaigning for a memorial to Æthelstan. Possibilities include a statue, plaque, or portrait at sites such as Westminster, Eamont Bridge—where Æthelstan’s authority was recognised by other rulers in 927—or Malmesbury, where he was buried. He also calls for Æthelstan’s reign to be taught more widely in schools.
“There has been so much focus on 1066, the moment when England was conquered. It’s about time we thought about its formation, and the person who brought it together in the first place,” Woodman says.
Why Æthelstan Was Forgotten
Æthelstan in British Library MS Royal 14 B VI
Part of Æthelstan’s obscurity, Woodman contends, stems from poor public relations. “Æthelstan didn’t have a biographer writing up his story,” he explains. “His grandfather, Alfred the Great, had the Welsh cleric Asser to sing his praises. And within decades of Æthelstan’s death, a wave of propaganda ensured King Edgar became famous for reforming the church. This completely overshadowed Æthelstan’s earlier revamping of learning and religiosity.”
Historians have sometimes dismissed Æthelstan’s status as England’s first king, arguing that the kingdom fragmented after his death in 939. Woodman rejects this view. “Just because things broke down after Æthelstan’s death doesn’t mean that he didn’t create England in the first place. He was so ahead of his time in his political thinking, and his actions in bringing together the English kingdom were so hard-won, that it would have been more surprising if the kingdom had stayed together. We need to recognise that his legacy, his ways of governing and legislating, continued to shape kingship for generations afterwards”
Military Triumphs
In Malmesbury Abbey is a 14th-century tomb created to be a memorial to Æthelstan – while the English king was buried in Malmesbury, he was never placed in this tomb – photo by Medievalists.net
Æthelstan’s reign was marked by remarkable military success. In 927, he gained control of York, bringing the Viking kingdom of Northumbria under his rule and creating a political entity recognisable as England. His royal assemblies compelled the attendance of Welsh and Scottish kings, an imposition so resented that one Welsh poem, The Great Prophecy of Britain, called for the slaughter of the English.
The high point of his military career came in 937 at the Battle of Brunanburh, where he crushed a coalition of Vikings, Scots, and Strathclyde Welsh. “Brunanburh should be as well-known as the Battle of Hastings,” Woodman argues. “Every major chronicle, in England, Wales, Ireland and Scandinavia took note of this battle, its outcome and how many people were slaughtered. It was a critically important episode in the history of the newly-formed English kingdom.”
Woodman is confident that the battle took place at Bromborough on the Wirral, citing both strategic sense and the etymology of the name.
Woodman sees Æthelstan’s most enduring legacy in his transformation of government. Surviving law codes and royal diplomas show a king who legislated vigorously and projected his power through richly elaborate documents. “They’re written in a much more professional script and in amazingly learned Latin, full of literary devices like rhyme, alliteration, chiasmus. They were designed to show off, he’s trumpeting his success,” Woodman notes.
Æthelstan also improved efficiency, sending law codes across the realm and receiving feedback on their effectiveness. A centralised royal scribe oversaw document production, ensuring uniformity wherever the king and his court travelled.
On the European stage, Æthelstan strengthened his position by marrying his half-sisters into continental royal houses, making England an important player in international politics at a time when other kingdoms were fragmenting.
Patron of Learning and Religion
Close up of the portrait of Æthelstan in The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Image courtesy The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Æthelstan also fostered learning and religion, reversing the decline brought by Viking attacks. He welcomed scholars from across Europe, sponsored manuscripts, and supported the church.
One of the earliest surviving portraits of an English monarch depicts Æthelstan bowing before Saint Cuthbert, in a 10th-century manuscript now held at the Parker Library, Cambridge. “Everyone should know about this portrait, it’s one of the most important images in English history,” says Woodman.
He also points to the Durham Liber Vitae, where “Æthelstan Rex” was added prominently in gold and silver lettering during the king’s lifetime, perhaps by someone in his entourage during a visit in 934. “Seeing that was breathtakingly exciting,” Woodman recalls.
Top Image: Professor David Woodman with the portrait of Æthelstan at the The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Photo courtesy The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
A new biography of Æthelstan, released to mark 1,100 years since his coronation in 925, seeks to restore the early medieval ruler’s reputation as the first king of England. The book, The First King of England, by David Woodman of the University of Cambridge, argues that Æthelstan’s overlooked achievements deserve far greater recognition in both scholarship and public memory.
While events such as the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and the signing of Magna Carta in 1215 dominate the popular imagination, the decisive years of 925 and 927—when Æthelstan was crowned and recognised as the ruler of a united England—remain little known. “As we approach the anniversaries of Æthelstan’s coronation in 925 and the birth of England itself in 927, I would like his name to become much better known. He really deserves that,” says Woodman, a Professor at Robinson College and Cambridge’s Faculty of History.
Alongside his book, published today by Princeton University Press, Woodman is campaigning for a memorial to Æthelstan. Possibilities include a statue, plaque, or portrait at sites such as Westminster, Eamont Bridge—where Æthelstan’s authority was recognised by other rulers in 927—or Malmesbury, where he was buried. He also calls for Æthelstan’s reign to be taught more widely in schools.
“There has been so much focus on 1066, the moment when England was conquered. It’s about time we thought about its formation, and the person who brought it together in the first place,” Woodman says.
Why Æthelstan Was Forgotten
Part of Æthelstan’s obscurity, Woodman contends, stems from poor public relations. “Æthelstan didn’t have a biographer writing up his story,” he explains. “His grandfather, Alfred the Great, had the Welsh cleric Asser to sing his praises. And within decades of Æthelstan’s death, a wave of propaganda ensured King Edgar became famous for reforming the church. This completely overshadowed Æthelstan’s earlier revamping of learning and religiosity.”
Historians have sometimes dismissed Æthelstan’s status as England’s first king, arguing that the kingdom fragmented after his death in 939. Woodman rejects this view. “Just because things broke down after Æthelstan’s death doesn’t mean that he didn’t create England in the first place. He was so ahead of his time in his political thinking, and his actions in bringing together the English kingdom were so hard-won, that it would have been more surprising if the kingdom had stayed together. We need to recognise that his legacy, his ways of governing and legislating, continued to shape kingship for generations afterwards”
Military Triumphs
Æthelstan’s reign was marked by remarkable military success. In 927, he gained control of York, bringing the Viking kingdom of Northumbria under his rule and creating a political entity recognisable as England. His royal assemblies compelled the attendance of Welsh and Scottish kings, an imposition so resented that one Welsh poem, The Great Prophecy of Britain, called for the slaughter of the English.
The high point of his military career came in 937 at the Battle of Brunanburh, where he crushed a coalition of Vikings, Scots, and Strathclyde Welsh. “Brunanburh should be as well-known as the Battle of Hastings,” Woodman argues. “Every major chronicle, in England, Wales, Ireland and Scandinavia took note of this battle, its outcome and how many people were slaughtered. It was a critically important episode in the history of the newly-formed English kingdom.”
Woodman is confident that the battle took place at Bromborough on the Wirral, citing both strategic sense and the etymology of the name.
A Revolution in Government
Woodman sees Æthelstan’s most enduring legacy in his transformation of government. Surviving law codes and royal diplomas show a king who legislated vigorously and projected his power through richly elaborate documents. “They’re written in a much more professional script and in amazingly learned Latin, full of literary devices like rhyme, alliteration, chiasmus. They were designed to show off, he’s trumpeting his success,” Woodman notes.
Æthelstan also improved efficiency, sending law codes across the realm and receiving feedback on their effectiveness. A centralised royal scribe oversaw document production, ensuring uniformity wherever the king and his court travelled.
On the European stage, Æthelstan strengthened his position by marrying his half-sisters into continental royal houses, making England an important player in international politics at a time when other kingdoms were fragmenting.
Patron of Learning and Religion
Æthelstan also fostered learning and religion, reversing the decline brought by Viking attacks. He welcomed scholars from across Europe, sponsored manuscripts, and supported the church.
One of the earliest surviving portraits of an English monarch depicts Æthelstan bowing before Saint Cuthbert, in a 10th-century manuscript now held at the Parker Library, Cambridge. “Everyone should know about this portrait, it’s one of the most important images in English history,” says Woodman.
He also points to the Durham Liber Vitae, where “Æthelstan Rex” was added prominently in gold and silver lettering during the king’s lifetime, perhaps by someone in his entourage during a visit in 934. “Seeing that was breathtakingly exciting,” Woodman recalls.
The book, The First King of England: Æthelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom, by David Woodman, is available through Princeton University Press, Amazon.com, Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk
Top Image: Professor David Woodman with the portrait of Æthelstan at the The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Photo courtesy The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge
Subscribe to Medievalverse
Related Posts