While Athelstan is portrayed as possibly gay or bisexual in Seven Kings Must Die, no historical facts fully support the theory. Athelstan and Ingilmundr (Laurie Davidson) being lovers in the movie was, therefore, based on the scriptwriters and Bernard Cornwell’s interpretation of Athelstan from historical accounts, and not necessarily a reflection of King Athelstan’s real-life sexuality. 10th-century British culture also insisted on religious piety, meaning if the real-life Athelstan were gay, it would be a heavily guarded secret. The short answer to that question is no. Unlike Ragnar and his sons, this Athelstan does not appear in the sagas, so he is a character that has been invented for the show. Martha Hillier, who co-wrote Seven Kings Must Die, also supported Bernard Cornwell’s theory, saying that many voices suggested that Athelstan might actually have been gay. Following an unchallenged invasion of Scotland by Æthelstan in 934, possibly launched because Constantine had violated a peace treaty, it became apparent that Æthelstan could be defeated only by an alliance of his enemies. Olaf led Constantine and Owen in the alliance. In August 937 Olaf and his army sailed from Dublin [2] to join forces with Constantine and Owen, but they were routed in the battle against Æthelstan. The poem Battle of Brunanburh in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recounts that there were "never yet as many people killed before this with sword's edge... since the east Angles and Saxons came up over the broad sea". Ingulf (1908). Ingulph's chronicle of the abbey of Croyland with the continuations by Peter of Blois and anonymous writers. Translated by Henry T. Riley. London: H. G. Bohn.

Halloran, Kevin (October 2005). "The Brunanburh Campaign: A Reappraisal" (PDF). The Scottish Historical Review. Edinburgh University Press. 84 (218): 133–148. doi: 10.3366/shr.2005.84.2.133. JSTOR 25529849. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016 . Retrieved 6 April 2015. Cavill, Paul. ”The Place-Name Debate". In The Battle of Brunanburh. A Casebook. Ed. Michael Livingston. University of Exeter Press. 2011. pp. 327–349 Text of the poem "Battle of Brunanburh", including Anglo-Saxon version, modern English translation, and Tennyson's version Peter of Langtoft. ”Chronique". In The Battle of Brunanburh. A Casebook. Ed. Michael Livingston. University of Exeter Press. 2011. pp. 90–97William of Malmesbury wrote that Alfred the Great honoured his young grandson with a ceremony in which he gave him a scarlet cloak, a belt set with gems, and a sword with a gilded scabbard. [17] Medieval Latin scholar Michael Lapidge and historian Michael Wood see this as designating Æthelstan as a potential heir at a time when the claim of Alfred's nephew, Æthelwold, to the throne represented a threat to the succession of Alfred's direct line, [18] but historian Janet Nelson suggests that it should be seen in the context of conflict between Alfred and Edward in the 890s, and might reflect an intention to divide the realm between his son and his grandson after his death. [19] Historian Martin Ryan goes further, suggesting that at the end of his life Alfred may have favoured Æthelstan rather than Edward as his successor. [20] An acrostic poem praising prince "Adalstan", and prophesying a great future for him, has been interpreted by Lapidge as referring to the young Æthelstan, punning on the Old English meaning of his name, "noble stone". [21] Lapidge and Wood see the poem as a commemoration of Alfred's ceremony by one of his leading scholars, John the Old Saxon. [22] In Michael Wood's view, the poem confirms the truth of William of Malmesbury's account of the ceremony. Wood also suggests that Æthelstan may have been the first English king to be groomed from childhood as an intellectual, and that John was probably his tutor. [23] However, Sarah Foot argues that the acrostic poem makes better sense if it is dated to the beginning of Æthelstan's reign. [24] Edward had remarried after the death or possibly disgrace of Athelstan’s mother, and his eldest son was now no longer his sole or primary heir. Wessex was left to Elfweard, a son by his new wife – while Athelstan had to be content with the poorer northern Kingdom of Mercia, which had recently been re-conquered. According to the Anglo-Norman historian William of Malmesbury, Æthelstan was thirty years old when he came to the throne in 924, which would mean that he was born around 894. He was the oldest son of Edward the Elder. He was Edward's only son by his first consort, Ecgwynn. Very little is known about Ecgwynn, and she is not named in any contemporary source. Medieval chroniclers gave varying descriptions of her rank: one described her as an ignoble consort of inferior birth, while others described her birth as noble. [13] Modern historians also disagree about her status. Simon Keynes and Richard Abels believe that leading figures in Wessex were unwilling to accept Æthelstan as king in 924 partly because his mother had been Edward the Elder's concubine. [14] However, Barbara Yorke and Sarah Foot argue that allegations that Æthelstan was illegitimate were a product of the dispute over the succession, and that there is no reason to doubt that she was Edward's legitimate wife. [15] She may have been related to St Dunstan. [16] Wilkinson, Thomas T. (1857). Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire, Volume 9. Society.

Anlaf, the pagan king of the Irish and many other islands, incited by his father-in-law Constantine, king of the Scots, entered the mouth of the River Humber with a strong fleet. [35] Few other geographical hints are contained in the medieval sources. The poem in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle says that the invaders fled over deep water on Dingesmere, perhaps meaning an area of the Irish Sea or an unidentified lake or river. [81] Deakin noted that the term ding had been used in the Old English Andreas (poem) where it is suggested to have been used metaphorically for a grave and/or Hell. His analysis of the context of lines 53–56 of the Brunanburh poem suggest to him that dingesmere is a poetic and figurative term for the sea. [57] In 927 CE, Athelstan conquered the last Viking kingdom, York. Thus, he became the first Anglo-Saxon king of all of England. Frontispiece of Bede’s Life of St Cuthbert, showing King Athelstan presenting a copy of the book to the saint himself What Was Athelstan Famous For? Far from being the father of Alfred, Athelstan was actually his grandson, the son of King Edward the Elder and his wife Ecgwynn.

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Aside from his conquests and victories Athelstan took after his grandfather and being a hard-working and conscientious King. He centralised government control by making the advisory Witan into a national assembly of sorts, which has lead him to be labelled as “the true if unwitting founder of the English parliament.” In 934 Olaf Guthfrithson succeeded his father Guthfrith as the Norse King of Dublin. The alliance between the Norse and the Scots was cemented by the marriage of Olaf to Constantine's daughter. By August 937 Olaf had defeated his rivals for control of the Viking part of Ireland, and he promptly launched a bid for the former Norse kingdom of York. Individually Olaf and Constantine were too weak to oppose Æthelstan, but together they could hope to challenge the dominance of Wessex. In the autumn they joined with the Strathclyde Britons under Owain to invade England. Medieval campaigning was normally conducted in the summer, and Æthelstan could hardly have expected an invasion on such a large scale so late in the year. He seems to have been slow to react, and an old Latin poem preserved by William of Malmesbury accused him of having "languished in sluggish leisure". The allies plundered English territory while Æthelstan took his time gathering a West Saxon and Mercian army. However, Michael Wood praises his caution, arguing that unlike Harold in 1066, he did not allow himself to be provoked into precipitate action. When he marched north, the Welsh did not join him, and they did not fight on either side. [60] With his power finally secure, the young king wasted no time in pursuing an aggressive foreign policy. Marching north in 927 he conquered the Viking Kingdom of York (Jorvik), thus bringing all the English under one King for the first time in history. Anonymous. "Egils Saga". in The Battle of Brunanburh. A Casebook. Ed. Michael Livingston. University of Exeter Press. 2011. pp. 69–81 Athelstan also had several foster sons, including Louis, Alan II (the Duke of Brittany), and Hakon (the son of Harald Fairhair, King of Norway). His court was supposed to be an extremely cosmopolitan one by Saxon standards. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor Death and Aftermath

Andrew Breeze has argued for Lanchester, since the Roman fort of Longovicium overlooks the point where the road known as Dere Street crossed the River Browney. [98] [99] Edward's heir Athelstan (reigned 925-39) was also a distinguished and audacious soldier who pushed the boundaries of the kingdom to their furthest extent yet. In 927-8, Athelstan took York from the Danes; he forced the submission of king Constantine of Scotland and of the northern kings; all five Welsh kings agreed to pay a huge annual tribute (reportedly including 25,000 oxen), and Athelstan eliminated opposition in Cornwall. Early medieval royals ate mostly meat, right? Wrong! A new study that’s made headlines around the world has shown that medieval kings were largely vegetarian! Listen NowHenry of Huntingdon's Historia Anglorum (1133) adds the detail that Danes living in England had joined Anlaf's army. [38] Michael Wood argues that this, together with a similar remark in the Annals of Clonmacnoise, suggests that Anlaf and his allies had established themselves in a centre of Anglo-Scandinavian power prior to the battle. [13]