Æthelwold ætheling

Each day Wikipedia features one of their onine articles, and yesterday they chose a very interesting one about the aetheling Aethelwold, the nephew of King Alfred, and the son of the King's elder brother and predecessor King Aethelred I. After his uncle's death he revolted against King Edward the Elder at the beginning of his reign, allied with forces in the Danelaw where he was acknowledged as King, and was killed in battle in 902 or 903.

The article is a detailed study and a fascinating insight into the dynastic and power politics of later-ninth and early to mid-tenth century England. It includes an excellent and up to date bibliography. The whole article can be read at Æthelwold ætheling

A coin issued by King Alwaldus - Æthelwold ætheling - in the Danelaw

Image: Wikimedia commons

A bone of King Alfred?

I see on the BBC website that a fragment of bone unearthed in 1999 could well be part of the remains of King Alfred the Great or of his son King Edward the Elder. The report is here. There is also a report in the Daily Telegraph, which has links to related reports about these and other Anglo-Saxon royal remains. It can be read here.

 

The nineteenth century statue of King Alfred in Winchester

Image:mirror.co.uk

I recall that in 1999 to mark the 1100th anniversary of King Alfred's death in 899 there were excavations at the site of Hyde Abbey in Winchester to try to locate the remains of these Kings, but that nothing had apparently been found. Now perhaps, possibly he has turned up. In the wake of recovering the remains of King Richard III there is clearly interest in findfing 'lost' Kings like Alfred or Henry I at Reading, or maybe even Edgar at Glastonbury. As the report indicates getting a DNA link might be very difficult, but it is an interesting and thought provoking possibility. We will await developments with interest.