Godwin of Wessex was the father of Harold II, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, defeated by Duke William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings. Godwin was likely the son of Wulfnoth Cild, a thegn of Sussex. He first appears in documents during the reign of Cnut, one of… Read More »Earl Godwin of Wessex
The Amber Treasure by Richard Denning ISBN: 978-1-84914-023-2 Paperback: 411 pages Publisher: Completely Novel Set in 6th century Northumbria, The Amber Treasure is told from the perspective of Cerdic, the nephew of a once great Anglo-Saxon war hero, Cynric. Cerdic lives a peaceful life in a small village, and he dreams… Read More »Review of The Amber Treasure by Richard Denning
Thanks to Anne Gilbert for showing me this site. The Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England is a database which aims to cover all of the recorded inhabitants of England from the late sixth to the end of the eleventh century. It is based on a systematic examination of the available written… Read More »Names in Anglo-Saxon England
Edmund II, the son of King Ethelred the Unready, ruled over Wessex for a short period of time. His reign lasted all of seven months, from April 23 to November 30 of the year 1016. During that time, Edmund managed to hold off Canute (or Cnut or Knute) from invading… Read More »Edmund II Ironside
He was the pious king, the saintly king, one of the last Anglo-Saxon rulers to sit the English throne. He was St. Edward the Confessor, the son of King Ethelred II and Emma, the daughter of Richard II of Normandy. Exiled due to Danish invasions and unrest among the English… Read More »Edward the Confessor (c. 1003 – 1066)
According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Cerdic arrived off the coast of Britain with his son, Cynric, and a fleet of five ships in the year 495 and landed near Southhampton (Hampshire), or what the chronicle calls “Cerdic’s-ore.” That day, they fought against an army of Welsh troops. In the year… Read More »Famous People in Medieval History: Cerdic, First King of Wessex
An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne Paperback: 648 pages Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (September 3, 2008) ISBN-10: 1419656694 An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne is an historical fiction novel set in Anglo-Saxon medieval England that follows the fictional character… Read More »Review of An Involuntary King: A Tale of Anglo Saxon England by Nan Hawthorne
Aethelbad’s War Date: 733 – 750 Aethelbad’s War involved the kingdoms of Mercia, Wessex, and Northumbria. The Mercian king, Aethelbad (r. 716 – 757), and his cousin Offa — who was to be Athelbad’s successor — invaded Wessex and Northumbria with the vision of unifying England under Mercian rule. At… Read More »Famous Wars in Medieval History: Aethelbad’s War
The Angles and Saxons arrived in England sometime during the 5th century, not long after Rome had fled the island and left the Britons to fight against their northern aggressors, the Picts. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in A.D. 449: In their days Hengest and Horsa, invited by Wurtgern, king… Read More »The Anglo-Saxons in Medieval England