Æthelwulf’s will attests to his desire that upon his death Wessex would pass into the hands of his sons. This desire was fulfilled when his eldest surviving son Æthelbald became king following his father’s death in 858. The years that passed between this accession and the rise of the youngest son, Alfred, to the throne in 871 would see a complex detente form between the four brothers as Wessex rapidly passed from one to another. Histories of Wessex tend to overlook the years between Æthelwulf and Alfred, preferring to focus instead of Alfred, his father, and his grandfather to give the sense of a simple progression of a united Wessex developing into a united kingdom of England. However the reigns of Alfred’s three older brothers deserve to be discussed in detail since it is under them that several key factors in Alfred’s reign fully emerge into West Saxon history such as the transition from Scandinavian raiding into Scandinavian conquest and the alliance with Mercia, both of which would bear fruit in Alfred’s reign and shape the earliest form of the kingdom of England.

Credits –

Music: 'Wælheall' by Hrōðmund Wōdening

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfdqIyqJ4g&list=LL&index=5&ab_channel=Hr%C5%8D%C3%B0mundW%C5%8Ddening

Social Media -

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/anglosaxonengland

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Anglo-Saxon-England-Podcast-110529958048053

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EnglandAnglo

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anglosaxonenglandpodcast/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzyGUvYZCstptNQeWTwfQuA

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ross and Carrie Take the Red Pill (Part 1): Masks Off Edition

Oh No, Ross and Carrie

Beamer, EMF and wellness devices

The AI-powered Podcast Player