Athelstan or Æþelstān (c. 895 – 27 October, 939), cried the Glorious, wis the Keeng o Ingland frae 924/925 tae 939. He wis the son o King Edward the Elder, an nevoy o Ethelfleda (Æthelflæd) o Mercia. Æthelstan's success in securin the submission o Constantine II, Keeng o Scots, in 927 throu tae the Battle o Brunanburh in 937 led tae his claimin the teetle "Keeng o aw Breetain".[2] His ring is aften owerleuked, wi a hantle focus gang tae Alfred the Great afore him, an Edmund efter. Houaniver, his ring wis o fundamental importance tae political developments in the 10t century.

Æthelstan
Æthelstan presentin a beuk tae Saunt Cuthbert
Æthelstan presentin a beuk tae St Cuthbert. Illustration in a gospel beuk presentit bi Æthelstan tae the saunt's shrine in Chester-le-Street, the earliest survivin portrait o an Inglis keeng. He wore a croun o the same design on his "crouned bust" coins.[1]
Keeng o the Anglo-Saxons
Ring924–927
Coronation4 September 925
PredecessorEdward the Elder or Ælfweard
SuccessorHimsel (as Keeng o the Inglis)
Keeng o the Inglis
Ring927 – 27 October 939
PredecessorHimsel (as Keeng o the Anglo-Saxons)
SuccessorEdmund I
Bornc. 893/895
Wessex
Dee'd27 October 939
Gloucester
BuirialMalmesbury Abbey
HooseHoose o Wessex
FaitherEdward the Elder
MitherEcgwynn
ReleegionChalcedonian Christianity

References

eedit
  1. Foot, Æthelstan: The First King of England, pp. 155–156
  2. Æthelstan Archived 2010-01-04 at the Wayback Machine at archontology.org
    Athelstan at everything2.com
    Athelstan Archived 2009-11-03 at the Wayback Machine at Encarta Archived 2009-10-31 at the Wayback Machine
    King Athelstan (924 - 940) at britroyals.com
    Anglosaxon Britain Archived 2010-12-13 at the Wayback Machine at Britannia.com