Æthelred I, King of Wessex
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Æthelred I; (Old English: Æthel-ræd; 845/848 – 871) was King of Wessex from 865 until his death. The son of King Æthelwulf, Æthelred also inherited position of the Grand Maegester of the Order of the Ancients.
From his ascension to kingship until his death in 871, Æthelred spent much of his reign repelling the Viking invasions from Scandinavia, mostly notably the Great Heathen Army. After his death in 871, the throne and the position of Grand Maegester was passed to his brother Alfred.[1]
Biography
On 31 December 870,[2] the first Viking attack on the southern kingdom began. With Æthelred leading the charge, the invaders are repelled. The victory for Wessex however, would be short lived.[3]
On 4 January 871, Æthelred commanded the forces of Wessex during the battle of Reading alongside his younger brother Alfred. Defeated after suffering heavy casualties however, Æthelred and Alfred fled together.[4]
Four days later, at the battle of Ashdown, Æthelred's coat of arms was present, tricking the attacking Vikings into pushing ahead. However it was a trick by Alfred who loosed an arrow that killed the Viking leader Sten Stensson. Æthelred later arrived himself with more Saxon reinforcements forcing the Vikings to flee, leading to a West Saxon victory.[4]
In April, a month after the battle of Bedwyn, Æthelred passed away from his wound inflicted from a spear to the stomach.[5] By this time also, news had reached Wælingford that the king had died.[6]
Appearances
- Echoes of History (first mentioned)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Blood Brothers (first appearance)
References
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Poor Fellow-Soldier
- ↑
Battle of Englefield on Wikipedia
- ↑ Echoes of Valhalla – Episode 3: Thor's Hammer
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Blood Brothers – The Dust Settles
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga – Chapter 16
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga – Chapter 17
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