Æthelred II of East Anglia

"If Oswald bound the people with faith in each other, Aethelred bound them with the love of God. His piety verged on fanaticism."

―Finnr describing Æthelred, 870s.

Æthelred (died c. 870) was an Anglo-Saxon priest who briefly served as king of East Anglia during the early 870s.

Biography

Following the death of King Edmund the Martyr, Æthelred was installed by the Sons of Ragnar as king with Finnr as his thegn and steward. A devout Christian, Æthelred once asked a secret favor of Finnr, which was to ferry a pile of Christian tomes stolen from Jorvik. Finnr fulfilled the favor, which fueled what Finnr described as fanaticism. During his reign, Æthelred came into conflict with a clan of Vikings led by Rued. However, as he had no combat experience and no trained warriors under his command, Æthelred and his men were cut down, leaving East Anglia kingless until 873, when Oswald was chosen as the next successor.

A few years later, Finnr would go on to narrate Æthelred's story to the Viking Eivor Varinsdottir.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first mentioned)
• The World of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North – Logs and Files of a Hidden One (mentioned only)