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I've been fascinated by Athelstan and Anglo Saxon England ever since I read Michael Wood's 'İn Search of the Dark Ages'. İncredible work as always - I also believe Athelstan was the first king to unite England. Underrated and poorly known due to records available. Thankyou from Melbourne, Australia ❤
Wood has a biography of Æthelstan that he seems to have been working on for a long time. I suspect he will publish it next year in celebration of 1100 years since his coronation in 925.
@@michaelmccomb2594this is an excellent video. What the historians always overlook about the Viking age and would make for a good video would be how the Irish were able to fight off the Vikings. The Vikings were barely able to sustain three trading ports in Dublin, Cork, and Waterford. They tried several times to conquer Ireland and were repeatedly stomped by the Irish. They held half of England throughout the Viking Age. Then Canute took full control of England. When Canute took England, Brian Boru destroyed his fellow Vikings at Clontarf, Ireland. The Irish asked the Saxons, what’s the problem? The Vikings are cream puffs, why so much trouble with them?
@@judyhouy5578 England was obviously wealthier with much better trading links to the continent, so was more attractive to Viking invaders. And some of the Viking settlements in Ireland did last until around 12th century, around the time that England began to invade Ireland.
Unbelievably great! I am a devotee of these wonderful pieces - so well researched and presented - and I could listen to Sir Gareth’s voice all evening.
Great video! It’s nice seeing a documentary on the king who got me interested in history! Athelstan will always be one of my favorite historical figures!
it's actually been destroyed, as Mondlingwenya points out the dissolution of the monestaries did for a lot of it, but also when the Normans took over in 1066 they systematically destroyed as much of the Saxon lore as they could find.
We visited king Athelstans tomb at Malmsbury Abbey in Wiltshire, it's well worth a visit and theres a great museum there too, also your CHANNEL is great Thank you
It would be so amazing to visit. I dont know if i will ever be able to afford it. This is one of our direct ancestors. So grateful for your comment. I didnt know about it even being a place.
Thank you for this in-depth documentary about an English king whose full story is little known in popular culture, and yet is probably one of the most important.
I dunno if it's the most important, sounds like he was a self proclaimed king rather than actually one and the country was nowhere near together enough to userp. All that comes later.
Taking your content, along with Digging Britain's, I'm putting together all of this History along side my Ancestory and finding this quite educational! It finally Clicked! Thank you!
I went to school in Malmesbury, and my mum and brother still live there. My love of history started there, Aethelstan fascinated me as a young schoolgirl, and years later my dissertation was on his grandfather King Alfred the Great. Alfred started something amazing, having lost everything, yet in the face of adversity, fought back and paved the way for the beginning of a united England. What a bloodlline...
7:36 The best source for his life is obviously The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell where we learnt that he spent his early years in the household of Uhtred of Babbenburg😅😅😅
American point of view, Angle-Land began w/ the Norman Conquest and the forced speaking and writing of "Old French" language...😅 (Sorry. A sick joke. Vague reference to ancient competition between French and English...😮
Post roman occupation-pre norman conquest Britain is such an amazing study. An absolutely fascinating period. I only wish we knew more about it. Sadly, the dissolution of the monasteries erased much of that knowledge. Thanks alot Henry VIII 😞
England was forged by a national threat of Viking invasion uniting the various kingdoms. Similarly Germany first united against the Roman invasion, China perhaps united against the Mongols giving a common enemy (who killed tens of millions) which if wasn’t present may have led to several smaller nations and perhaps the United States would have become a few smaller countries if it wasn’t for the threat of the English, the Native Americans and Mexico.
I started researching The Battle of Brunanburh many years ago after watching a tape in the 80's from a guy who was on the same quest. He mentioned (as he flew over in a helecopter) the M1 motorway, a roman temple and a saxon settlement nearby. The research (I'm local) pointed me in the direction of said settlement and the roman temple. The temple being fenced off and overgrown with trees and brash and surrounded by a industrial estate. This took me to the edge of MedowHall shopping centre (Sheffield) where the saxon site was, sadly built on. I carried on looking on foot for the battle site as it was mentioned that it may have taken place on White Hill. I found a hill of such name in Brinsworth, Rotherham, next to the Rother, near the saxon and roman temple site. Could Brunan's burh have been here? And the battle on whitehill?
They do teach the basics of the vikings why England got formed and how majority of people who inhabit England are Anglo Saxons in decent which is two separate Germanic tribes which came over after the romans left 👍 and yes there was people before the romans and Anglo and Saxon tribes came but they all changed to their native language,married them and took on their culture
The Saxons only make up a very small % (less than 15) of English ethnicity, their genealogical impact is far less than that of the native Britons. In truth, the Celts built Britain and the Saxons and Normans simply pillaged its wealth.
@@Celadonfae ethnicity and culture to different things though they changed the whole culture and majority married into family’s that came from angles or Saxon and majority learned and spoke their language
@@teamezyw6009 Not true, English is not the Germanic language that the original Saxons spoke. English language comes from a combination of britonic Celtic language mixed with Latin from the Roman occupation, Saxon Germanic, and Norse language all intertwined. These groups changed the way Saxons spoke, not the other way around.
I am not qualified enough to make a comment of this king you are my only source thus far on the subject. However had I been around at the time I would have chosen to be in the relic trade !
Thank you for clearing up the distortion in the netflix series The Last Kingdom. I was very concerned when they portrayed Athelstan as homosexual. There is no evidence of that and you have very clearly shown he was religious. I have no issues with people making personal choices but to mislead folks and distort history is a great disrespect to a Great King and Holy man.
The Last Kingdom and Seven Kings are more fun, but this is probably far more accurate. Still, Cornwell wrote some fine books put into the Netflix series..
How about some of the great warriors who help these kingdoms. That would be nice to see also.Something about even the great viking kings also would be nice. Just came across this channel great stuff.
The Roman Empire also made another strategic withdrawal besides that in 410 from Britain, in 271 from Dacia if i remember correctly,during the time of Aurelian.
As far as Ancient England goes, I'm more a fan of the pre-Beaker People era. We were definitely an industrious Atlantic-European race, not a Central European import.
Of course there were, but the point here is that certain people were instrumental in unifying England under one leader. It’s not denouncing the original people or tribes of England. 🙂
You left out the reason why Aethalstane was not recorded at the battleof Brunanburgh that was, as you must know ,the decision not to include him and the great blood letting that occured and subsequently the refusal to write of it in the Anglo saxon Chronicles , A great christian man that caused such slaughter could never be included in such a work , muddled thinking but perhaps the authors thought it would besmirch a holy kings soul
Nah you just have an overflated opinion of how good you are but that's why you always get beat. You were punching above your weight your team played crap and almost won lol till you played a real team that goal was glorious and the celebrations were world wide 👏
@@StuartAnderson-xl4bo the England squad is full of CL winners and league winners get rind of kane and arsenal's lit we have a chance your talking nonsense when your team struggle to qualify every damn tournament
Alfred was King of the Saxons...Aethelstan was King of England from 927 after he conquered the Vikings/Danes in York. There were then a couple of decades of tooing and freeing until the Northumbrians finally kicked them out and joined the party...and was consolidated under Eadwig. All was tickety boo until Sweyn Forkbeard showed up and there were a few sticky moments for Aethelred and Edmund and then up pops Cnut...but then Emma of Normandy, Aethelreds 2nd wife married him and then her sons from both Aethelred and Cnut had a crack at ruling...the Edward the Confessor died and up comes Harold Godwinsson and William the Conqueror in dispute over the succession. Well played Emma of Normandy...as William was also your great-nephew, although he conquered Englabd after her death.
Nearly scotland as well 😅😅 sent him homewards ta think again. Fact remains it was a Scotsman that became the first king of Britian James VI of Scotland James I of England and Wales
I'm worried this is not taught or taught well enough in English schools. My nieces have zero knowledge or idea about this period of history beyond what I've taught them.
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I love this period of English history. ❤ This channel is so awesome.
Please do more Anglo Saxon and Viking videos I love them
I've been fascinated by Athelstan and Anglo Saxon England ever since I read Michael Wood's 'İn Search of the Dark Ages'. İncredible work as always - I also believe Athelstan was the first king to unite England. Underrated and poorly known due to records available. Thankyou from Melbourne, Australia ❤
Wood has a biography of Æthelstan that he seems to have been working on for a long time. I suspect he will publish it next year in celebration of 1100 years since his coronation in 925.
@@michaelmccomb2594 I hope so.
@@michaelmccomb2594this is an excellent video. What the historians always overlook about the Viking age and would make for a good video would be how the Irish were able to fight off the Vikings. The Vikings were barely able to sustain three trading ports in Dublin, Cork, and Waterford. They tried several times to conquer Ireland and were repeatedly stomped by the Irish. They held half of England throughout the Viking Age. Then Canute took full control of England. When Canute took England, Brian Boru destroyed his fellow Vikings at Clontarf, Ireland. The Irish asked the Saxons, what’s the problem? The Vikings are cream puffs, why so much trouble with them?
@@judyhouy5578 England was obviously wealthier with much better trading links to the continent, so was more attractive to Viking invaders. And some of the Viking settlements in Ireland did last until around 12th century, around the time that England began to invade Ireland.
Very fitting his name meant "noble stone" (like foundation stone!) Considering what he went on to do
This is one of my direct ancestors it is so amazing to have this recorded so I can see what it was like for them.
I don't know how I missed this one.. right up my alley! I love this channel!
Unbelievably great! I am a devotee of these wonderful pieces - so well researched and presented - and I could listen to Sir Gareth’s voice all evening.
How do you know these documentaries are well researched. I don’t see any peer-reviewed references.
Watch The Last Kingdom
Utred of Bebbenburg
Great video! It’s nice seeing a documentary on the king who got me interested in history! Athelstan will always be one of my favorite historical figures!
Athelstan the GLorious! Yes! Been waiting For this! Thanks For this Guys! You're the Best ❤❤❤❤
It's such a shame that such a huge part of English history has been largely forgotten about due to lack of records.
The dissolution of monasteries was terrible
it's actually been destroyed, as Mondlingwenya points out the dissolution of the monestaries did for a lot of it, but also when the Normans took over in 1066 they systematically destroyed as much of the Saxon lore as they could find.
Let’s go, been waiting for this one
Always a treat when these come out. Thank you for all you do!❤
I would love to see videos on Alexander the Great, Constantine the Great, and Cleopatra
Thanks for the video, I certainly will enjoy it ✌🏼
We visited king Athelstans tomb at Malmsbury Abbey in Wiltshire, it's well worth a visit and theres a great museum there too, also your CHANNEL is great Thank you
It would be so amazing to visit. I dont know if i will ever be able to afford it. This is one of our direct ancestors. So grateful for your comment. I didnt know about it even being a place.
Hooray Athelstan! Top early King of England. Well done sir! An Australian fan.
Athelstan should be more well known in England.
Due to the Norman conquest, I reckon. That he is not well known I mean .
@@outlawJosieFox Also because he was overshadowed by his grandfather Alfred.
I was taught about him and this period of history when I was at school. Younger members of my family were not.
Thank you for this in-depth documentary about an English king whose full story is little known in popular culture, and yet is probably one of the most important.
I dunno if it's the most important, sounds like he was a self proclaimed king rather than actually one and the country was nowhere near together enough to userp. All that comes later.
Taking your content, along with Digging Britain's, I'm putting together all of this History along side my Ancestory and finding this quite educational! It finally Clicked! Thank you!
Us too! This is one of our direct ancestors.
Awesome documentary. Live these detailed stories. Keep it up, my friends.
I went to school in Malmesbury, and my mum and brother still live there. My love of history started there, Aethelstan fascinated me as a young schoolgirl, and years later my dissertation was on his grandfather King Alfred the Great. Alfred started something amazing, having lost everything, yet in the face of adversity, fought back and paved the way for the beginning of a united England. What a bloodlline...
Are there any known descendants of Alfred and Aethelstan alive today?
7:36 The best source for his life is obviously The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell where we learnt that he spent his early years in the household of Uhtred of Babbenburg😅😅😅
That's not a source...sources are what the Fabulous Mr Cornwell referred to when he created that wonderful series.
Oh dear
American point of view, Angle-Land began w/ the Norman Conquest and the forced speaking and writing of "Old French" language...😅 (Sorry. A sick joke. Vague reference to ancient competition between French and English...😮
I believe the laughing emoticons are a clue.@@michaelcoward1902
Always found Athelstan so fascinating. Our first true king yet we know so little about him
Athelstan, the first King of England has been forgotten due to the lack of records
No computers brother 😂😂😂.
@@jefffoster7105😑
@@BillCody931 has been forgotten he types in the comments on a video made about him, what ?
Not by the English
@@jackedgorilla9799 😄 🤣.
Post roman occupation-pre norman conquest Britain is such an amazing study. An absolutely fascinating period. I only wish we knew more about it. Sadly, the dissolution of the monasteries erased much of that knowledge. Thanks alot Henry VIII 😞
England was forged by a national threat of Viking invasion uniting the various kingdoms. Similarly Germany first united against the Roman invasion, China perhaps united against the Mongols giving a common enemy (who killed tens of millions) which if wasn’t present may have led to several smaller nations and perhaps the United States would have become a few smaller countries if it wasn’t for the threat of the English, the Native Americans and Mexico.
It appears that Athelstan should be called “The Great” as well.
Always glad to learn more about British history butveven an umlearned American has heard of Athelstan. He isnt forgotten at all.
Probably the best documentary...
I started researching The Battle of Brunanburh many years ago after watching a tape in the 80's from a guy who was on the same quest.
He mentioned (as he flew over in a helecopter) the M1 motorway, a roman temple and a saxon settlement nearby.
The research (I'm local) pointed me in the direction of said settlement and the roman temple. The temple being fenced off and overgrown with trees and brash and surrounded by a industrial estate. This took me to the edge of MedowHall shopping centre (Sheffield) where the saxon site was, sadly built on. I carried on looking on foot for the battle site as it was mentioned that it may have taken place on White Hill.
I found a hill of such name in Brinsworth, Rotherham, next to the Rother, near the saxon and roman temple site.
Could Brunan's burh have been here? And the battle on whitehill?
A really excellent talk. Very many thanks.
Why don’t they teach this history in our British schools? The Saxon people created England.
It's best for the global elite/WEF that the English don't think of themselves as a people coming from a common ancestor.
They do teach the basics of the vikings why England got formed and how majority of people who inhabit England are Anglo Saxons in decent which is two separate Germanic tribes which came over after the romans left 👍 and yes there was people before the romans and Anglo and Saxon tribes came but they all changed to their native language,married them and took on their culture
The Saxons only make up a very small % (less than 15) of English ethnicity, their genealogical impact is far less than that of the native Britons. In truth, the Celts built Britain and the Saxons and Normans simply pillaged its wealth.
@@Celadonfae ethnicity and culture to different things though they changed the whole culture and majority married into family’s that came from angles or Saxon and majority learned and spoke their language
@@teamezyw6009 Not true, English is not the Germanic language that the original Saxons spoke. English language comes from a combination of britonic Celtic language mixed with Latin from the Roman occupation, Saxon Germanic, and Norse language all intertwined. These groups changed the way Saxons spoke, not the other way around.
Great detailed info on a otherwise little know but important founder of the Modren England.
request you to kindly do a full video on House of York and House of Lancaster from during the 100 years war
If I learned this in high school, I had forgotten it.
I'm late to this one but very excited for it though thank you for doing this
I am not qualified enough to make a comment of this king you are my only source thus far on the subject. However had I been around at the time I would have chosen to be in the relic trade !
Thank you for for that history lesson on the first king’ it actually raised the hair on the back of my neck listening to this.
Aethelstan's body is not at Malmesbury Abbey, I think his bones were moved, and are now lost....
Listening from Mackinac Island Michigan
Oh yes been there. Nice place but Arctic cold in winter!!
@@holly52ful
It can be
Athel meaning nobel now makes so mucn sense why everyone is called bloody Athel-something-un-other
Great video
omgg this is great!! I love Anglo Saxon History so this is as good as it gets
Do one on Benedict Arnold
Is he related to you too
The rapper
Please continue uploading on Spotify
Love anglo saxon history.
Brilliantly informative despite much guesswork and assumptio
Cornwall was never part of the Kingdom of Wessex. It was a Kingdom in its own right.
But Alfred the Great demonstrated his commonality with the common man when he burned the muffins.
😂leaving it to a man to take something out of the oven
He was talking to Eivor
Thank you for clearing up the distortion in the netflix series The Last Kingdom. I was very concerned when they portrayed Athelstan as homosexual. There is no evidence of that and you have very clearly shown he was religious. I have no issues with people making personal choices but to mislead folks and distort history is a great disrespect to a Great King and Holy man.
Pity that Netflix could not portray this ruler more honestly as they had him kissing and groping one of his advisors!
I can't bring myself to even watch that last feature, it's such a joke.
What is it called? I gotta check that out!
Yes the gay mirage has been painted on so many in times past!!
Gojo was my favorite character till i met toji. No fancy techniques, just hands rated E for everyone.
‘Athelstan’ - an initial glance at the thumbnail made me think of the central Asian ‘stan’ countries lol
Great, thanks 👏👏👏👏
I can't remember the name of the orator
Thank you. This work made me travel back on time
Rus lived about 1800 km from where the “Danes-Norse-Vikings” lived. Two very different groups.
Lovely documentary! I noticed an oxymoron: Norman culture!
So how long does it take to develop a unique language, such as welsh?
The Last Kingdom and Seven Kings are more fun, but this is probably far more accurate. Still, Cornwell wrote some fine books put into the Netflix series..
The battle of Brunanburgh was in what is now Bromborough on the Wirral
Could you please do one on Balto the Sled Dog?
Balto is cool but he is not even close to being as cool as Togo. Probably best sled dog in history
some "evidence" for the battle points to Bromborough on The Wirral
How about some of the great warriors who help these kingdoms. That would be nice to see also.Something about even the great viking kings also would be nice. Just came across this channel great stuff.
Agreed
Athelstan was described as king of the English. It wasn't till some time later that kongs described themselves as king of England.
Do one on Martha Washington
Could this be the mythical king Arthur?
The Rus and Scandinavian/Danish raiders and settlers ("viking" was the occupation, the action of raiding) were completely different peoples.
Good
Hes been forgotten because we don't teach British history enough in schools
Is he related to Athol?
Por favor pongan la traducción en Español soy de Perú 🇵🇪 y no entiendo muy bien su idioma 😊, me gustaría seguir su canal
yeayy, I get a mention.
That's weird.
Was he or wasn't he the first king ??!
Not of an United England.
Yes he was
Destiny is all!
The Roman Empire also made another strategic withdrawal besides that in 410 from Britain, in 271 from Dacia if i remember correctly,during the time of Aurelian.
Very Good
1100 years since hes been late king!
As far as Ancient England goes, I'm more a fan of the pre-Beaker People era. We were definitely an industrious Atlantic-European race, not a Central European import.
Great stuff
Yes finally
My favorite king is Aethelstan
It's the old issue of there only being around 50 people in the country knowing how to read and write 😂.
Why is that funny?
There were people living in Britain before the saxons. There were people living in Britain before the Romans.
Your point?
Of course there were, but the point here is that certain people were instrumental in unifying England under one leader. It’s not denouncing the original people or tribes of England. 🙂
Thank God he cant see the state of the country now.
You left out the reason why Aethalstane was not recorded at the battleof Brunanburgh that was, as you must know ,the decision not to include him and the great blood letting that occured and subsequently the refusal to write of it in the Anglo saxon Chronicles , A great christian man that caused such slaughter could never be included in such a work , muddled thinking
but perhaps the authors thought it would besmirch a holy kings soul
RIP Athelstan. You would've hated Gareth Southgate 🙏🙏
So true way too defensive no offense we would have been doomed
Nah you just have an overflated opinion of how good you are but that's why you always get beat. You were punching above your weight your team played crap and almost won lol till you played a real team that goal was glorious and the celebrations were world wide 👏
You got there by the worst penalty in the history of the Euros so karma balanced out
@@StuartAnderson-xl4bo the England squad is full of CL winners and league winners get rind of kane and arsenal's lit we have a chance your talking nonsense when your team struggle to qualify every damn tournament
@@StuartAnderson-xl4bo you didn't get there though so what's your point?
Athelstan King of the Anglo-Saxons
Æðelstán rex totius Britanniae
Alfred was King of the Saxons...Aethelstan was King of England from 927 after he conquered the Vikings/Danes in York. There were then a couple of decades of tooing and freeing until the Northumbrians finally kicked them out and joined the party...and was consolidated under Eadwig. All was tickety boo until Sweyn Forkbeard showed up and there were a few sticky moments for Aethelred and Edmund and then up pops Cnut...but then Emma of Normandy, Aethelreds 2nd wife married him and then her sons from both Aethelred and Cnut had a crack at ruling...the Edward the Confessor died and up comes Harold Godwinsson and William the Conqueror in dispute over the succession. Well played Emma of Normandy...as William was also your great-nephew, although he conquered Englabd after her death.
ENGLAND 🏴......FUCK YEAH!
English history is amazing. The good ,the bad, it’s got everything. Even birthed a new nation. America
England in two World Wars help defend the world from horror sp monstrous in is better unwritten.
Good video
King henry 8th didnt help history as he flattened england
Greatest king
Nearly scotland as well 😅😅 sent him homewards ta think again.
Fact remains it was a Scotsman that became the first king of Britian James VI of Scotland James I of England and Wales
Only unconquered country in these Isles Scotland often invaded never taken.
According to netflix he only conquered england because he was conflicted about being gay 😂😂😂
Hahaha what?
What a woke Athelstan😮 leave it to the revisionist Netflix, trash programming.
@@davidbeeson9993 Agreed.
UTHREEEEEEEED OF BEBANBUUUUUUUUUUURG
Please get rid of the background music it's just a nuisance & spoils your otherwise very good content
I'm worried this is not taught or taught well enough in English schools. My nieces have zero knowledge or idea about this period of history beyond what I've taught them.
Great English king stop mentioning unusual names
William the Conqueror please
And here we are in the year 2024 with Britain on the cusp of becoming a politically correct Muslim nation 🤔
Just ain't true though is it pal so less off that racism
English ancestors would be disgusted at how the country has let in those barbaric invaders
Yes indeed....
Muslim jihadists state of Englandstan