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Edgar I the Peaceful of Wessex, king of England, was born 943 to Edmund of Wessex (922-946) and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury (-944) and died 8 July 975 Winchester of unspecified causes.

Biography

Edgar I, also known as Edgar the Peaceful, was born in 943 CE and died in 975 CE. He was the king of England from 959 CE until his death in 975 CE. He was the younger son of King Edmund I and the half-brother of King Eadwig, whom he succeeded to the throne.

Edgar's reign is known for its relative stability and peace, hence the nickname "the Peaceful." He is also known for his efforts to consolidate the various kingdoms of England into a single, unified state. To this end, he worked to establish a system of government that was more centralized than the previous Anglo-Saxon system, which had relied heavily on the power of individual earls.

One of the most notable events of Edgar's reign was his coronation at Bath in 973 CE. This event was notable because it was attended by kings from all over Britain, including those from Scotland and Wales. The event was meant to symbolize the unification of Britain under Edgar's rule.

Edgar was also a devout Christian, and during his reign, he worked to reform the Church in England. He was particularly interested in monasticism, and he founded many new monasteries and convents throughout the country. He also worked to establish a system of dioceses and bishops, which helped to strengthen the Church's organization and power.

In addition to his religious and political accomplishments, Edgar is also remembered for his personal life. He was said to have been a great patron of the arts, and he was known for his love of music and poetry.

Early life

Edgar was the younger son of Edmund and his first wife, Ælfgifu, and he was born in 943 or 944, the year his mother died. She was a benefactor of Shaftesbury Abbey, an establishment for nuns, and was buried and venerated as a saint there. Her mother Wynflæd, who died around 950, was a vowess (religious woman), who was also a benefactor of the nunnery.[1] Edgar was brought up by Ælfwynn, the wife of Æthelstan Half-King,[2] and in about 958 Edgar gave her a ten-hide (400 hectares (1,000 acres)) estate at Old Weston in Huntingdonshire in gratitude.[3] Æthelstan was a strong supporter of the Benedictine reform movement, which became dominant during Edgar's reign, and the historian Robin Fleming comments that Edgar ætheling (prince eligible for the throne) was profoundly influenced by his upbringing:

Thus, the ætheling was reared in the household of one of his father's closest allies and raised among Half-King's own brothers and sons, five of whom at one time or another were ealdormen. Since Half-King was an intimate of the reform circle, and St Dunstan in particular, Edgar came of age in an atmosphere dominated by the ideals of monastic reform. Some of Edgar's affection for monks and his determination to revive Benedictine monasticism must have been acquired in this household of his youth.[4]

Marriage and Family

Edgar in stained glass window

Edgar in the second tier of the Royal Window in the mid-fifteenth century chapel of All Souls College, Oxford. The stained glass is original apart from Edgar's head, which was replaced with one made by Clayton and Bell in the 1870s.[5]

Edgar the Peaceful had a number of wives and mistresses, and his numerous children helped to secure the succession of his dynasty.

Edgar had children by three consorts. Almost all historians accept that he married the third one, but some question whether he married the first one and others the second.[6] Yorke sees a case for recognising three marriages, as well as temporary liaisons.[7] The name of his first consort, who was the mother of his eldest son, Edward the Martyr, was not recorded until after the Norman Conquest. According to Osbern of Canterbury, writing in the late eleventh century, she was a nun who was seduced by Edgar, but this is rejected by later chroniclers,[8] and historians generally accept the statements of the twelfth-century writers John of Worcester and William of Malmesbury that she was Æthelflæd Eneda, the daughter of Ordmær.

1st Marriage: Ethelflad

Æthelflæd: She was the first wife of King Edgar I and the mother of his first son, Edward. Little is known about her, but she is said to have been a noblewoman from Devonshire. She died in 962 CE, just a few years after her marriage to Edgar.

  1. Eadweard the Martyr (c962-978) -

2nd Marriage: Wulfthryth

Wulfthryth: She was the second wife of King Edgar I, and she was a nun before she married him. Edgar reportedly fell in love with her when he saw her at Wilton Abbey, where she was a nun. He had her removed from the abbey and made her his queen. Wulfthryth was the mother of King Edgar's second son, who was also named Edgar.

  1. Eadgyth of Wilton (c961-984)

3rd Marriage: Alfthryth

Ælfthryth: She was King Edgar's third and most famous wife. She was a member of the royal family of East Anglia, and she was reportedly very beautiful. Edgar fell in love with her while she was still married to her first husband, but he managed to have the marriage annulled on the grounds of consanguinity. He then married her himself in 964 CE. Ælfthryth was the mother of King Edgar's son, Ethelred the Unready, who would later become king.

  1. Edmund (966-c970) - died young
  2. Æthelred the Unready (c968-1016) - later King of England

Other Relationships


Children


Offspring of Edgar I the Peaceful and Æthelflæd
Name Birth Death Joined with
Eadweard the Martyr (c962-978)


Offspring of Edgar I the Peaceful and Wulthryth
Name Birth Death Joined with
Eadgyth of Wilton (c961-984)


Offspring of Edgar I the Peaceful and Ælfthryth (c945-c1000)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Edmund (966-c970)
Æthelred the Unready (c968-1016) 968 23 April 1016 London Ælfgifu of York (c963-1002)
Emma of Normandy (c985-1052)



Siblings


Offspring of Edmund of Wessex (922-946) and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury (-944)
Name Birth Death Joined with
Eadwig of Wessex (c941-959)
Edgar I the Peaceful (943-975) 943 8 July 975 Winchester Æthelflæd
Wulthryth
Ælfthryth (c945-c1000)


See Also

Bibliography

External Links

Ancestry Trees

Contemporary References Sources

Some of the best contemporary sources for his life include:

  1. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - This is a collection of annals in Old English that were kept from the 9th to the 12th century. The Chronicle provides a detailed account of events during Edward's reign. The annals covering the reign of Edgar I were likely written within a few years of his death, making them one of the most reliable contemporary sources on his life and reign.
  2. There are many charters and documents from Edgar's reign that provide insight into his rule and policies. These documents include land grants, charters of foundation for churches and monasteries, and other legal and administrative records. Many of these documents are still preserved in archives and libraries in England and provide a valuable source of information about Edgar's reign.
  3. Dunstan's Life of St. Ethelwold: Written in the 10th century, includes many anecdotes and stories about Edgar's reign, as well as details about his religious policies and patronage. This hagiography of St. Dunstan, who was a prominent churchman and advisor to Edgar.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Citations

Here is a citation (Year 973) from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a contemporary source, in Old English and its translation into modern English. This entry describes a major conflict that took place in 973 CE between King Edgar, his queen, and his son, Prince Edward. The entry does not provide further details about the conflict or its cause, but it suggests that it was a significant event in Edgar's reign:

"Her com Eadgar cyning to Dore, and Ælfthryð his cwén, and his sunu Eadweard se æþeling, and þær wæs micel wæl geslægen betweox him sylfum, þæt wæs on þone halgan æfen Sancte Andree. Þa com þær eac Oswold arcebiscop, and Wulfstan, and Oskytel, and þær wæron eac ealle þa witan þe þærto gehyrdon."

Translation: "In this year [973 CE], King Edgar came to Dorchester, and Queen Ælfthryth, and his son, Prince Edward, and there was a great slaughter between them, which was on the holy evening of St. Andrew. Then came there also Archbishop Oswald, and Wulfstan, and Oskytel, and all the wise men who heard of it were there."

Royal Succession Charts

Regnal titles
Preceded by
Eadwig
King of the English
959–975
Succeeded by
Edward the Martyr

References

  1. ^ Williams 2014; Kelly 1996, p. 56.
  2. ^ Williams 2014.
  3. ^ Hart 1966, pp. 231–232.
  4. ^ Fleming 1991, p. 31.
  5. ^ Hutchinson 1949, pp. 37, 49, 53.
  6. ^ Thomson & Winterbottom 1999, pp. 139–140; Hart 2007.
  7. ^ Yorke 2008, p. 144.
  8. ^ Williams 2003, p. 3.



Footnotes (including sources)

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