Æthelred I of Northumbria

Æthelred I ( also Athelred, Aedilredus, Aeðelredus, Æðelred, Æthelred, etc. Æþilred; * by 762, † 18 April 796 ) was twice 774-778 / 779 and 790-796, king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Northumbria.

Life

Family

Æthelred was the son of the king Æthelwald minor. His mother was probably his wife Æthelthryth. He had been married twice. His unnamed first wife, he repudiated probably around 792 Ælfflæd, a daughter of King Offa of Mercia to marry. Æthelreds progeny are not known.

First term

On October 30, 765 Æthelreds father Æthelwald minor was deposed in Pincanheale ( Finchale in Durham ) from Witenagemot and determined Ealchred ( 765-774 ) as the new king. To 773 broke into York from riots that may already be in connection with Ealchreds were fall. In the Easter of the year 774 Ealchred was deposed and banished from Witenagemot in York. The reasons for this are unclear: on the one hand, he apparently had problems with Archbishop Aethelberht ( 767-780 ), on the other hand, urged his successor Æthelred to power.

Æthelred ruled not unchallenged. In the year 778 he ran the three gerēfas ( " Count " ) Ealdwulf, Cynewulf and ECGA murder. It was 778/779 discontinued and the throne was returned to the Eatingas in the person of Ælfwald I ( 778/779-788 ), who was a grandson of Eadberht. Æthelred was exiled during the reign of his successor Ælfwald I. and Osred II ( 788-790 ).

Second Term

After Osred had also been deprived of his office in the year 790 and sent into exile, Æthelred was enthroned again. Æthelreds early coins had the imprints of his predecessors oriented. In his second term, the animal representation was replaced on the reverse with the name of the moneyer. With Æthelred ended the minting of sceattas.

However, Æthelred saw its empire threatened. In the year 791 there was a " purge ". He let AELF and Ælfwine, who kidnap children Ælfwalds throne as rivals from York and murder at Wonwaldremere ( Windermere ). Also the Ealdorman and later King Eardwulf ( 796-806 ) was captured and should be 791 executed in Ripon at the gates of the monastery, but he survived. Dissatisfaction with Æthelreds rule grew, so Osred was recalled from his exile on the Isle of Man. As he was about 792 to recapture the throne, he was defeated, captured and executed on September 14.

During his second term Æthelred learned support by King Offa of Mercia and married on September 29, 792 in Catterick whose daughter Ælfflæd. He had the Great from whom he received gifts in the nobility of Deira backing and maintained diplomatic contacts with Karl.

Swell

• Anonymous: Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Online at Project Gutenberg (English)
• Symeon of Durham: De Regum Anglorum Gestis (Acts of the English kings )
• Symeon of Durham: Historia ecclesiae Dunelmensis ( History of the Church of Durham )
• Æthelweard: Chronica