[22], Eardwulf was not, so far as is known, connected to any of the factions that had been warring for the throne up to the mid-790s. They kill many men and take Æthelhelm, Ælflæd, and Ælfweard captive. Despite the fact he is only expected to live for a few days (a fiction: Aethelred died in 911), Eardwulf kills him in his sickbed. The king will simply think that Eardwulf died in battle. Eardwulf's death. Sigtryggr enters and disarms Eardwulf before hitting him. At length, with the advice of the bishops and chiefs of the Angles on either side, they made peace through the kindness of the king of the Angles. He promised Æthelflæd that he would not act without her. On the border of Mercia and East Anglia, Æthelred tells Eardwulf that soon all the land will belong to Mercia. Æthelflæd then unexpectedly arrives, familiar with both Eardwulf and Eadith. As for Eardwulf, when they return to Aegelesburg, the king will have him publicly castrated. No record has survived of his death or the end of his reign: dates from 811 to 830 have been suggested. [33], Eardwulf was evidently married before he became king, as Alcuin reproached him for abandoning his wife for a concubine soon after his coronation. Executed under Sigtryggr's orders. Eardwulf (fl. [6] Immediately below the archbishop were three bishops: the bishop of Lindisfarne, the bishop of Hexham and the bishop of Whithorn. ("Episode 4.8"), Later, Eardwulf awakens tied to a tree. He may have had a second reign from 808 until perhaps 811 or 830. Status Eardwulf surrounds Uhtred at the abandoned fort and demands he surrender Ælfwynn. Meanwhile the king of the Northumbrians from the island of Britain, Eardwulf by name, being expelled from his kingdom and native land, came to the emperor while he was still at Nijmegen, and after he had made known the reason for his coming, he set out for Rome; and on his return from Rome he was escorted by envoys of the Roman pontiff and of the lord emperor back into his kingdom. The historian Alan Thacker estimates that there were about eight men holding the title of dux in late Northumbria. He realizes now that bargaining with them was a mistake. He then realizes that the king means to propose to the Ealdormen and the Mercian Guard that Ludeca should be the successor. They ask if he would like to fight or yield. Eadith makes Eardwulf promise her that if Æthelred asks him to attack Lady Æthelflæd that he will refuse. It is possible he later wed an illegitimate daughter of Charlemagne. — The Last Kingdom ... After the death of Alfred, the alliances between the kingdoms are fractured. Eanbald was presumably in conflict with Eardwulf over property, but it is likely that he also supported rivals for Eardwulf's throne. [4], The church in Northumbria was one of the major landowners, perhaps second only to the king. All he asks that Brida listen to what he has to say. ("Episode 4.4"), Eardwulf informs Æthelred that the settlements around Lindcylne have capitulated. Eardwulf of Mercia was a supporting character in both The Saxon Stories novel series, and The Last Kingdom television series. Eardwulf is then executed by the Danes. If the Lady Æthelflæd throws herself into the paths of the Danes, it will leave a path open for Eadith, but she has no desire to be married to a husband who used to be king. Eardwulf pretends to Aethelred that he shares his commitment to a strong and free Mercia, but his loyalties will be proven to be driven by his own ambitions. ("Episode 4.4"), Aegelesburg, Mercia; Eardwulf and Eadith lead a fleet of men back to Aegelesburg, where they can tend to King Æthelred. ("Episode 4.1"), Mercia; Eardwulf, Æthelred, and Eadith lead a group of warriors to conquer East Anglia. Egbert was more successful, taking and holding the throne of Wessex in 802. Somehow, the choice falls on Eardwulf byKing Edward of Wessex (Timothy Innes). Brida assures Sigtryggr that an attack on Winchester is worth the risk. The Pale Horseman spans 2 years, 876-878. ("Episode 4.4"), Tettenhall, Mercia; Æthelred, Eardwulf, and the Mercia army join in on the battle at Tettenhall. The Last Kingdom remained in the top ten for 19 days in the US, and 24 days in the UK. To which Sigtryggr retorts they’d still be there if they were truly so great. Wada was put to flight and may have gone into exile in Mercia. And at all times, they are united and never fight out of anger as this is the way of the old generation. There is benefit in delaying their return however. He asks if they’ve seen warriors traveling with children. Eardwulf questions why Hæsten is so eager to tell him this. He will find Æthelred and beg him for forgiveness. Mercia His family will never prosper and his sister will never leave Æthelred's bed. He then questions why Eardwulf isn’t betrothed to the king’s niece. [16], Initially, both Charlemagne and Offa appear to have shared a common interest in supporting King Æthelred, Offa's son-in-law. Ealhmund was remembered at Derby, in the neighbouring kingdom of Mercia, as a saint.[38]. Eadith doesn’t want anyone else’s blood on her hands nor does she want to be married to a man who kills so frivolously. Eadith - Sister † He is wounded, unconscious, and the back of his head is split open. [29] Osred returned from exile but was betrayed, and killed by Æthelred's command on 14 September 792. Pyrlig grows uncomfortable with the talk of Ludeca’s betrothal to Edward’s niece and leaves. Until recently no coins from Eardwulf's reign were known, which suggested that it may have been a time of instability, or perhaps that the kingdom was impoverished by the payment of tribute to Offa and Coenwulf of Mercia. Stiorra fears that Eardwulf has come to kill her, but she tells him that’ll throw him out of favor with the Danes, which Eardwulf no longer wants. Gender [35], Two further challenges to Eardwulf are recorded within the next two years, both apparently from among the noble lines that had been fighting for the throne over the previous decades. Eardwulf becomes enraged. Eadith reveals that he has not spoken of Eardwulf, but they should leave before his mind returns. Last Kingdom season 5: Will Eadith play avenge Eardwulf's death? ("Episode 4.3"), King Æthelred asks for an update on their troops in Lindcylne. While it may be simply an alternative to dux, it might represent a position approximating to that of the Mayor of the Palace in late Merovingian Francia. Edward orders Cenric to track Uhtred down. [36] Moll's name has suggested that he was a kinsman of the late King Æthelred, whose father was Æthelwald Moll. Also, he no longer wants war. Unlike kings with ties to Lindisfarne, who appear to have chosen exile among the Picts,[45] Eardwulf was linked to Ripon and chose a southerly exile. Their weight and silver content can be compared with other reigns, providing a hint of the prevailing economic conditions, and the style and size may also throw light on cultural influences when the coins are compared with those of neighbouring kingdoms and with other forms of art. Mercia A group of nobles conspired to assassinate Æthelred in April 796 and he was succeeded by Osbald: Osbald's reign lasted only twenty-seven days before he was deposed and Eardwulf became king on 14 May 796. ("Episode 4.3"), East Anglia; A messenger from Wessex comes to deliver a message to Æthelred, but he tells Eardwulf instead. [14] It has also been suggested that Charlemagne's interest in Northumbria was motivated by a desire for co-operation against Viking raiders, who had first appeared in Northumbria in the early 790s. In 798, early in his reign, Eardwulf fought a battle at Billington Moor against a nobleman named Wada, who had been one of those who killed King Æthelred. Eardwulf agrees that they shouldn’t, claiming he did all he could to convince the king to return sooner. However, Eardwulf explains that they’ve had word from Lady Æthelflæd. Nelson, "Carolingian Connections", p. 137–139. She will be at Tettenhall, where she plans to lure Cnut. He wants to enact his vengeance on Stiorra for her father turning Eadith against him. It premiered in 2015 on BBC America, BBC Two and later in 2018 on Netflix. After the defeat of the Norse army, the two armies negotiate that the Norse will be allowed to leave for Irland unhindered, as neither army has enough men for a good victory. For Eardwulf, recovering Aethelflaed's daughter Aelfwynn was integral; she was the key to his rise to become Mercia's new lord, the most powerful figure in a kingdom where he has had to bow and scrape to restore his family honour. Affinity He wonders if he has Eardwulf’s loyalty. The main lines were those of Ead­berht, Æthel­wald Moll and Alhred. ("Episode 4.8"), Deheubarth, Wealas; Brida returns to Wealas with Eardwulf and tells Sigtryggr that he will help them take Winchester without a single drop of Danish blood spilled. Uhtred refuses, and just before he is about to fight Eardwulf, the Lady Æthelflæd arrives and commands Eardwulf return to Gloucester. [9] Further afield, Charlemagne, the pre-eminent ruler in the Christian West, appears to have taken an active interest in Northumbrian affairs. Alcuin's arguments appear to have succeeded, since Osbald is known to have become an abbot by 799 (when his death is recorded), implying that he had given up his ambitions. He reports to Æthelred that he met a Danish spy who revealed that Cnut is taking his warriors from East Anglia and heading to Irland, leaving their women and children in undefended settlements. The evidence as regards the deposition of kings is equally limited. [40], This settlement ended open warfare, but Eardwulf was deposed in 806, in unknown circumstances. [7], Northumbria's southern neighbour Mercia was, under the rule of kings Æthelbald, Offa and Coenwulf, the dominant kingdom in Anglo-Saxon England. They find themselves in a swamp filled with dead bodies, certainly the result of the sickness. [43] Issues of new currency appear to have been limited under Eardwulf, and significant numbers of Northumbrian coins are not again attested until the reign of Eardwulf's son Eanred. The Mercian Guard is loyal to Eardwulf and the Ealdormen are against the king.