Reign of Edward the Elder

Historical Context Essay

Robert Gallagher (University of Cambridge)

Ed. by Richard William Dance, University of Cambridge
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.01: English Writing and Culture: Old English, 500-1066.
Vol. editors: Richard William Dance (University of Cambridge), Hugh Magennis (Queen's University Belfast)

Domains

Changes of government, elections and reigns

Dates

Date of occurrence 899-924

Places

England (Location)

Resources

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Edward the Elder reigned for a quarter of a century, during which time he achieved considerable military success, yet he remains a poorly understood figure. The relative obscurity of this king is undoubtedly due to the paucity of surviving evidence and, indeed, the absence of a rich contemporary narrative comparable with

Asser’s Vita Æ;lfredi

, a biography of Edward’s father. Instead, Edward’s reign must be assessed primarily through the laconic entries in the varying recensions of the

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

, through the analysis of contemporary charters and coinage, and through the insights of archaeological excavations. Later medieval writers offer additional information that needs to be treated with caution. As a result of such challenging sources, medieval and modern historians…

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1171 words

Citation: Gallagher, Robert. "Reign of Edward the Elder". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 July 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1447, accessed 19 April 2024.]

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