The Truth about the History of Wessex

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One of the main reasons for the success of the West Saxons was its leadership. A series of strong kings ruled this kingdom, expanding its borders, maintaining prosperous alliances, and leading their people into a better future. Wessex was one of the richest kingdoms, and it is no wonder that law and education prospered here. The kings of Wessex understood the significance of the written word, and it is from here where most of the written records come, and these records survived the ages to tell us their stories.
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[@CaptivatingHistory]

Correction: Around 6:55 - Æthelwulf was Alfred's father, not brother.

[@ShubhamTiwari-od8zf]

Yes Alfred was the son of Aethelwulf and Osburh

[@Fummy007]

This needs more views. We have such a deep history.

[@aleksaradosavljevic4001]

Doing personal research on these things would make you learn and know more about the kind of history that this channel posts

[@tracykarol]

For more in depth information, read the books by Captivating History on these same topics. Great stuff. Ebooks, paperback, and audio.

[@michaelmccomb2594]

this is normally a decent channel, but they've made a major mistake, Æthelwulf was Alfred's father not his brother, even in Vikings they get this right. They also forget to say that after Ecgbert had overlordship over Northumbria, the Northumbrians rejected this after a year

[@jonlinin9682]

Got as far as Caedwalla before i gave up. This is like a school report by an 11 year old who failed to pay attention during the lesson. I'm sure my teachers would have written on my homework (in red pen !) - MUST TRY HARDER.

[@scottiebarnesclampsyourfav5908]

the lands we all walk on are ancient and holy . wow

[@deev3282]

Another error: At 6:30 Æthelwulf wasn't "one of six impressive brothers". He was the only recorded adult son of King Egbert. Æthelwulf had 5 impressive sons including Æthelred the first who was not his brother.

[@Dx_Hearted]

In game... alfred about to get assassinated by Aelfred the Seax and then retiring from becoming king and the Leader of Order of the Ancient

[@shaundutoit2798]

Same as the assassin's creed valhalla

[@charlesdavis9937]

I’m related to King Aella.

[@michaelmccomb2594]

I think calling King Æthelred a 'military genius' is a bit too far, he faced the Vikings five times and won once. In fairness, this 'victory' was the first Anglo-Saxon victory against the Great Heathen Army

[@sebbisdee2177]

plus the victory might not have been down to his 'genius'. We will never know if his delay was genius, cowardice or purely accidental. Not that I wanna hate on Aethelred, guy tried his best. But yeah, genius is abit far.

[@michaelmccomb2594]

@@sebbisdee2177 yeah the story of the battle is of course from Asser, thus possibly Alfredian propaganda.

[@sebbisdee2177]

@@michaelmccomb2594 Are you suggesting that the story itself could be invented? I've certainly heard that interpretations of the story would be Asser's propaganda, but not that the story in its entirety. I kinda like the idea though can't lie, although would there not be other eye witnesses? Powerful aeldermen and so forth?

[@michaelmccomb2594]

@@sebbisdee2177 Asser was certainly writing his account to glorify Alfred, so yes it is absolutely Alfredian propaganda. Whether the story of the battle is true or not is hard to tell, especially because we don’t have written accounts from the Danish side. But we should obviously be wary of aspects of it that glorify Alfred, but I wouldn’t question the fact that the West Saxons won the battle, that Alfred was a commander of troops and that he played a key role in the battle. We also don’t know exactly who Asser’s target audience is. Some have suggested, it was aimed at the Welsh elites, in order to win them over to Alfred’s side, but we don’t know for certain.

[@Bl34CK]

"Accidentally" poisoned

[@lalex3431]

Right? 😂 seems like his wife knew exactly what she was doing

[@michaelmccomb2594]

it was actually accidental, or so the story goes She was trying to poison one of the king's favourites and ended up poisoning them both She then fled to Francia and Charlemagne asked her, would you rather marry me or my son, she said the son, so Charlmagne said (from wiki) "Had you chosen me, you would have had both of us. But, since you chose him, you shall have neither." He instead offered her a position as an abbess of a convent which she accepted. Soon though she was caught in a sexual affair with another Saxon man and, after being duly convicted, was expelled on the direct orders of Charlemagne, penniless, into the streets. In her last years she lived as a beggar on the streets of Pavia.

[@stephenbesley3177]

The Britons hadn't left! This is a persistent myth. The rulers may have been Saxon but native Brits survived here and there especially in Cornwall where Cornish - a Brythonic language related to Welsh - has survived to recent times. It is true that many Brits served Rome and a great many settled in modern Brittany in northern France. To say though that the Britons somehow evaporated into the ether is pathetic and wrong!

[@iainhughes6637]

A thousand years of defending this country only for our politicians to throw it away within the last 30 years

[@craiggibbons8228]

Well said

[@ruthomas8942]

Well, hundreds - till the Normans came in 1066 and took it away 😂

[@Jack-cd5dj]

7 Anglo Saxon kingdoms? I thought there were only 4 (Wessex, Mercia, East Anglia and Northumbria)

[@lorenzodocx4021]

sussex, essex and kent

[@Zederok]

Bernicia and Deira too.

[@lorenzodocx4021]

@@Zederok those came together and formed northumbria

[@asahel980]

Wales?

[@dylanmurphy9389]

@@asahel980wales is not Anglo Saxon

[@christopherwood9009]

Minor revisionism but ok

[@Apollo1989V]

I have never heard any story of Arthur born in Wessex. If he did exist, he lived in Wales or a Britonic holdout area in what is now England. I guess he could have been born in what became Wessex.