Æthelfloed
Lady of Mercia
The daughter of King Alfred the Great, Aethelflaed was married to Aethelred, ealdorman of Mercia. Aethelflaed was a strong, brave woman and is often regarded more as a partner to Aethelred than a meek, obedient wife. Although she exercised regal rights in Mercia even before her husband’s death, after Aethelred died in 911 CE, it was left to Aethelflaed to lead the Mercians in the fight against the Danes. Alongside her brother, King Edward of Wessex, it is universally acknowledged that Aethelflaed helped to push back the Viking incursions. Losing four of her greatest captains in the battle to capture Derby in 917 CE, the Anglo-saxon Chronicle reported: ‘With God’s help Ethelfleda, lady of Mercia, captured the fortress known as Derby with all its assets. Four of her favoured ministers were slain inside the gates.’ In 918 CE, Aethelflaed captured Leicester, ravaging the countryside around the town until the Danes surrendered.
The combination of her indefatigable forces and compassion in victory saw the Danes soon suing for peace; in the summer of 918 CE the noblemen and magnates of York sent emissaries to Aethelflaed, promising that they would surrender to her. She personally led campaigns against the Welsh, the Norse and the Danes – though whether she actually wielded a sword in battle is unknown.
While often magnanimous in victory, Aethelflaed could be ruthless when it was her friends who were attacked. In June 916 CE, on the feast of St Cyriac, Aethelflaed’s good friend, Abbot Egbert, was murdered for no known reason. The Mercian abbot and his retainers were ambushed and killed while travelling in the Welsh mountain kingdom of Brycheiniog. The abbot had been under Aethelflaed’s protection and within three days she was leading an army into Wales to exact revenge. Her army ravaged Brycheiniog, burning the little kingdom and taking many hostages. Although King Tewdr escaped Aethelflaed, his wife did not; Queen Angharad and 33 others were taken back to Mercia as hostages. Aethelflaed’s strength and determination was complemented by her quick actions and an impressive ruthless streak. When the Welsh king eventually submitted to Aethelflaed, he promised to serve her faithfully.
Aethelflaed died suddenly in June 918 CE. She did not live to see the successful conclusion to the work she and her brother had worked tirelessly to achieve; between 910 and 920 CE all Danish territories south of Yorkshire had been conquered.
“While often magnanimous in victory, Aethelflaed could be ruthless when it was her friends who were attacked; even she was not immune from the desire for revenge”