""As we approach the anniversaries of Æthelstan's coronation in 925 and the birth of England itself in 927, I would like his name to become much better known. He really deserves that,""
""There has been so much focus on 1066, the moment when England was conquered. It's about time we thought about its formation, and the person who brought it together in the first place,""
""Æthelstan didn't have a biographer writing up his story," "His grandfather, Alfred the Great, had the Welsh cleric Asser to sing his praises. And within decades of Æthelstan's death, a wave of propaganda ensured King Edgar became famous for reforming the church.""
Æthelstan was crowned in 925 and recognised as ruler of a united England by 927, marking the birth of England. His achievements in creating political unity have been overshadowed by later events such as the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and the signing of Magna Carta in 1215. Proposals include memorials such as a statue, plaque, or portrait at Westminster, Eamont Bridge, or Malmesbury, and broader teaching of his reign in schools. Factors contributing to his obscurity include a lack of a contemporary biographer and subsequent propaganda that elevated other rulers.
Read at Medievalists.net
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