Coronation stone in Kingston upon Thames.
On This Day, 4th September 925, Athelstan was crowned King of the Anglo-Saxons at Kingston upon Thames.
#Athelstan1100
In less than 2 years from that date, in July 927, he would take control of the Viking Kingdom of York and become the first King of all England.
#OTD #History #Skystorians #10thC
King Athelstan as represented at Ripon Cathedral.
1101 years ago, on 17th July 924, King Edward the Elder died at Farndon in Northern Mercia.
Athelstan was acknowledged as king in Mercia, the first step towards his becoming the first King of all England.
#OTD #History #10thC #AngloSaxon
A denier (obverse) from the reign of Louis IV minted at Chinon. The king's head is seen in profile looking right. The inscription around the border reads LUDOVICUS REX.
On This Day, 19th June 936, Louis IV, nephew of King Athelstan, is crowned king of West Francia at Laon by Archbishop Artald of Reims. He had been in exile from infancy until his early teens in the royal court of Edward the Elder and then Athelstan.
#History #OTD #10thC #medieval
Illustration of Æthelflæd as depicted in the cartulary of Abingdon Abbey.
On This Day, 12th June 918, Æthelflæd, the Lady of the Mercians, died.
As the aunt of Athelstan, she had raised him in Mercia after his father remarried.
Following her death, Edward the Elder assumed control in Mercia, with Athelstan retaining military control in the North-West.
#OTD #History #10thC
Photograph of the Turf and Twig ceremony. This photograph was taken in January, 1922 on Foxley Common, a part of King’s Heath more widely known in those days as Malmesbury Common. The ceremony is taking place near the public house called the Royal Oak, known to Commoners as the “Slappy”. The practice at this time was to initiate new Commoners, after they had been accepted, at Court. A shallow hole would be dug in the turf into which the new Commoner would place a silver coin. The following words would then be recited by the person carrying out the ceremony: “Turf and Twig I give to thee. As King Athelstan gave to me. A good brother thou shalt be.” The initiator would then strike the new Commoner (Ernest Goodfield) across the back with a twig three times, remove the silver from the hole and make tracks for the Slappy with all the other participants in the ceremony.
A tradition going back to the 10th century says that King Athelstan granted a charter to the Burgesses of Malmesbury for their assistance in battle.
The Warden and Freemen of Malmesbury are the modern day successors of those #10thC burgesses. They have played a key role in the history of the town.
Obverse of the Athelstan silver penny, on display at the Athelstan Museum in Malmesbury. The king's image is in the centre. Despite wear, it is possible to see the tops of the three points of the crown. The legend which goes around his image says ÆÐELSTAN REX TO BR.
On This Day, 16th April 928, King Athelstan was in Exeter, attesting charters for land in Wiltshire.
These charters were the first to refer to him (or anyone) as rex Anglorum, King of the English, King of England.
#History #AngloSaxon #10thC #OTD #FirstKingofEngland
