The Chronica de Mailros (1173–4) repeats Symeon of Durham's information that Anlaf arrived with 615 ships, but adds that he entered the mouth of the river Humber. [40] With his power finally secure, the young king wasted no time in pursuing an aggressive foreign policy. Marching north in 927 he conquered the Viking Kingdom of York (Jorvik), thus bringing all the English under one King for the first time in history. Athelstan died at the height of his power and was buried at Malmesbury; a church charter of 934 described him as 'King of the English, elevated by the right hand of the Almighty ... to the Throne of the whole Kingdom of Britain'. Athelstan died childless. This Athelstan also had an edge as he already spoke the Viking dialect, crediting missionary work in the area for this knowledge.

William of Malmesbury wrote that Alfred the Great honoured his young grandson with a ceremony in which he gave him a scarlet cloak, a belt set with gems, and a sword with a gilded scabbard. [17] Medieval Latin scholar Michael Lapidge and historian Michael Wood see this as designating Æthelstan as a potential heir at a time when the claim of Alfred's nephew, Æthelwold, to the throne represented a threat to the succession of Alfred's direct line, [18] but historian Janet Nelson suggests that it should be seen in the context of conflict between Alfred and Edward in the 890s, and might reflect an intention to divide the realm between his son and his grandson after his death. [19] Historian Martin Ryan goes further, suggesting that at the end of his life Alfred may have favoured Æthelstan rather than Edward as his successor. [20] An acrostic poem praising prince "Adalstan", and prophesying a great future for him, has been interpreted by Lapidge as referring to the young Æthelstan, punning on the Old English meaning of his name, "noble stone". [21] Lapidge and Wood see the poem as a commemoration of Alfred's ceremony by one of his leading scholars, John the Old Saxon. [22] In Michael Wood's view, the poem confirms the truth of William of Malmesbury's account of the ceremony. Wood also suggests that Æthelstan may have been the first English king to be groomed from childhood as an intellectual, and that John was probably his tutor. [23] However, Sarah Foot argues that the acrostic poem makes better sense if it is dated to the beginning of Æthelstan's reign. [24] Athelstan is known for various things. Not only did he unite England and become the first true king there, but he was also an able ruler. His household was said to be a center of learning during his reign. He also played an extremely important role in European politics, since he forged alliances by marrying his sisters to rulers in Europe. In many ways, he was the father of medieval England. Historians have stated that no king of England demonstrated such able leadership as Athelstan until Edward I, Hammer of the Scots. Ascension to ThroneFew medieval texts refer to a known place, although the Humber estuary is mentioned by several sources. John of Worcester's Chronicon (early 12th C), [35] Symeon of Durham's Historia Regum (mid-12th C), [72] the Chronicle of Melrose (late 12th C) [75] and Robert Mannyng of Brunne's Chronicle (1338) [76] all state that Olaf's fleet entered the mouth of the Humber, while Robert of Gloucester's Metrical Chronicle (late 13th C) [77] says the invading army arrived "south of the Humber". Peter of Langtoft's Chronique (ca. 1300) [78] states the armies met at “ Bruneburgh on the Humber”, while Robert Mannyng of Brunne's Chronicle (1338) [76] claims the battle was fought at “ Brunesburgh on Humber”. Pseudo-Ingulf (ca. 1400) [79] says that as Æthelstan led his army into Northumbria (i.e. north of the Humber) he met on his way many pilgrims coming home from Beverley. Hector Boece's Historia (1527) [80] claims that the battle was fought by the River Ouse, which flows into the Humber estuary. When the Vikings raided, they had no problem raiding churches, monasteries, and other religious places that the Christian community considered sacred and untouchable.

Narrator: Athelfleda was a powerful queen and also a good teacher. She taught Athelstan to love books and learning and her warriors taught him fighting skills. She taught him how to lead an army into war and she also taught him how to make peace.Breeze, Andrew (2018). Brunanburh Located: The Battlefield and the Poem in Aspects of Medieval English Language and Literature (ed. Michiko Ogura and Hans Sauer). Peter Lang: Berlin. pp.61–80 . Retrieved 27 April 2019. It is not difficult to see why Athelstan would have been a prized slave for a man like Ragnar, as he had intimate knowledge of the territory that Ragnar planned to raid. However, Athelstan also has the advantage that he can share that information with Ragnar because he speaks the Viking tongue. In August 937, Olaf sailed from Dublin [2] with his army to join forces with Constantine and Owen and in Livingston's opinion this suggests that the battle of Brunanburh occurred in early October of that year. [11] According to Paul Cavill, the invading armies raided Mercia, from which Æthelstan obtained Saxon troops as he travelled north to meet them. [12] Michael Wood wrote that no source mentions any intrusion into Mercia. [13]