Æthelstan: How England’s First King Wove a Unified Nation

The episode follows Æthelstan from the contested succession after Edward the Elder to his decisive campaigns at York and Brunanburh, exploring how he forged legal codes, minted currency and forged marriage ties to bring the Anglian kingdoms together. We sift through contemporary charters, annals and coinage to separate what survives about his reign from later medieval legend, and consider why Æthelstan’s legacy still feels eclipsed by later figures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices