Edward the Martyr

Reign: 975 – 978
Life: 963–978

On Edgar's death, the succession to the throne was contested between Edward's supporters and those of his younger half-brother, the future King Æthelred the Unready. As they were both children, it is unlikely that they played an active role in the dispute, which was probably between rival family alliances. He had forced the lay nobility and secular clergy to surrender land and sell it at low prices to the monasteries. Æthelwold had been the most active and ruthless in seizing land for his monasteries with Edgar's assistance.

During Edward the Martyr's reign, Eric the Victorious ruled Sweden, Otto II ruled Holy Roman Empire, and Kenneth II of Scotland ruled Scotland.

Want to learn more? Further reading

The Cult of St Edward the Martyr by Christine Fell

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The Cult of St Edward the Martyr

Christine Fell

The murdered Anglo-Saxon king, politics, hagiography, and the making of a saint.

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