#aethelstan i of england

[docpiplup]

The Bastard Kings and their families

This is series of posts are complementary to this historical parallels post from the JON SNOW FORTNIGHT EVENT, and it's purpouse to discover the lives of medieval bastard kings, and the following posts are meant to collect portraits of those kings and their close relatives.

In many cases it's difficult to find contemporary art of their period, so some of the portrayals are subsequent.

1) Aethelstan I of England (894 – 939), son of Edward the Elder and his wife Ecgwynn

2) Edward the Elder (c. 874 –924), son of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith

3) Æthelflæd of Mercia (c. 870 – 918), daughter of Alfred the Great and his wife Ealhswith

4) Eadgifu of Wessex (? - c. 951), daughter of Edward the Elder and his wife Ælfflæd; and her son with Charles III of France, Louis IV of France (920/921 – 954)

5) Edmund I of England (920/921 – 946), son of Edward the Elder and his wife Eadgifu of Kent

6) Eadwig I "All-Fair" of England (c. 940 – 959), son of Edmund I of England and his wife Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury

7) Edgar I of England (944 – 975), son of Edmund I of England and his wife Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury

8) Eadred I of England (c. 923 – 955), son of Edward the Elder and his wife Eadgifu of Kent

9) Eadburh of Winchester (921/924-951/953), daughter of Edward the Elder and his wife Eadgifu of Kent

10) Eadgyth of England (910–946), daughter of Edward the Elder and his wife Ælfflæd

[emptyrubiccube]

wouldn't it have been funny if anlaf also had a "hump whoever you wish, BUT-" type of convo with ingilmundr, assuming his seduction of æthelstan wasn't what anlaf originally had in mind for his convoluted scheme

[bagheerita]

Edward: I know you won't swear to me, but swear to my son pretty please? Also if you don't take him and look after him my second wife's father is going to have him killed so I'm glad you agreed to this.

[catocomet]

[whitedarkmoonflower]

Alfred's Dream of England // Day 1 // Favourite scene Aethelstan. The first king of the English // The Last Kingdom S5E1

Uhtred: You think you're ready to slaughter a beast? Aethelstan: You know I am.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

do you think it’s strange that the uk monarchy is, as far as i remember, never mentioned in the books? it seems so weird to me since, for better or worse, it’s such an integral part of the concept of “britishness” - even if wizarding society seems pretty removed from muggle society, the monarchy has such a long history that it seems weird for the two societies to not intermingle in it. has wizarding society cut ties with it after the issue of the statute of secrecy? how many of the crown jewels are actually magical items? how *noble* is the house of black, really? were there ever kings or queens who were wizards?

there’s so many questions i have about this! such a world building plot hole!

Ok, so there are a lot of questions here and I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability. I will note there are a bunch of my own headcanons in this post. They are based on what we know about Wizarding History and what I know about irl UK history but they are still headcanons.

So, we know the Ministry of Magic was founded in 1707 after the Statue of Secrecy was enacted in 1692. The ministry was an immediate response to said statute since wizards needed a more uniform government to enforce their secrecy and cover up any slip ups. This means that before the Statue of Secrecy, the muggle government or monarchy earlier was the governing force for wizards as well as muggles. Yes, the Wizengamot already existed, but it seemed to behave differently from how it does in the modern ministry.

I wrote about the Wizengamot and how I believe it works along with some of its history here although I learned more UK history since, so this post is more accurate on the history front.

Now, I hope you won't mind me going into some medieval history of the UK in general, since the monarchy has changed over time, and in the early Middle Ages, the UK was comprised of multiple smaller kingdoms. Wales had 3 big kingdoms, but also a bunch of smaller ones (there were also warlords that took over abandoned Roman fortresses after the Romans left Britain in eastern Wales), England had the Anglo-Saxons settling in after the Romans left and creating multiple Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (like Wessex and Marcia). Scotland and Ireland were similarly divided. There were the biking invasions and a whole Viking kingdom in north-east England that's referred to as "The Dane Law". England did unite under King Aethelstan eventually, but with all these fractured kingdoms and warlords, I'm sure there were some wizards among them. Then, of course, there is the Norman monarchy and nobility established after the Norman conquests, which officially settled in 1066.

My point with all of this history is that like muggle society, wizarding society changed and evolved and that the monarchy in Britain wasn't the same throughout the entirety of history. So, the status of wizards and wizard nobility changed based on the specific time period we are discussing. But let's look at post-normans pre-Statue of Secrecy wizarding high society, and for that the Pottermore article about the Malfoy family is incredibly helpful:

Like many other progenitors of noble English families, the wizard Armand Malfoy arrived in Britain with William the Conqueror as part of the invading Norman army. Having rendered unknown, shady (and almost certainly magical) services to King William I, Malfoy was given a prime piece of land in Wiltshire, seized from local landowners, upon which his descendants have lived for ten consecutive centuries.

(from Pottermore)

Most nobility in England after the conquest were normans close to William who arrived with him and were given muggle noble titles, lands, and status. irl, the first Peverell in England, William Peverell was similarly given lands as he was said to be a son of William the Conqueror. That being said, some Anglo-Saxon nobility (mostly from the south of England since the northern Anglo-Saxon nobility were mostly killed after their rebellion) were kept in place by William as long as they swore fealty to him. Families like the Blacks and Longbottoms (both having Anglo-Saxon surnames) are likely among this leftover Anglo-Saxon nobility.

Now besides the muggle nobility, which is very much aware of wizards and even includes wizards (like the Malfoys, Peverells, Lestranges, and the Gaunts) we have the Wizangamot. The Wizaengamot, which I wrote more about in the post I linked, have likely been around and acted as a council of wizard nobility alongside the muggle one before the Norman invasion since around when Hogwarts was founded (around 990). The Blacks and Longbottoms (and the Notts who also have a Germanic name dating to the Dane Law I referenced earlier and King Knut who ruled that portion of England) were probably in this council.

We also know the Malfoys aren't in the Wizengamot in the books, meaning the circles of nobility for each council were different. This is easily explained by the Wizengamot being there earlier and being Anglo-Saxon rather than Norman. The name Wizangamot is, in itself, from old English which supports this speculation.

Since the Wizengamot continued existing after the conquest, I assume William the Conquerer left it as it is, wanting to ally himself with the local wizarding community rather than going to war with them. Wizards are, after all, really fucking useful, and irl he did keep some of the Anglo-Saxon nobility, so that's in character.

I think, after the conquest the Wizengamot either grew in the number of families there or that the families that opposed William were replaced with Norman wizard nobles that William trusted to represent him in the magical community.

The same Pottermore article about the Malfoy family also notes:

Historically, the Malfoys drew a sharp distinction between poor Muggles and those with wealth and authority. Until the imposition of the Statute of Secrecy in 1692, the Malfoy family was active within high-born Muggle circles, and it is said that their fervent opposition to the imposition of the Statute was due, in part, to the fact that they would have to withdraw from this enjoyable sphere of social life. Though hotly denied by subsequent generations, there is ample evidence to suggest that the first Lucius Malfoy was an unsuccessful aspirant to the hand of Elizabeth I, and some wizarding historians allege that the Queen’s subsequent opposition to marriage was due to a jinx placed upon her by the thwarted Malfoy.

(from Pottermore)

This means the monarchy throughout history was well aware of wizards and that the magical nobility was also muggle nobility and allowed in the same circles, but not vice versa. It seems to me, that the Malfoys had a muggle noble title from William I, and once the Statue of Secrecy was enacted they lost their title since they weren't also Wizarding nobility (Wizengamot members). (The Malfoys did keep all their money though).

Considering what Pottermore implies, it seems to me, there is a high chance of some crown jewels being magical. I mean, Lucius Malfoy I proposed to Queen Elizabeth I, and in my headcanon the aforementioned Willaim Peverell is the father of the three brothers of the Deathly Hallows, and in this headcanon, William Peverell is a half-blood wizard. Point is, yeah, the monarchy was well aware of wizards and seemed to have been in an alliance with the Wizengamot and the magical community. Although, I'm sure attitudes changed over time and differed from monarch to monarch with some being closer to the Wizarding community than others, but in general the Wizengamot and the wizarding community as a whole were under the governance of the muggle monarch.

It's actually possible there were a few wizards who ruled the UK (or any of the earlier kingdoms that eventually united) across the Isles's history. I think it's even likely if we're being honest. Egbert the Egregious, for example, might've been a king of Kent or Wessex (two of the older kingdoms before England united) as kings of the same name are recorded in both.

Once the Statue of Secrecy was enacted the wizards drew away from muggle society and wizards who held muggle noble titles likely lost them. But we know some muggles are aware of wizards' existence. We see at the beginning of HBP that the muggle Prime Minister is informed of wizards' existence and obliviated when they leave office. If I had to bet, the monarch (and perhaps more in the royal family) are similarly aware that wizards exist but aren't really involved. Like, the monarch probably knows but is only informed when something in the Wizarding World spills out to the muggle one. So, the monarch knows wizards exist, but not much more than that.

As for how noble the House of Black really was, I mentioned I believe they were nobles of the Wizengamot and Anglo-Saxon nobility before the Normans. I think all magical families in the Wizengamot that were around before the Normans would be considered: "Noble and Ancient". We see the Blacks being referred to as "The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black" compared to the Gaunts who are just: "House of Gaunt" which is how wizard nobility from after the conquest would be titled in my headcanon.

The name Gaunt is one that arrived in Britain with the Normans as stated in a survey of England's land done by William after the conquest (this survey is known as the "Doomsday Book" and it essentially details which land belongs to which lord. The book names both Norman lords and Anglo-Saxon ones and is a super useful historical document. It occasionally even mentions which Anglo-Saxon lord was deposed for the sake of a new Norman one). Gilbert de Ghent (standardized spelling wasn't a thing yet), named in said survey was the nephew of King William I's wife and as such received lands. A lot of them, actually:

"Few among the Conqueror's companions of arms were so splendidly rewarded as Gilbert de Ghent, who held one hundred and seventy-two English manors."

(Manors refers to actual manors, but also the land surrounding them. Basically, it refers to a family seat)

As the Gaunts were so favored, it's likely William I placed his nephew's family (who I headcanon at least some are wizards) in the Wizengamot. I believe the Slytherins married into the Gaunt family around the same time to add legitimacy to the Gaunts' status in the wizarding community.

The Malfoy Family that doesn't have a magical noble title and lost their muggle one is just referred to as: "Malfoy Family" and never "House of Malfoy" which again, to me, suggests this is how these titles work.

The aforementioned Doomsday Book does mention a William Black with 5 manors in Devon. William Peverell, as a son of King William I is mentioned to have 153 manors given to him and another 75 to Ranulf Peverell (not sure of the familial relationship). Reginald Cnut (older spelling of Nott) is also mentioned in the Doomsday Book to have 26 manors. Malfoy is a name JKR made up and isn't mentioned in the Doomsday Book or any other survey of UK landowners done in the Middle Ages. I did read a legend about one Guy Le Strange who participated in a tournament at Castle Peverell around 1083 and won the hand of Mellette, the niece of William Peverell. Although the Lestranges are not mentioned in the Doomsday Book and this legend likely dates from the 13th century a good 200 years after the supposed events it details.

So, to summarise, wizards don't seem to have or ever had a royal family of their own but there were most likely wizard royals throughout the various kingdoms that existed in history. Some wizards do have a noble status that I headcanon/speculate is connected to their status as members of the Wizengamot. These Wizengamot titles were also muggle titles and there were wizards with muggle titles that weren't part of the Wizengamot. These wizards probably interacted very closely with the muggle nobility and even shared family trees and were all probably considered half-blooded if you asked a Death Eater. After the Statue of Secrecy, the muggle titles became irrelevant and stopped being used leaving only the Wizarding titles behind (I headcanon "Ancient and Noble houses" refers to Anglo-Saxon nobility, and just "noble houses" refers to Norman nobility among wizards). The UK monarch likely is informed about the wizarding world to a similar degree as we see the muggle prime minister is informed. Blood purity probably only became relevant after the Statue of Secrecy as before that we see intermarriages with muggle royalty and nobility being practiced (I talked a bit about the timing of the witch hunts and the Statue of Secrecy here).

Sorry for the nerdy history talk, but, I answered this after a few weeks of medieval UK research and I have so many thoughts about medieval wizarding society in Britain.

[holy3cake]

WIP Wednesday

Another week, another tag game! Please share your last sentence; or, if you don’t have one, share a plot bunny or idea! (OR sketch for your artwork!)

Thank you for the tag @lord-aldhelm!

Okay so I haven't actually been writing this week, I'm on a little health break 😊 But I have an extract from a future chapter of In his Father's footsteps, my Aethelbert TLK fic for ya! This is when Aethelstan is getting a bit more comfortable with his feminine side:

Aethelstan reached for the ribbon, twirling it around his finger. He searched for a hairbrush, then gently raked it through his unruly curls. With agile fingers, he wound the ribbon around his hair, creating a messy bun. A dinky curl fell from the mass, lingering over his forehead in defiance. He giggled again, marvelling at the exposure of his neck. He was astounded by how different he looked, even just with his hair up.

The dress whirled as he spinned, revealing his bare feet. He beamed, peering at himself as his eyes drifted back to the neckline. If he was a woman, the dress would be scandalous. It left absolutely nothing to the imagination, and his breasts would’ve barely been contained. His thoughts started to wander again as he imagined Osbert’s outrage at such a dress.

And this is an idea for a one-shot of mine. What if the last kingdom characters went to modern day England? What would they find? Maybe a King Edward potato:

No pressure tags: @grinningkatz @lancedoncrimsonwings @paula-in-dreamland @book-and-music-lover @synintheraven

@errruvande @waterfallsilverberrywrites @bilbotargaryen @thenameswinter99 @thelettersfromnoone

@persephones-journey @whitedarkmoonflower

[ameliafuckinjones]

The Astrology of ENGLAND (Arthur Kirkland)

There are many charts for England based on the many transformative eras within the country's history (such as the unification with Scotland), but for this exercise, I will be using the chart that is used by seasoned mundane astrologers, which is the one predicated on the ascension of William the Conqueror on December 25th, 1066 at approximately noon ( 12:00 pm) in London. The chart associated with this date is believed to have set the overall tone for England’s personality and identity. 

People usually start their readings off with the SUN sign, but I will begin with the Rising ( or Ascendant) sign in England’s chart, which like for all birth charts, sits in the First House. 

RISING

THE FIRST HOUSE determines your self-identity, or at the very least, the identity you project to the outer world as your outer persona. It is what people see at first glance when they meet you as a stranger. Your first house and the sign that falls in this house is the first impression, so to speak. It is the outer shell that encases the core of everything else in your birth chart and helps set the tone of your overall demeanor (including mannerisms and behavior). It also heavily influences your physical appearance from your face to your body. Whatever planet rules the sign within your first house, and thus the associated body part of that sign, will determine the most significant feature that stands out in your outward personality and appearance. One must also consider what I like to call the invading planet, which does not rule the sign; it simply sits in the house with the sign and can temper or amplify the extreme personality traits of that sign. The invading planet can also influence the features of the significant body part ruled by the sign by, for example, amplifying the body part's presence, subduing it, or adding additional features. Where the planet that rules your rising sign falls within your chart along with planetary aspects (such as trine, conjunction, or opposition to your ascendant or planet, etc.), is also of great importance. 

ENGLAND

The Anglo-Saxons arrived on Britannia’s shores after the fall of Rome, invited by Briton leaders who sought to use the mercenaries as a defense against other hostile tribes (such as the Picts). Abandoned and quickly succumbing to darkness without the fiery beacon of Rome to guide them, the island was ripe for the taking, and they soon found their mercenary friends to be hostile guests with ulterior motives. The Anglo-Saxons styled themselves as kings and established the Heptarchy (which consisted of seven kingdoms known as Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex, and Wessex). It took centuries before the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms united as one in the face of yet another invasion of the island, this time by Vikings. King Alfred the Great laid the groundwork, but England didn't coagulate into a single kingdom until 927 CE under King Aethelstan. And yet, this event did not give birth to England as we know it (or him) today. The England of today that exists in the continuity of England from the past came to be when, in 1066 (and on Christmas day), William the Conqueror ascended the English throne (which had formerly been held by the Anglo-Saxons whom he cast down) and began a new and long chapter of Norman conquest. Coronations were usually held sometime between the late morning and early noon, so astrologers use the time 1200 noon as the exact moment Norman-ruled England came to be.

This time puts Aries in England’s first house, which the planet Neptune influences. In plain terms, Neptune in Taurus is semi-sextile Aries in the First House, and Aries is ruled by Mars, which is in Aquarius:

Rising sign: Aries ( The symbolic Golden Ram, Fire sign, Cardinal sign )

Primary Ruler of Aries: Mars (the god of war, agriculture, and father of Rome, the planet of action, sexual ardor, assertion, and aggression )

Mars location in the birth chart: Mars in Aquarius stationed in the 11th house (Aquarius is the symbolic Waterbearer, an air sign, and a fixed sign)

11th house: House of Friendships or the House of Hopes and Wishes

Influencing Planet: Neptune in Taurus (Neptune is the god of the sea, water, and horses. Neptune is the planet of dreams, illusions, intuition, spirituality, and the subconscious. Taurus is the symbolic Bull, an earth sign, and a fixed sign.)

In Greek mythology, the Aries is represented by the Golden Ram, who was sent by the gods to rescue two children from being sacrificed, a plot devised by their stepmother. Though one child did not survive this rescue (having fallen into the sea as the golden-fleeced ram flew over the raging waters to the land of Colchis), the child who did survive sacrificed the Golden Ram to give thanks to Zeus. The sign Aries is ruled by Mars, the god of war, defender of Rome, and the father of Remus and Romulus, the founders of Rome. In astrology, Mars is the Warrior Planet, which governs aggression, passion, and desire, attributes that are heavily associated with Aries, one of the three fire signs and one of the four cardinal signs (cardinal signs are naturally driven and ambitious). 

What does this mean for England? It means that his physical appearance, first impressions, and initial reactions to people and situations embody Aries/Martian characteristics. Again, it is what people see when they meet him and what he shows when he meets them. A snapshot, so to speak. What are Aries's physical characteristics? The Aries rules the head, so in terms of appearance, someone with Aries in the First House has strong and angular features such as a prominent chin, nose, or mouth. They can often appear younger than they are, with a baby face and youthful eyes. They tend to take on a reddish tint in their hair or skin. With red being one of the colors associated with Mars, the god of war,  people with Aries rising/ascendant often favor the color and incorporate it into their style or personality. Think of the Red Cross on St George. The Tudor rose, or the infamous red coat of the British military. Aries risings usually have an athletic physique, broad shoulders, and slim hips.  The Aquarian influence provided by the position of the ruling planet, Mars, makes the already angular features sharper than normal. 

To summarize, England would physically appear to the world as a baby-faced (possibly red-cheeked) man with a strong, angular jaw, a sharp Aqualine nose, and hard-set, narrow lips. His hair, though blonde, would have reddish undertones, and he’d favor the color red, at the very least, in his military uniforms, if not his everyday wardrobe. He’d stand rugged and mighty (as Aries risings do) with broad shoulders and narrow hips in his favored form-fitted iconic scarlet tunic that has become known the world over.

In terms of Aries personality traits, England would first appear to strangers and define/introduce himself to the world at large as a direct and hot-tempered man with a pioneering and industrious spirit who moves swiftly through life with a quick walk, head leaning forward ever so slightly as though he’s racing against time itself. Much like the ruler of his sign (Mars), he lives for action, which can frequently translate to conflict (such as war and enthusiastic conquest in lands abroad, you know the whole Rule, Brittania! and the sun will never set on the British Empire thing) or other risk-taking pursuits (privateering against the Spanish Armada, treasure hunting on cursed ancient grounds in Egypt, trekking through the wilderness of Australia). He often struggles with headaches and sinuses and perhaps struggled with acne on his face and shoulders in his youth. 

The planet Neptune in Taurus is positioned in the Aries-dominated First House, while Mars (the natural ruler of Aries) is posited in Aquarius in the 11th House. 

Neptune represents dreams, hopes, and idealism. It can also represent delusion and illusions, what people want to see or want others to see, and their expectations in conflict with reality. Neptune is the disappointment one may feel when finally confronted with reality. Neptune is the spiritual longing for a reality that does not exist. Neptune is also the god of the sea and waters, and has many a tale of causing shipwrecks and earthquakes. 

Taurus is a bull-headed creature who charges forward with stubborn persistence. It is associated with Zeus, who transformed into a beautiful white bull in a plot to abduct Europa, a Phoenician princess. 

It is also sometimes associated with the Cretan Bull and the frightful Minator who roamed the infamous Labyrinth. Coincidently, the Minator resulted from Poseidon (Neptune’s Greek counterpart), who cursed the Queen of Crete to fall in love with the bull after her husband refused to sacrifice the bull to the god of the sea. However,  in astrology, Taurus (an earth and fixed sign) takes on a comparatively gentler tone. Still bullish, stubborn, and persistent, but also practical, loyal, and patient. Naturally ruled by Venus, Taurus is a sign of love and beauty. 

Neptune in Taurus, especially when positioned in the first house, can make one naturally inclined to aesthetics and romanticism. They are not effortless so much as they are simply natural in all that they do and have a strong tendency to take on responsibilities that others won't. 

Neptune in Taurus aspecting the Aries rising in the First House makes England intuitively assertive. It gives him a dreamy warrior quality, like an Arthurian Knight from legend. It makes him a heroic, fiery crusader. It can also make him an overly aggressive, impulsive loner. Yet England has within him the ability to become the leader of any great cause. Like with the Allies during WWII or the Napoleonic Wars.  Perhaps he even joined Lord Byron -one of the most famous figures of the Romantic era- to support the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire, a cause that both men would have been deeply moved by. England feels lost without a moralizing, idealistic crusade by which he can leap head first and devote himself completely to and thus define himself. He’ll burn himself out in pursuit of any cause that stirs his heart, the murky waters of Neptune eventually turning his Aries fire into steam. Failing to live up to the expectation of the heroic and honorable knight (by perhaps losing a war or a battle under the banner of whatever cause he was championing) can leave him with everlasting disappointment and disillusionment with the cause. Though before reality wakes him up from his blissful war-waging slumber, he is all rose-tinted glasses and shiny armored knights with magical swords on beautiful white warhorses. The Neptune aspect influencing his Aries (ruled by the god of war) also plays a part in his penchant for naval warfare and the once mighty Royal Navy that spanned the globe, given that Neptune is the god of the sea. Neptune + Aries Rising = Britannia Rules the Waves!

Mars in the birth chart naturally represents your drive, energy, and approach to asserting yourself, and with Aries as the rising sign, this energy is emphasized in the First House. 

We’ve already discussed Mars but have yet to discuss Aquarius, where Mars sits in England’s birth chart. Aquarius is the symbolic water-bearer, Ganymede, a beautiful prince who Zeus fell in love with and abducted to be made a cup carrier to the gods. Aquarius as a sign is fixed, meaning it is inclined to stability and resistant to change, acting as a sort of anchor. Aquarius placements are independent, innovative, humanitarian, and idealistic. This means England's passion, drive, sexual ardor, and aggression are all geared toward independence, innovation, and idealism. 

Mars in Aquarius in the 11th house -the house of friendships- enhances England’s ability to unite people around a common, humanitarian cause ( ex. the Coalition Wars against Napoleon, the Concert of Europe, formation of Allied Powers in WWI and WWII). It’s also an indicator that he is fiercely independent (Rebellions against the Norman Conquest, the break from Rome by establishing the Church of England) and isn't shy about going against the grain if the norm conflicts with his principles. This brings to mind the creation of the Magna Carta, the English Civil War, and the following Glorious Revolution, which all saw radical political reforms within a traditionalist system (the transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy).  This placement also highlights his tech-savvy capabilities and innovation in technology, which makes sense considering that a significant amount of modern technology was either created by inventors in England or, at the very least, took inspiration from English inventions, especially in regard to computers/computing. As for sexual ardor? England is sexually attracted to the unconventional, the unique, the strange. He himself tries to appear unconventional, unique, and strange to attract like-minded individuals. Eccentric personalities are a novelty to him. He loves the unpredictable; he doesn't mind dabbling in the taboo out of curiosity and the spirit of experimentation.  More importantly, he is sexually attracted to the intellectually stimulating and intellectually stimulates others to spark attraction. A true sapiosexual. 

SUN

If one were to crack open the hard exterior of the rising sign, they would reveal the sun hidden within. 

The sun represents life and one's purpose in it. It represents destiny and the style in which you pursue it. The sun and the qualities of the sign it embodies are the core tenet of your being. It is the personal constitution that you live, breathe, and die by. It is the ego, the heart, the vitality. The house it falls in also helps shape the core identity and influences how the energy will manifest in reality. 

ENGLAND

The sun is in Capricorn for England, situated in his 10th house. 

Sun sign: Capricorn (Earth sign, Cardinal sign, the symbolic Sea Goat)

Ruled by Saturn, the god of time and harvest, the planet of discipline and structure

10th House: House of Career and Public Reputation 

Capricorns are represented by the Sea Goat (an incarnation of the Greek god Pan, who turned the lower half of his body into a fishtail) and ruled by Saturn, the god of time who consumed his children in fear of being overthrown (much like his Greek counterpart Cronus). Capricornians can usually appear to be thin and tall, with an air of gravitas and a face that reveals nothing. However, while the sun can influence the physical appearance, the rising sign has a greater impact. 

Capricorns are earth signs: grounded, rooted, and sturdy. Like all earth signs, Capricorns value and uphold prudence, stability, realism, and pragmatism in their day-to-day life. They are more financially literate than most people and good at capitalizing on resources and managing people. This brings to mind the Industrial Revolution, the part England played in creating it, and the use of resources and people to generate capital in his colonialist pursuits in North America, Asia, and West Africa. Think mercantilism between colonial America and Britain, an economic policy aimed to benefit the mother country by ensuring a favorable balance of trade and accumulation of wealth through a controlled economy. A perfect example of England as a Capricorn using resources and managing people to produce positive financial gains in his favor. He was even willing to abandon his morals by bringing slaves to North America to achieve this as well (and later on, using Indians and Irish as indentured servants in the Caribbean long after the abolishment of slavery and the slave trade). Capricorns MIGHT become bad people and do awful things when they really want money. This, of course, isn't unique to Capricorns, nor is it unique to England. The difference, however, is the level of efficiency at which he executes his plans to obtain money (or any goal/desire, really), no matter how morally wrong those plans are. Especially if he abandons idealism in favor of his instinctual pragmatism. (Though his idealistic Neptune in his first house eventually came into play by way of England using the British Royal Navy to abolish and prohibit the Atlantic Slave Trade.)

Capricorns are also cardinal signs: naturally ambitious, industrious, and goal-oriented. Cardinal signs like the Capricorn are hellbent on achieving their objectives, and not much can steer them from whichever path they’re set upon. They are also born leaders, willing and eager to call the shots. 

Capricorns stand apart from their fellow earthly and cardinal signs in that they are the builders of society, with the natural gift to plan, organize, and strategize their way into worldly accomplishments with dangerous efficiency. They are cool and self-contained, calm and reserved to a fault (to the point that it unnerves people who are the opposite), but beneath that hard shell, their feelings run deep, and their affections are best shown through loyalty to those that they love, a loyalty which they treat with the utmost importance and care. 

What does this mean for England? As stated before, the sun represents the core of your identity, and the core of his identity is Capricornian. In essence, England is unwavering, like a firmly planted tree with roots a million years deep into the earth. Immovable, like a great mountain, he cannot be swayed. It is his sense of stability and order or, at the very least, his pursuit of stability and order that makes him so impossibly formidable. Even when faced with a crisis, he’s dauntless and stoic. He carries on with a stiff upper lip. There are few things in this life that truly make his spirit quiver in fear. He is a solid man with a solid heart, and this disposition comes with negatives and positives alike. This is not at all to say that he is completely made of stone. He is still capable of feeling. When he deigns to (and sometimes even against his will), he can feel that affectionate loyalty and camaraderie toward his peers while in the heart of strife. Capricorns are all about structure and the importance of maintaining it, and what structure is more important than the one that makes up the concrete foundations of a family? It is another thing that England values. In his mind, it is integral to stability and order, and he will do just about anything in his power to maintain stability and order in his family with a stern hand. How the family might feel about it is of no importance, and he believes that in time, they, too, will come to see that it was all for the greater good. His love can be a bit callous, but it is love all the same. A disciplined sort of love. He also values society because it offers that benefitted structure he prioritizes. His forte is organizing and building governments, kingdoms, businesses, and empires from the ground up. He is a worldly man who finds pleasure in being part of society and finds even greater pride in being the reason why society works. Status is another value that, like all Capricorns, England holds dear. Sometimes, he’ll linger about in each block of the societal pyramid, staring in wonder at the neat way people fall into the right category from top to bottom. He loves them all and finds that his spirit resonates with each one, from the working class to the aristocrat. In his eyes, there is beauty to be found in each facet, like the different cuts in a glittering jewel, yet his heart will always belong to the crown, which gave birth to the values that make up the cornerstone of his being. He is married to it, and this is a pragmatic marriage, to be sure. After all, the wooden skeleton of it came into being when William the Conqueror usurped the throne from the Anglo-Saxon kings (whose conquest of Roman Britain conceived him, and thus he sprung forth from his conquered mother's metaphorical womb), and the monarchy exists in continuity of that single defining moment. But England found love and intimacy in this marriage, and they breathe as one. England is the crown, and the crown is England. 

He is not humorless, either. Though his humor, like most Capricorns, is dry and witty. 

England’s Capricorn sun sits in the 10th house, which is quite remarkable because Capricorn is the natural sign ruler of the 10th house. The 10th house represents ambition, success, and authority, amplifying the Capricorn's instinctual ambition, drive, and desire for authority and respect. The 10th house makes the Capricorn even more materialistic and instills within him the need to prove himself to the world, to elevate himself to the highest social status attainable. To him, there is nothing more important than his image and the respect that image can garner. As a result, he becomes authoritative and competitive in pursuit of his desires, yet he is the embodiment of professionalism. 

This spirit drove England to challenge the Spanish Armada to establish himself as a dominant force to be reckoned with. This spirit drove him to North America’s shores, eager to get a solid foothold in the new world before the rest of the European powers. It is this spirit that made him build the largest empire the world has ever known. 

MOON

The moon itself cannot emit its own light. Without the sun, it is covered in complete darkness, but when gifted a few rays of light, it illuminates what was once hidden. In a sense, the moon is a mere reflection of the sun, held up against it like a mirror so that the sun may see itself from within. All the aspects about oneself that cannot be gleaned when blinded by the sun's pure light are revealed on the moon's reflecting surface. This is essentially what a moon sign is: a portal into the inner self that exists in tandem with the sunny core. The moon sign represents how you go about dealing with the emotions you might or might not allow to the surface. While the sun sign can be you at your most resilient, the moon sign is you at your most vulnerable. The moon sign is the subconscious, the intuition, the dreams, and the memories. 

ENGLAND

England is a Pisces moon situated in the 12th house. 

Moon Sign: Pisces (the symbolic Fish, water sign, mutable sign)

Ruled by Neptune, god of the sea, the planet of dreams and illusions

12th house: House of the Unconscious or House of Secrets

Pisces is the symbolic Fish, a set of two fish who represent Aphrodite and Eros, who transformed themselves to escape the monster Typhoon. It is ruled by Neptune, the god of the sea, who represents dreams and illusions in astrology. Pisces is also a mutable sign, meaning it is adaptable just as much as it is restless. 

Pisces are the dreamers of the zodiac. People with the moon in Pisces fall completely in love with a fantasy world of their own creation. They view life through rose-colored glasses and are often given to flights of fancy. Yet individuals with the moon in Pisces are perhaps some of the most compassionate and empathetic human beings. If they find it within themselves to truly care about you, then your joy becomes their joy, and your pain becomes their pain. It sometimes becomes hard for them to differentiate between their own feelings and the feelings of others. If they’re truly connected to someone, they’ll drown beneath the waves of their partner's emotions. Yet their astute perception allows them to understand human nature in all its nuances and subtleties. 

The 12th house is by far the most spiritually intuitive and mysterious area of the birth chart. It is the ruler of the subconscious, vivid, surrealistic dreams, psychic abilities, and dark secrets kept hidden. With the moon already in Pisces, the empathetic nature of the Pisces moon only becomes more emphasised in this house. 

What does this mean for England? It means that he is a highly intuitive person. It means that he is dreamy and imaginative. After all, he loves nothing more than his fairies and his unicorns. It means that he is spiritual and mystical, dabbling in the dark arts and other forms of magic. It means that he is prone to self-sacrifice, willing to place himself in the line of fire to help those more vulnerable and weak. It means that he’s an escapist who finds solace and true peace in his own imagination than he does in the real world. Yet he understands the world better than most, all of its sharp and uncomfortable edges, and he understands people, how easily wounded they are by those hostile edges. He’s empathetic toward their pain, even if sometimes he is the cause of it, and will go out of his way to alleviate it or, at the very least, show remorse. To put it simply, in his heart of hearts, beneath the fiery aura of his Aries rising and the hard exterior of his Capricorn sun, he truly is a compassionate man, oftentimes silly and odd but capable of genuine kindness. He is a natural-born philosopher and artist as well and uses his ethereal nature to craft dreamy melodies and poems that sweep people into a misty daze (in a practical and mundane astrological sense outside of fictional England, think the real England’s production of Shakespeare, Lord Byron, Tolkien and the Beatles). 

He is poetic, mystical, and loves the arcane. He loves the magical.

ENGLAND SUMMARIZED 

England, on the outside, is a fiery-tempered man, driven by intellectual ardor and romantic idealism, in a never-ending pursuit of philosophical beauty wherever it can be unearthed. At his core he is a man who stands tall and sturdy in the face of adversity, who finds comfort in building places and people alike, and who values nothing more than his reputation. Emotionally, he is capable of profound empathy and understanding, sometimes to his own detriment and perhaps even the detriment of others. He is pragmatic yet given to delusions. He is hot-headed and bullish yet as cool as a winter's breeze. A man of multitudes, a tapestry of contradictions, a creature of both the mind and the soul. 

[lord-aldhelm]

Æthelred and Æthelflæd of Mercia: Medieval England’s most important marriage?

Came across This Article yesterday and thought I would share it.

It goes into great detail about Lord Aethelred and Lady Aethelflaed. Aethelred in real life was nothing like he was portrayed in the show or books. He respected King Alfred as his overking, treated Aethelflaed as an equal, and was a competent leader and fought side by side with Edward the Elder. In fact Edward trusted Aethelred and Aethelflaed to foster his firstborn son Aethelstan. Interesting read.

[ivarthebadbitch]

Confession

Aethelstan leaves for Winchester before the funeral. He has ordered a Christian burial, not the pagan pyre Uhtred would have preferred for himself, but the lord of Bebbanburg is dead and has no say in the matter—and at any rate, he was baptized, was he not? There can be but one god and one religion in this country. No more equivocation, no more compromises. Learn or be left behind in the dust of history.

So he goes back to Winchester to be the king they all want him to be: to sit in his father’s chair in his grandfather’s hall by day; to lie alone in his bed and watch the shadows creep across the ceiling and think about dying by night. It is familiar territory for him. When he was a child, he thought of death often—not Heaven and Hell, but the act of dying, of life seeping away from the body. He has seen it many times by now. He has ordered men’s deaths; he himself has killed often enough that he has lost count. He put a knife through his own brother’s ribs and felt his body go rigid with shock. Afterwards, he sought absolution from a priest, but he saved his real confession for Ingilmundr: he was not sorry he did it, and when he thought of Aelfweard, he felt nothing at all.

Ingilmundr had pushed aside the letter he was writing and looked up. What did you think you would feel? he asked. No judgment in his voice, only a note of curiosity.

Guilt, he had answered. Regret. I thought it would be difficult, but it was easy.

Ingilmundr’s death, on the other hand…that had not been easy. He keeps expecting to see him sitting at the desk in the corner of the room, Scriptures in hand, or else down by the stables feeding apples to his favorite brown mare and patting her on the nose. That was where they met; their very first conversation had been about horses and riding. It was only a year ago.

He keeps expecting to see him. He ought to be surrounded by ghosts—not just Ingilmundr, but his father and grandfather, his brother and his mother who he met but once, Uhtred and Osferth and Aldhelm…they should be drifting through his rooms and rattling the windows, he should hear their footsteps in the hall and their whisper in his ear. But they are silent. If they do not strike terror into his heart, neither do they offer words of comfort or advice. They have left him alone in this place.

Sometimes in the privacy of his chambers, he holds his crown in his hands and runs his thumb along the metal as he gazes at his reflection in the window and he thinks—I should have entered the priesthood, I should have run off to Frankia and made my living as a mercenary, I should have bled to death in the forest outside Rumcofa with an assassin’s blade in my belly, I should have…

But it is useless to think of these things—to imagine paths not taken, or the words a dead lover might speak. Aethelstan the boy he left behind long ago; as for Aethelstan the man, he put a blade through his throat and walked away without looking back. Only Aethelstan, King of England, is left. So he puts the crown on his head and steps out the door and becomes a king again.

[fumblingmusings]

i think hima left For the interpretation. But since he looks bigger than England and looks quite near age people usually make him on if the Frankish and Francia too. He's probably western France when the country was divided in three since the middle was quickly swallowed and the western was the part that stayed more or less unchanged through time. I do think his mother died and only then he got to live but I've seen people write him as if he was born much later.

does it change much if he's the son of Frankish though? Wait did he kill his brothers?

I am in no way a French historian - especially mediaeval France. But I know France is a bitch to 'date' because the concept of Frenchness covers a very small area of what's now France, at least until about Napoleon's time.

I agree however! I genuinely think that Charlemagne's empire was its own thing and the splinter into the three Francia's is what sprouted the France, HRE and... assorted dukedoms which eventually got swallowed up by the other two.

I had a draft post where I was desperately vomiting out my issues with carbon dating Francis because he is meant to be older than England but if you say Francis is France and not (West) Francia then Arthur has a good fifty years on him in age right? 927 for Aethelstan versus 987 for the start of the Capetians. Like I'm fairly certain Burgundy, Brittany etc. will have had to have had their own little nations running around. Normandy is also very likely. I know enough about French history to know that for much of the middle ages huge amounts of power lay with the Dukes who swore loyalty to the King of the Franks but that title of King could really be in name only at times etc....

I'm still trying to iron it out. If Francis is older than Arthur... he has to be West Francia. Right? If Gilbert can change who he actually is four times why can't Francis?

It then just makes me go down rabbit holes of 'hey okay wait a second how old is England then', because the concept of English is substantially older than the idea of French.

I'm trying to apply logic to a world system where - just as in real life - the ideology of a nation state is just... not functional (or at least deeply deeply flawed). It's especially not functional as a political unit to make a personification of in 10th century France.

I bet Francis did absolutely knock off the dukedoms one by one if given the chance. Like it took him like 1000 years but he eventually did it with East Francia/HRE too. I'd say more more about Burgundy/Lotharingia/Savoy/Aquitaine but honestly I don't bloody know how the French state functioned until the Bourbons took over. Still, let's say that, if Picardy exists (and is not a gag throw away character which he may well be) and yet Brittany doesn't I will be... very baffled.

I'll stop now. I'm really not knowledgeable in French history to try and iron this out. Also consistency in Hetalia is a losing battle. I know that. Logically. Cough cough.

[mirdaniaa]

you should write something about aethelstan’s sister because it sucks she got cut from the show

He almost does not recognize her at first. She wears the full abbess habit now; his gift to her.

His apology.

“Lord King,” she says with only the tiniest hint of mockery as she rises from the flowerbed, inclining her veiled head.

“Abbess Aedgyth.” He bows so low his nose practically touches the grass.

She laughs, brushing the dirt from the front of her robes. “I wish you had sent word ahead; I fear I am not fit to greet royalty.”

“You are perfectly fit to greet your brother.” He comes forward, wrapping his arms around her.

They hold each other for a long moment. He smells of horse and pine, she of soil and beeswax.

“So,” he says, stepping back at last. “What news of the abbey?”

She laughs again. “The abbey? You have just won a great victory and you come asking for news of the abbey?”

He tucks her hand in the crook of his elbow, leading them on a walk around the garden. “I want to hear about the abbey.”

“One day is much like another. But you know that.”

He nods. “In some ways, I miss it. Always knowing what to expect of the day before it had even begun. I wake up most mornings now and…I never even know what the next hour will bring.” He clears his throat. “And you? You are happy here?”

“I am,” she says, gently squeezing his arm. “Every day is a blessing. Truly.”

“I am glad to hear it,” he says, and lapses into silence.

She glances up at him. “Aethelstan? What is the real reason you have come here?”

He slows to a stop, reluctantly turning to face her. “I feel…lost,” he admits, his voice barely above a whisper. “I do not know who I am anymore. I have lost almost everyone I once counted a friend, most of it from my own doing. I have won this great victory for England, but I do not even know who I can trust to help me lead it.” He draws a deep breath. “You have known me longer than anyone. I need…I need you to help me remember who I am.”

She takes his hand in hers. “I can try,” she says softly.

He squeezes her hand. “That is enough.”

[shebeafancyflapjack]

Just something interesting about the differences between TOTK Ganondorf stealing the gemstone and OOT Ganonforf stealing the triforce, because people have been saying it's the same thing just in a different shape...

Except what's interesting about the Triforce is that Ganondorf doesn't "steal" it, exactly, he earns it. Because lets face it the Three Goddesses are kinda amoral, they grant gifts to those they deem worthy but not out of a desire to "save" Hyrule. Ganondorf gets the Triforce of Power because Din chooses him by how far he goes to acheive it, while Nayru chooses Zelda and Farore chooses Link. But the goddesses won't stop the other pieces from being "taken" if one goes as far to reunite them and gain all three, as what happens in Wind Waker. All three timelines of this Ganondorf keep their Triforce, even after having been defeated or sealed. It's only lost either when Din chooses to take it back, possibly because she doesn't deem Ganondorf worthy anymore, in Twilight Princess, or Link is able to take it like in A Link to the Past or the first Zelda (how Ganondorf got it back between those Idk, I can't deal with the timeline anymore).

Anyway, compare that Sonia's stone which he takes after murdering her, while it does greatly empower him, it's not something that's been divinely gifted like the Triforce. It's actually rather fragile in comparison. The Triforce embeds itself in your soul, as it were, hence why even when the sages tried to execute him in TP the power was still gifted to him by Din to escape. The gemstone however can be shattered by a weapon or just handed at random to any person who touches it. It's much more your typical fantasy mcguffen where it's like "finders keepers". The goddesses no longer play a part in what seemed to be a long game.

In fact there doesn't seem to be any reference to the three goddesses in these new games, only Hylia. And yet we also know these are supposed to take place at the end of the timeline, so far after all the other games.

The only signs of the Triforce we see are on some markings, including the Zonai clothes. So my theory is the Zonai were able to harness the magic of the Triforce and the old gods into their technology, but the goddesses don't really care about those. Part of me suspects the goddesses stopped caring about Hyrule much after Wind Waker, as Ganondorf says they abandoned them (still the creepiest moment from him, ngl).

"But Rauru was the first King of Hyrule!" Uh, yeah...I don't buy that. Not because I think Skyward Link and Zelda founded Hyrule, that's never said, they could have just lived in a small settlement down on the land, nothing big enough to be a kingdom. But also I just feel like it's the Zonai trying to rewrite history in their favour.

For example, if you were to ask someone in England who our first King was, most folk would say William the Conqueror. And this is what most of us were taught in school and that prior to him we were just warring minor kingdoms and at some point the Romans turned up for a bit. But anyone who's watched the Last Kingdom knows it was Alfred the Great who was first called "King of the Anglo Saxons" as opposed to the areas under Scandinavian rule, so some credit him with being the first "King of the English" to some degree, but it was his grandson Aethelstan who would rule over all the land that would become England - and this is all about a century before Will One comes anywhere near the country. But then he takes over and claims those old kings didn't count, he wipes the slate clean despite the land he's King of having existed for centuries, and I suspect Rauru did similar. Don't get me wrong, I think Rauru is a good guy, but Ganondorf rightly calls him out for his arrogance and being a conquerer, and I think a huge part of Ganondorf launching his attacks was a fear of having the Gerudo, his people, submit to another King like the other races did.

Another point to add is that Ganondorf comments about Rauru marrying a "Hyrulean" woman, implying the land was known as Hyrule before Rauru took power. We know he also got the other races to bow to him as well. We don't know what this Hyrule was before Rauru, maybe a scatter of settlements like early England or maybe it was the newly formed land Link and Tetra find after Wind Waker, who knows. This is why I think even the events we are shown in the tears are events still happening at the end of the timeline and the next 10,000 years are all part of this new era unique to these new open world games, as opposed to a reiminagining of the events of Ocarina of Time. Because for me there's too many differences for them to be the same event, the lack of the Triforce being the main one. This is instead more of Hyrule repeating the events Demise cursed upon them back at the beginning of it all. Or it could be his curse coming to full fruition after tens of thousands of years, as Ganondorf physically resembles him by the end more than ever before. In short, this Ganondorf is not the same as in OOT, TP or Wind Waker.

I'm curious to see if the Triforce will ever make a real return in the series, but I also feel like Nintendo are enjoying not feeling obliged to use it in every Zelda (lets be honest it was a little forced and underwritten in SS).

[going-home-when]

I just finished The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die and…

what a roller coaster.

⚠️SPOILER WARNING!⚠️

not only did we get Aethelstan and his gay lover turned enemy but they kill the main character in one of the most beautiful ways possible. the talk of Aethelstan’s guilt for sleeping with a man and the sin that it was seen as made for a stunning scene (at least for me) when Uhtred told him that it didn’t matter who he was with as long as he was on the right path.

the battle was so beautiful and it felt like you were truely seeing the struggle that the men of England were facing. The plot, although not fully revealed until certain parts was actually well constructed (in my opinion) and finished with a conclusion that not only was one of the best ways I have seen a series end but was done so in a way that there is a sense of closure to it.

uhtred is now in valhalla, with his danish father ragnar the elder, brida, haestan and clappa. I would have liked to see his brother Ragnar, Father Beocca and even Leofric waiting for him as well. But I think the addition of Ragnar the elder was so amazing.

The film progressed at an amazing pace that kept you waiting to see what was next, all while ripping your heart out over the fate of some people. Finan and his wife, Engrid (Ingrid?) and her death scene was…

It hurt. So did Aldhelm and his hanging. He was a character I liked and for him to have died being seen as a traitor was awful.

The narrative of the entire movie was well balanced and much of the narrating from both Uhtred and Finan was amazing. Uhtred and his speeches will always be something to remember.

I may have cried at the end. His death speech was something. And I really did love the entire movie and show. My brother and my parents watched it with me, although I started it and they joined in.

But it was beautifully written and now I am going to read the books.

*Damn, this is a long rant but none of my friends watched it so now I can only watch youtube videos and scroll through tumblr about it :/

[emilyhufflepufftlk]

Review of Seven Kings Must Die

I feel like people are going to have mixed feelings towards this film, however I really liked it and I think it did a good job within the constraints it had. Could it have been better as a whole season? Probably. But I think it was still a fitting way to end TLK.

Overall an 8.5/10 from me. I have written a very detailed review (lots of spoilers!!!!) under the cut. It is perhaps too detailed - I got carried away lol.

First things first, I loved the opening credits with the extended title sequence. Loved that it incorporated the original title art alongside movie specific sequences. Also the fact that the music started off different and then went into the iconic TLK theme was great, signalling that the film is both it's own thing and part of the TLK story. I have always loved the way they use the titles as a storytelling device, like how they changed it for season 5 to make Northumbria the 'last kingdom' rather than Wessex, so I thought changing it to have the burning start in Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man etc where the 'kings' in the film were from was really effective. Maybe it's the nerd in me, but I love these kind of details.

Finan doing the voice over was interesting as we've never had anyone else but Uhtred do the narration. It gave a different perspective from what we usually get which was cool. I also like to think that this was Finan telling the story of how Uhtred made England happen after Uhtred's death (I know it was left opened ended, but I personally think Uhtred did go to Valhalla at the end) which is cool as Uhtred always said he would live on in the songs his men will tell of him (thinking about his dialogue with Alfred in 3.09).

I was fine with Ingrith having the 'prophesy'. Yes it kind of came out of nowhere but it didn't really matter - by that I mean if she had not had the vision nothing would have changed, Uhtred was not acting on her advice or took real heed of it, in fact he shrugged it off. Having the prophesy gave us extra intrigue and the twist that 'the woman you love' was directed at Finan and she was the one to die was surprising and I thought well done. I did like that it was the sons of kings that died rather than the kings themselves, especially after the kings talked about how having an heir meant their kingdoms would live on.

In terms of the new characters, I cannot say they were particularly memorable (with the exception of Ingilmundr who I will talk about later). We did not get much of a chance to get to know them which is to be expected due to time constraints. I personally didn't mind this as I think most movies have a similar problem so I am used to it. I think the kings served their role for the plot and I was fine with not knowing much about them. Same for the Danes, they served their purpose plot wise. It would have been nice to have a bit more focus on Astrid (the Dane's daughter who spied on the Saxons) but I'm not that fussed about it.

Onto Ingilmundr - I thought he was an excellent antagonist. He was everything Aethelhelm was trying to be. I think with Aethelhelm in season 5, he felt a bit too much like a comic book villain to me, I kept expecting him to break out into cackles of evil laughter. But Ingilmundr felt more real and I thought the actor's performance was very good. He was manipulative without being too obvious. I also liked how he was the opposite of Uhtred - born Dane, taught Saxon ways and eventually betraying them for the people of his birth (just like how Uhtred was born Saxon, grew up Dane, but in the end chose to serve Saxon kings).

I was pleased that they gave Aethelstan a male lover as I believe it's referenced in the books (I have not read them personally) and I didn't know if Netflix had the balls to do it. I think it added to the manipulation and helped to explain why Aethelstan was so easily influenced by him (as I feel like Aethelstan genuinely cared for/loved him). It also makes the sense of betrayal on Aethelstan's part greater and I thought that was portrayed well.

In terms of Aethelstan in general, I think the writer's did a good job building him up to be the antagonist in the beginning third of the film. Him killing his brother in cold blood after the surrender clearly signalled he'd changed from who we met in season 5 and showed how Ingilmundr influenced him. Killing Aldhelm really shocked me and made me SOB (especially how he went calmly and accepted his fate). As much as I hated to see Aldhelm die as he had grown to become one of my favourite characters over the course of the series, I think his death was effective. It showed that Aethelstan had gone mad from paranoia and how lost he rally was, both to the audience and the characters - it's only when Uhtred sees Aldhelm's body does he realise what Aethelstan is capable of and realises he isn't the young man he had raised.

The change from Aethelstan being an antagonist to siding with Uhtred was a little abrupt and could have been done better over the course of a whole season, but I still thought it worked. Harry Gilby did a good job with the scenes he had, from the denial when Uhtred first tells him of Ingilmundr's betrayal to the acceptance and guilt when he discovers the truth.

The attack on Bebbanburg and the killing of Ingrith and the rest of the people was gut wrenching but thinking about it in hindsight I wonder what purpose it served? They would have still gone to look for their sons regardless. I guess it made Uhtred feel totally defeated and maybe alerted them to the immediate danger but I feel like it wasn't necessary. Ingrith's death destroyed me, mainly because of Mark's acting - that man knows how to sell an emotional scene! His scream and the sobbing was soul destroying. However, what really took me out of this moment was wondering where the hell Sihtric's wife and kids are? I guess they no longer exist?

There were lots of characters that were absent without explanation. This always happens when a series with a whole range of characters developed over many seasons have to condense down into a two hour film - it happened with Downton Abbey, although I feel like the writers of the Downton movie at least gave missing characters reasons for not being there. I didn't care so much about Hild or Eadith as much as I love them as I don't see what role they would have played in the plot anyway, but I feel like they should have at least explained Stiorra's absence as it feels odd she didn't come to Uhtred/Bebbanburg's aid if she had been able to.

I liked the introduction of Osbert and Edmund, although we didn't get much of them. I don't think there was time in the movie to address the whole 'Uhtred abandoning Osbert for most of his childhood' and I guess there has been a big enough time jump to assume they have worked out their differences. I also liked the fact Osbert protected and trained Edmund, it feels like it's carrying on the legacy of Uhtred teaching and protecting Edward.

I was glad that Eadgifu's characterisation was the same as in season 5 despite the change in actress. Her friendship with Uhtred was a surprise but worked well.

We didn't get a whole lot of Finan and Sihtric which was sad but was what I expected. There really wasn't time for side plots which means Finan's past is reserved for fanfic alone. I did like how they inferred Finan was getting older (falling asleep, sore arse etc) which at least acknowledges the fact that these guys should be like 80 by now lmao.

As always in TLK they travelled across the country in what seemed like no time at all - however I feel like although we didn't get extended scenes of them travelling places, the length of time it takes to get to places was acknowledged: when they get to the cave where the residents of Bebbanburg were imprisoned, it's said that Ingrith last spoke three days before they got there, which at least signals that time has passed since Uhtred left and not five seconds like it feels in the movie.

Something both the movie and Season 5 did was show the barbarity of the Christians. I feel like in previous seasons it was always presented as the Danes being the savages that rape and pillage and leave destruction in their wake, whilst in Season 5 we saw in the massacre at Rumcofa Christians doing the murdering and we saw it again here with them slaughtering everyone in Aegelesburg even after they surrendered and the burning of the Scottish settlements etc. I think this gives the show more nuance and makes it less black and white.

The end battle was epic. I loved that it was a return to the standard shield wall which was so iconic in the series but I feel like they moved away from in seasons 4 and 5. The tactics of moving them around so they could attack them from behind was clever, especially as I didn't realise that was what they were doing. The putting down of spikes in front of them was also such a cool idea. The whole battle reminded me a lot of Ethendun and so it feels like we've come full circle. I really thought Pyrlig was going to be another Leofric, but he miraculously survived yet again. Honestly I think this man is invincible - he's been stabbed TWICE, tortured, walked for miles and been through numerous battles. I love Pyrlig so I'm not complaining lol.

I thought Uhtred was going to die laying on the battlefield. I can't decide if I would have preferred him going down with a blaze of glory on the battlefield rather than the ending we got, but it was still emotional seeing him fight on whilst bleeding out. Sihtric and Finan finding him afterwards also made me tear up.

Uhtred seeing the feast hall of Valhalla with his friends laughing together was very emotional and I really liked it. It would have been nice to have seen Young Ragnar, Gisela and Thyra (although maybe Thyra is in heaven with Beocca) there alongside them but I know the actors were probably unavailable.

The fact that they don't specify if Uhtred lived or died was clever, especially with Finan's voice over saying that the chronicles didn't record his fate. It ties into this idea that Uhtred was written out of history, again linking back to his dialogue with Alfred in 3.09. I like the idea that we can pretend that the events in TLK did happen, that the Uhtred we know did exist, just it wasn't included in the chronicles.

I loved that the ending shot was modern Bambrugh castle, showing that the thing Uhtred fought so hard for lives on. Bebbanburg was such an important part of the show; even in Season 3 when we don't go to Bebbanburg at all, it still looms over the show and everything Uhtred does. It's also integrally linked to Uhtred's 'destiny' and as we know 'destiny is all'. The way the camera pans away in that final shot reminds me a bit of the last shot of Season 5 which ties the endings together.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and I thought it was done well. As always with TLK the costumes, hair and makeup, stunts, fight scenes and music were awesome. The crew really outdid themselves. I do think that it would have benefitted from having a bit more space to expand on certain plot points and it would have been more effective as a whole season, however, I am really glad we got this movie and saw the creation of England which (alongside Uhtred reclaiming Bebbanburg) has always been the biggest theme running through the series.

I can't believe TLK is really over. I might cry. I will miss it dearly.

[kaitlin-kate]

Another fun thing here. I have this feeling Rhys is worried one day Feyre can look back and see what damage Rhys done to her or her family. Lol, I am a big believer that Rhys is paranoid Nesta hasnt bow and kiss his ass because Nesta is in a huge position to slap reality to Feyre and pull Feyre from this IC bubble.

Lets be real, I doubt Feyre even understand how society work. She dont even understand why Tamlin threw party and introduce her FORMALLY with respect to his court member. As opposed of Rhys introducing Feyre as his whore. Yeah, i acknowlegde Tamlin has done bad thing abd ignoring feyre feeling and freedom but this man wanted Feyre to be respected in his court. Introducing her formally.does that, it give her access to see who is the team player in Spring Court.

Whereas Rhys, totally stripping Feyre chances of being respected in the curt where they held tight to their classis and aristocracy practice. Velaris seem like exception but what does this 1/3 court have compare to 2/3 of the Night court?

And I see nesta, someone who has help her father with the business and managing parties, manor and part of society might have at least an insight of how it work. Really,Elain and Nesta have chances of pulling Feyre out of this IC bubble. Feyre dont even have friends outside IC. She don't even seem bothered by it.

So i was thinking the death pact also make it impossible for Feyre to leaves NC , especially Rhys. In term of law right, Feyre is still Spring Court bride. What has Rhys does to annul this engagement? And this engagement is well known across Prythian. Their mating bond? Last I check, their mating ceremony were private and not announce. Out of nowhere Rhys announce Feyre as High Lady but their marital status is not convincing to me.

Why I am concern over marital status legally? Because marital status can help a lot when it come succession, wife and husband right and the children right. Can feyre have claim on rhys treasure in case Rhys die without the death pact? Yes, her name is put on the account but what about the inheritance traditon/law in Prythian? To whom this treasure will go first? Their son? The wife?

If Feyre is not legally and declared wife, can she claim it? Can she manage the court and send in command if she has not legal status in Nigh Court? Will the NC take her command? Then if they have children? Is he consider a bastard or legal child? I really curious what Rhys does to annul the engagement between Tamlin and Feyre. Even Cresseida of Summer Curt acknowledge this you know. And Rhys is irked by it.

Hence why I think he pushed the death lact along with submission of Nesta into IC. Molded into a good docile wife of the NC general

Rhysand doesn't seem like a fool. The fact, for me at least, seems to be his way of making sure she stands by his side. And your theory about Nesta is amazing. I haven't really thought about Nesta showing Feyre the truth, but that makes so much sense.

I don't really know about Prytian politics, but I know that, as their marriage was done in secret, there should have been at least a witness. Also, if they don't have a witness, and Rhysand dies, others might claim the right to the throne, saying Nyx is a bastard, especially if the magic doesn't chose him (like, I bearly know what that means).

Also, the Court of Nightmares and the Ilyrians might not want him as High Lord, claiming he is a bastard. And if that happens, the Night Court will be in civil war.

The thing is, I can't really answer your questions because Sjm doesn't give us enough information about the Night Court's laws. For example, if those laws would be like during Anglo-Saxon England (before all the kingdoms were united), Nyx could be High Lord (in Anglo-Saxon England, the Witan decided who would be king ( and there is even a similar situation with King Aethelstan who was allegedly a bastard, but he became the first King of England). But if the laws are like in the Middle Age, Nyx could be simply considered a bastard and not allowed to take the throne.

Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing. The thing with "the magic chooses the High Lord" is weird, and Sjm doesn't give us enough details. How does the magic makes a choice? And how does the chosen know they have been chosen?

It would be great if Feyre would look back and see what Rhysand actually did to her, but Sjm seems to love him...