Edward the Elder reigned for a quarter of a century, during which time he achieved considerable military success, yet he remains a poorly understood figure. The relative obscurity of this king is undoubtedly due to the paucity of surviving evidence and, indeed, the absence of a rich contemporary narrative comparable with
Asser’s Vita Æ;lfredi, a biography of Edward’s father. Instead, Edward’s reign must be assessed primarily through the laconic entries in the varying recensions of the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, through the analysis of contemporary charters and coinage, and through the insights of archaeological excavations. Later medieval writers offer additional information that needs to be treated with caution. As a result of such challenging sources, medieval and modern historians…
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Citation: Gallagher, Robert. "Reign of Edward the Elder". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 July 2015 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=1447, accessed 21 November 2024.]
