Guerreros históricos, héroes épicos, personajes de ficciónel otro legado de Alfredo el Grande
ISSN: 1135-125X
Year of publication: 2005
Issue: 13
Pages: 133-162
Type: Article
More publications in: Cuadernos del CEMYR
Abstract
This article considers three of King Alfred’s descendants as warriors and epic heroes: his grandsons Æthelstan and Eadmund, and his elder daughter Æthelflæd, «Lady of the Mercians», with particular attention to the latter, and her contribution to the fight against the vikings and the ultimate shaping of England as a nation. Their characterisation as epic heroes departs from the models in Anglo-Saxon epic poetry, especially Beowulf and Judith. Some brief notes on fiction works of various kinds dealing with Alfred the Great and his descendants complete the study.