Anraedin theirUnraed: The Æthelredian Annals (983–1016) and their Presentation of King and Advisors

Abstract

The unknown author of the Æthelredian annals is often given credit for influencing modern opinion of Æthelred II’s reign in an unduly negative way. This study stems from a close reading of the annals written for Æthelred’s reign, seeking to show that the main motivation for the chronicler behind these annals was not to conduct a retrospective smear campaign, emphasising Æthelred’s failures as a king, but rather to make sense of a political situation which resulted in conquest. This chronicler, without seeking to exonerate Æthelred, puts his actions in the context of a system which was falling apart. References to bad advice (unræd) given by the king’s advisors abound, and also to a lack of cohesion and unity (anræd) at almost every level in society. This perspective mirrors that of other texts and documentary evidence produced during Æthelred’s reign, reflecting contemporary discussions on the changing nature of lordship bonds in an expanding English kingdom, and resulting questions around the nature of loyalty.

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