Welcome to the British History Podcast. My name is Jamie and this is episode 186,

Wessex, a story of myth building, opportunism, and annexation.

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If you're interested in supporting the show and helping us out, you can do so over at

the British History Podcast.com and thank you very much to Sarah, Josh, and Andrea for

contributing already.

Now this episode is going to get a bit into the political weeds and it's for a very important

reason. We're seeing the development of that diagnostic juggernaut we've all come to know

and love, the House of Wessex. And I want you to see how and why it's forming into what

it will eventually become. Because the successes of Alfred and the later successes of King

Aethelstan, who was the first King of England, all flow from the things that were set into

motion during these early days of the Viking era. So please keep that in mind when we're talking

about what the various dynasties were doing because it really does matter even though most people

don't usually talk about it. Alright, let's get to it. It's the year 852. Mercia had recently lost

to a Vikinger fleet that was reportedly 350 ships strong. And then the West Saxon kings,

Aethelwolf and his son, Aethelstan, arrived with a massive contingent of warbands and showed them

how they did it on the west side. Following their victory, it appears that the West Saxon sphere

of influence was expanding into Mercia because coins began to be issued, picturing both Aethelwolf

of West Sax and Burtwolf of Mercia. And this makes a certain amount of sense. Mercia could not defend

London, and now there was a new power in the south consolidating and reorganizing so effectively

that it was able to destroy the same army which had defeated the King of Mercia and looted London.

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