A/N
2 days until Seven Kings Must Die!
Can't believe how long we have all waited, and it is finally within sight.
So...
What should be in the film?
We know that Constantine and Edward have parted from Bebbanburg (according to the end of Series 5).
The last three books, War of the Wolf, Sword of Kings and War Lord are what is left of the story.
IMDB lists writers as being Bernard Cornwell and Martha Hillier, which leaves me very happy that the last three books have been adapted by the author himself (who has a degree in history, if you can't already tell from the books!)
War of the Wolf was where we heard about Aethelflaed's death, which obviously was covered in S5; here Eoforwic is re-established by Norse and Danes, and one of the Skallargrimmrson brothers joins Uhtred's band. The story is very loose, and includes Uhtred's elder son being given the (fictional) Bishopric of Ceastre (Chester), establishing a link there, ready for the setting for Brunanburh being on the Wirral (more below). Eadith and he are married at this point, and she plays a low-key role at Bebbanburg.
However, cast-wise, a lot of roles have doubled up, and I can't see cast members being there if they are just going to have a tiny bit part - she is not listed as a main cast member, so maybe they have it written that she is, or that Uhtred and Eadith don't get together at all, seeing as Uhtred's attention changes in the next book. No Aelfflaed, Aethelflaed's daughter, ready to run off to obsurity, if the film takes a non-historical turn.
Sword of Kings focuses in Aethelstan's claim for the throne supported by Mercia (IRL) and Uhtred after Edward dies (this is in the trailer, so we might well have skipped all of WW). Wessex, of course, supports Aelfweard (that's if he has escaped his prison cell in Bebbanburg - S5!) For time, they could put white text at the beginning explaining this, and thus cutting out most of this book, because...2 hours, folks, to cover 3 books, which, at the previous rate of 2 books per 10 episodes, should calculate to be 15 episodes (15 hours!)
SK also focuses on Uhtred protecting Eadgifu and Edward's two sons, one of which, Edmund, is historically at Brunanburg, as a general, though how big a part he played IRL is difficult to determine as there are no direct sources, only the Anglo Saxon chronicle written after the "Great War" as it was called, and Egil Skallargrimmrson's account, in the Icelandic sagas. In SK, Uhtred also rescues several waif and stray children who were destined for slave markets, and meets Benedetta, who is Eadgifu's slave, and takes her with him back to Bebbanburg (knowing that Eadith is still alive, although a plague had hit, very conveniently, in the last 2 pages of this book, wiping out Sygtryggr - who wasn't killed by Uhtred, unlike S5, and Sygtryggr and Stiorra's children, of whom they had two, and also Eadith - very convenient, BC, so Uhtred could bring back Benedetta!)
Aethelstan is also crowned on the bridge crossing the Thames, so he represents Mercia and Wessex (on either bank) and styles himself Rex Anglorum Totaiae - this is on coins minted of Aethelstan at the time.
URGENT! If you haven't seen Michael Wood's late 70s/early 80's series "In search of..." Look on Youtube, and find "In search of Athelstan" - it is SO interesting. Aethelstan is also in the third of the three episodes of "Alfred and the Anglo Saxons" (the other two being, obviously, Alfred, and the second, Aethelflaed (poor Edward the Elder being done over by the historians yet again!) This second series was from the BBC, from about 2013/2014, and again some can often be found on Youtube.
War Lord was by far the most Aethelstan detail-heavy, with Aethelstan insisting Uhtred hand over Bebbanburg, lest Constantine gets it (although, this might well have been resolved at the end of S5). A lot of this book is covering the history, with various little sub plots of how Uhtred is trying to stay out of Aethelstan's way, so he does not get drawn into the inevitable battle which he is guessing is coming (and has to be coming, otherwise, the main "fact" about Aethelstan's reign would be missing, which would make no sense! Although, never mentioning in the series that Uhtred was Aethelred's cousin through his real mother also made no sense, because it would have helped explain why he was interested in Bjorn the "dead" propheseer, and why he was accepted as the Lord of Mercia, before handing over to Aethelflaed.
Hey, ho.
No Merewalh here - Aldhelm is listed so he will be the Mercian advisor still, and Inglmundr, a very close advisor to Aethelstan (book implications that he likes "fine things", and alluding to the possible contemporary rumours that he was unmarried, because he liked the company of men). However, with Edmund, his next younger brother, mum Eadgifu, alive, it could equally be that there are new threats to Wessex and Mercia (and eventually, England) and enough bloodline of Edward needs to be preserved. (Edmund, in history, is a very good king, its a pity we don't see this in TLK).
Benedetta is a refreshing delight, overlooking the fact that she has a feminised version of Bernard Cornwell's name. She doesn't want to marry Uhtred, but stays with him and genuinely cares about him, and he her. No disparaging comments about her, no lengthy lewd descriptions, "book" Uhtred has genuinely found the love of his life, even so late in life for him (better late than never).
"The Queen's Lady in Waiting" is listed in IMDB, which is what Benedetta was, so my hope is that she makes an appearance (gutting for my theory that Eadith and Uhtred get together - why waste all that time with Eadith and Finan - they could have given a few details at the start of S5, because the "reunion" at Rumfcofa was EMBARRASSING! And for what? Nothing, that's what! (Or, I don't think nothing. Unless, Eadith is established at the beginning, and they argue, or it is mentioned in a text-over that they married and she died?)
WL covers from Aethelstan's crowning to Brunanburh, with the key, scant, details of his reign covered (Eoforwic taken and the Norse/Danes expelled - which makes sense given how Eoforwic was left). Given the time they have to cover this, I have this strong sense that Guthfrith is going to be left out (he doesn't seem to be there on IMDB, nor Anlaf, Constantine's chief ally, to whom he had "promised" Eoforwic.
Key scenes here might be the of the kings he summons to Winchester and Cirencester who he makes swear allegiance to him, though this is barely mentioned in the book. What is mentioned is Eamont Bridge, where Aethelstan, reaching his most northerly point of the western part of Northumbria (Cumbraland), calls for a meeting and each faction swear loyalty to him, including Constantine, who was summoned to the other meetings but didn't go. This is covered in detail in the books and is a key point, because less than two years later, Brunanburh, and may well explain why - maybe kings can only be asked so many times to swear fealty without being pissed off!
In Michael Wood's 2013 series, a detail which I hadn't heard before cropped up, that a Welsh poem/story had been written shortly after Eamont Bridge and instructs the "Celtic" nations to "Drive the Saxons back into the sea whence they came" and ethnically cleanse Britain of the Angles and Saxons, which might explain why the Alba kingdoms, the Irish Norse and the Welsh kings banded together against the Saxons.
Brunanburh is placed well and truly on the Wirral, just outside Ceastre - this was alluded to in a previous book where the foundations of this burh had been being built.
Michael Livingston's book gives archaeological and place-name evidence for its siting there too, that Norse came over from Dublin easily that way and Constantine south either by ship and up the Humber and marching west, or picking up Owain of Strathclyde on the way and heading down the west coast.
However, Constantine might well have gone up the Humber, because there are reports that he created sporadic hit and run skirmishes as far south as Warwickshire (a quick turn west and he would be there at the Wirral, waiting for Anlaf.
Michael Wood uses accounts written in the 12th century that both Constantine and Anlaf and all the ships went in at the mouth of the Humber, and puts the battle just south of Doncaster.
In a recent History podcast, Michael Wood says he is planning a biograpy of Aethelstan for 2025, so there is something to look forward to.
So, the film title - could be seven actual kings - they could screw Alba history and make Constantine one of them (in reality, his son, Cellach, died), but the battle wasn't clear cut to make Aethelstan the victor. However what it did do was consolidate the Anglish and Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarcy) into one, as they faced the Norse/Dane threat - again - and a new threat, from the Gaels/Picts/Strathclyde Welsh and the Britons (Welsh).
ENJOY! (and I wish Osthryth could have been there, like in Shadowkin!)