Studying at York
From Alfred to Edward the Confessor: The House of Wessex & the Conquest of 'England' - CED00150C
- Department: Centre for Lifelong Learning
- Module co-ordinator: Mrs. Gillian Waters
- Credit value: 10 credits
- Credit level: C
- Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
Module summary
How did Alfred of Wessex halt the Danish invasions? How did Athelstan of Wessex and his descendants consolidate these victories and conquer York and Northumbria? This module will consider the origins and early expansion of the Kingdom of Wessex, from Alfred and the Viking Wars of the 9th century, to the revival of the House of Wessex under Edward the Confessor. This module will explore how the concept of an "England"; was created through military conquest, legislation, language, literature and the church.
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Autumn Term 2022-23 |
Module aims
The module will consider the origins and early expansion of the Kingdom of Wessex, Alfred and the Viking Wars of the ninth century, Athelstan and the conquest of York, the conquest of Northumbria, Aethelraed and the Danish invasions and the revival of the House of Wessex under Edward the Confessor. The module will explore how the concept of an ‘England’ was created through such mechanisms as military conquest, legislation, language and literature and the church to achieve political unification (‘England’) and create a common ‘English’ culture.
This module aims to:
- Introduce students to the creation of the Anglo-Saxon state of ‘England’ by the House of Wessex
- Use contemporary literature, images and artefacts, (virtual, visual or tactile), to reconstruct the history of the conquest of ‘England’ and the creation of a common ‘English’ culture
- Introduce students to the origins of the House of Wessex, how the House of Wessex conquered ‘England’ and how their rule was consolidated
- Analyse the importance of mechanisms such as military conquest, legislation, language and literature and the church in the creation of the ‘English’ state.
Module learning outcomes
Subject content
- To understand how and why the House of Wessex re-conquered the Anglo-Saxon peoples of the Island of Britain
- To identity, assess and evaluate key turning points, significant events and key individuals in the creation of the ‘English’ state.
Academic and graduate skills
- To critically evaluate contemporary source material- textual, images and artefacts (virtual or tactile)
- To critically evaluate historical articles and deconstruct popular reconstructions and reinterpretations.
Indicative assessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework 2000 word essay |
N/A | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | Length | % of module mark |
|---|---|---|
| Essay/coursework 2000 word essay |
N/A | 100 |
Module feedback
The tutor will give regular individual verbal and written feedback throughout the module on work submitted.
The assessment feedback is as per the university’s guidelines with regard to timings.
Indicative reading
- Abels, R (1998). Alfred the Great: War, Kingship and Culture in Anglo-Saxon England. Longman.
- Dumville, D (1992). Wessex and England from Alfred to Edgar: Six Essays on Political, Cultural, and Ecclesiastical Revival. Boydell Press.
- Foot, S (2011). Æthelstan: The First King of England. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
- Higham, N and Hill, D (2001). Edward the Elder. Routledge.
- Higham, N and Martin J (2013). The Anglo-Saxon World.
- Hill, Paul (2004). The Age of Athelstan: Britain's Forgotten History. Tempus Publishing.
- Lavelle, R (2008). Aethelred II: King of the English 978–1016 (New ed.). Stroud, Gloucestershire: The History Press.
- Mortimer, Richard (ed.) (2009). Edward the Confessor: The Man and the Legend, The Boydell Press, Woodbridge.
- Molyneaux, George (2015). The Formation of the English Kingdom in the Tenth Century. Oxford University Press.
- Rex, Peter (2008). King & Saint: The Life of Edward the Confessor, The History Press, Stroud.
- Scragg, Donald (2014). Edgar King of the English: New Interpretations. The Boydell Press.
- Stafford, Pauline (1989). Unification and Conquest. A Political and Social History of England in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries. London.
- Williams, Ann (2003). Æthelred the Unready: The Ill-Counselled King.
- Yorke, Barbara (1995). Wessex in the Early Middle Ages, London: Leicester University Press.