Who was the first English king. Egbert the Great: biography Relations with Northumbria

Wessex retained control of the south-eastern kingdoms (with the possible exception of Essex). Mercia was unable to regain its control over East Anglia. Egbert's victories put an end to the independent existence of the kingdoms of Kent and Sussex. The conquered territories, including Surrey and possibly Essex, were ruled for a time as a dependent kingdom of Wessex by Ecbert's son Æthelwulf. Although he was subordinate to his father, Aethelwulf maintained his own royal court, with which he traveled throughout the lands of his kingdom. Documents published in Kent describe Egbert and Æthelwulf as "kings of the West Saxons and also the people of Kent."

Norman threat

At the end of his reign, Egbert had to face a new danger - attacks by the Viking Danes. In 835, the Vikings devastated the island of Shepi. In 836, the Danes landed on 35 ships near the city of Dorchester. At the Battle of Charmouth (Carhampton) they defeated Egbert's army and drove him from the battlefield. Wessex, which rallied the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms around itself and was less accessible to Danish raids than other areas, became the center of resistance to the conquerors. While Egbert's reign continued, the Normans could only land in the northern regions, where they plundered churches and monasteries.

A year before Egbert's death, in 838, the Britons of Cornwall rebelled. Some evidence suggests that the rebellion in Cornwall was instigated and supported by the Vikings. The Normans arrived in England with huge naval forces and united with the rebels. However, Egbert managed to defeat the army of Danes and Britons at the Battle of Hingston Down, in the vicinity of Plymouth in Cornwall. Although royal dynasty Dumnonia continued to exist in the future, but it is believed that it was on this date that the independence of the last British kingdom ended. Details of the expansion of Anglo-Saxon influence in Cornwall are not known, but some evidence can be gleaned from place names. The River Ottery, which flows east into the Tamar near Launceston, appears to have been a natural boundary: south of the Ottery all place names have Cornish names, while north of it they are to a greater extent influenced by the newly arrived Anglo-Saxons.

Domestic policy

In his enterprises, Egbert found great support from the Church. Egbert's wealth, acquired through conquest, no doubt enabled him to buy the support of the clergy of south-east England. At the council of Kingston-upon-Thames in 838, Egbert and Aethelwulf granted land to the dioceses of Winchester and Kent erbury in return for a promise to support Aethelwulf on the throne. The Archbishop of Kent, Ceolnoth, also recognized Egbert and Aethelwulf as lords and protectors of the monasteries under his control. These agreements, along with a later document in which Æthelwulf confirmed ecclesiastical privileges, suggest that the Church recognized that Wessex was a new political power to be reckoned with: a united state could more easily withstand the fight against the pagans.

The clergy ordained the king at the coronation ceremony, and helped write the will that determined the king's heir; their support was valuable in establishing West Saxon control over neighboring kingdoms and in supporting the hereditary succession of power for the Egbert dynasty. Both the report of the council of Kingston and another document of the same year contain identical expressions: that the condition of the grant of these lands would be that “we ourselves and our heirs thereafter shall always have a stable and unshakable friendship with Archbishop Ceolnoth and his congregation in Church of Christ." Although nothing is known of any other claimants to the throne of Wessex, there were likely other surviving descendants of Cerdic (the legendary founder of the Wessex dynasty) who may have vied for power over that kingdom.

After Egbert's death, according to his will, as expressed in a document by his grandson, Alfred the Great, all acquired land was transferred only to male members of his family, so that the royal family's fortune would not be lost through marriage. The frugality expressed in his will indicates that he understood the importance of the king's personal wealth.

EGBERT

King of the Saxon dynasty, who ruled England from 800 to 836. J.: Redburga. Died 836

In his youth, Egbert was forced to flee from his hereditary possession of Wessex, which Briterich took possession of. Egbert went to the court of Charlemagne and returned only in 800, after the death of Briterich. The people immediately recognized him as king. Egbert soon annexed Cornwall to Wessex and forced the other southern British kingdoms to pay tribute. He mercilessly devastated rebellious Wales with fire and sword, even burning down the episcopal residence of St. David's. 23 years after the start of his reign, Egbert came to the aid of the king of Ostanglia, who asked him to protect him from the insults of the king of Mercia. Knowing the upset state of Mercia, Egbert willingly agreed to take the East English king under his protection. At the bloody battle of Ellendun he defeated Beornwulf, who was then king of Mercia; two years later, Beornwulf was killed in a battle with the Ostangles. Then, in 825, Egbert conquered Mercia, the most powerful of those states that still remained outside his control. This decided the fate of Kent and Essex, which were dependent on Mercia. Their kings were driven out and replaced by others on whose loyalty Egbert could rely. After this, Sussex was conquered, the kings and nobles of which recognized the supreme power of Egbert; he went to Northumbria, its king met him with a request for peace, promised to pay tribute and gave hostages. Thus the king of Wessex became the supreme sovereign of all England. Only in the mountains of Wales, distant Camberland, did weak tribes still retain their independence, but due to their powerlessness they were not dangerous. But the king had to face a new danger: in 832 and 835. Danish Vikings landed in England and carried out devastating campaigns. After several unsuccessful battles with the Normans, Egbert defeated and drove them away. Shortly before his death, he took Chester, the capital of one of the Welsh principalities, and ordered all residents to leave the state.

Monarchs. 2012

The beginning of England

The history of England is inextricably linked with invasions. The first tribes that invaded its territory were the Germanic tribes of the Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Frisians. These tribes created several states in Britain. However, hominids appeared on the island earlier. During two centuries BC (IX-VIII), the Celts migrated to Britain. In I AD. they came under Roman rule.

The end of Roman power came in 410 AD. The Anlo-Saxons sharply invaded, who formed 7 of their kingdoms and became the main rulers in this land, except for the territory of Wales and Scotland.

In the 9th century, periodic Viking raids began on English soil. At the beginning of the 11th century. England was ruled by Danish kings. In 1066, Norman troops invaded the lands of England and conquered the country. During the Middle Ages, England went through many civil wars and battles with other European nations (including the Hundred Years' War).

First King of England

The first king of England is considered to be Egbert, who was the ruler in 802-839. Historians consider Egbert to be the first king of England, because. he united most of the lands of England under one ruler. Egbert himself did not officially use the title of king; Alfred the Great used it in his title.

Egbert belongs to a side branch of the Wessex dynasty. This dynasty did not occupy the throne of Wessex for several generations. King Cynewulf of Wessex was killed in 786, leaving the throne empty. Egbert did not receive the throne immediately. At first he fought for him, but lost and found refuge at the court of Charlemagne, where he spent three (III) years. According to other sources, his period of stay under Charlemagne was 13 (XIII) years. There may have been a copyist error. One way or another, Egbert left his country in 789.

Egbert's stay at the court of Charlemagne benefited him. He studied the art of war and mastered the science of government. In 802, Egbert becomes king of Wessex with the support of Charlemagne and the Pope.

After 23 years of his reign, in 825, Egbert defeated Bernwulf, king of Mercia, at the Battle of Ellendun. The consequence of this battle was the recognition of Wessex's dominance throughout England. In 829, Egbert moved his army north to subdue the Messiah. She could not resist and recognized the power of Wessex. Egbert gained control of the London Mint, which began producing Egbert coins bearing his title as King of Mercia.

Throughout his reign, Egbert waged constant wars with Wales, wanting to subjugate the lands of the Welsh. In 830 he devastated Wales and even burned the bishop's residence. Shortly before his death, he was able to defeat the capital of the Welsh principality and ordered all residents to leave the state. The island of Mona, the center of the Celtic religion, submitted to Egbert. Thus Egbert became the supreme sovereign of all England.

But despite all his achievements, Egbert was unable to maintain his position. At the end of his reign he faced Viking attacks. A year before Egbert's death (838), the Britons of Cornwall rebelled.

King Egbert died on February 4, 839. He was buried in Winchester Cathedral, and his descendants began to call him the eighth Bretwald. Egbert's reign was 37 years and 7 months.

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Biography

Origin

Egbert came from a side branch of the Wessex dynasty, several generations of which had not occupied the throne of Wessex. He was the son of Ealmund (apparently the king of Kent), grandson of Eafa, great-grandson of Eoppa, great-great-grandson of Ingild, brother of the famous West Saxon king Ina. Egbert's mother's name is unknown.

Coming to power

Encounter with Mercia

Little is known about the first twenty years of Egbert's reign, but it is believed that he successfully argued for the independence of Wessex from Mercia, which then dominated the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Already in the first year of his reign, Æthelmund, ealdorman of the region of Hwisse (or Hwycke), formerly a separate kingdom but by then part of Mercia, crossed the Thames and invaded Wessex. At Kempsford he was met by the Weohstan (Wulstan) Ealdorman of Wessex, leading an army from Wiltshire. In the brutal battle that took place, the Wessexes won, but both leaders of the troops, both Ethelmund and Voxtan, fell in this battle.

After this battle, relations between Mercia and Wessex were not traced for more than twenty years. It seems that Ecbert had no influence outside the borders of his kingdom, but on the other hand there is no evidence that he ever submitted to the Mercian king Cenwulf. The title never appears in Kenwulf's documents. "Lord of the South Angles", apparently due to the continued independence of Wessex, although he was the undisputed master of the remaining Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Apparently, Cenwulf concluded a peace treaty with Egbert and observed it throughout his life.

Military operations in Cornwall

Ten years later, a document dated 19 August 825 indicates that Egbert was again campaigning in Dumnonia. This event may have been reflected in the Battle of Camelford mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle between the Cornish Welsh and the Devonshire men.

Battle of Ellendun

Subjugation of Kent, Sussex, Essex and Surrey

This defeat proved fatal to Mercian dominance. All of England south of the Thames accepted Wessex's dominance. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells how Egbert developed his victory: “Then he sent his son Æthelwulf to Kent, with a large detachment separated from the main army, accompanied by his bishop Ealhstan and his ealdorman Wulfheard, who drove Baldred, the king, north beyond the Thames. Whereupon the people of Kent promptly submitted to him; so did the people of Surry, Sussex and Essex."

The version of events stated in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle suggests that Baldred lost his kingdom shortly after the Battle of Ellendun, but this is not so. A surviving document from Kent, dated March 826 (in the original - the third year of Bernwulf's reign), proves that the Mercian king at this time still exercised his supreme power in this kingdom, as overlord of Baldred; therefore Baldred was apparently still in power. In Essex, Egbert drove out King Sigered, although the date of this event is unknown. This may have occurred in 829, as a later chronicler links his exile with Ecbert's campaign that year against Mercia.

Events in East Anglia

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in the same year 825 (though it may have been the following year), the king of East Anglia and his subjects asked King Ecbert to protect them from oppression by the king of Mercia. Knowing the upset state of Mercia, Egbert willingly agreed to take the East Anglian king under his protection. In 826, Bernwulf invaded the lands of the East Angles to return it to his rule, but was defeated and died. During the new invasion of East Anglia in 827, his successor Ludeka also died. Five of his ealdormen died with him.

It is possible that the Mercians were hoping for support from Kent: there is speculation that Archbishop Wilfred of Canterbury (Wulfred) may have been dissatisfied with West Saxon rule, since Egbert banned Wilfred's coinage and began minting his own, at Rochester and Canterbury, and it is also known that Egbert seized property belonging to the diocese of Canterbury.

Subjugation of Mercia

Now the next step was war with Mercia. In 829, Egbert moved his army north. Exhausted, Mercia was unable to offer any serious resistance and soon accepted Wessex's dominance. The new Mercian king Wiglaf fled. This victory gave Ecbert control of the London Mint, where he began producing his coins, which title him as King of Mercia.

Relations with Northumbria

Loss of dominant position

However, Egbert was unable to maintain his dominant position. Already in 830, Wiglaf returned to the throne of Mercia, but the details of this event are unknown. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle only tells: "In this year Wiglaf received the kingdom of Mercia again." It is possible that Ecbert himself appointed Wiglaf over Mercia as a dependent king, but the most likely assumption is that this was the result of a rebellion in Mercia against the dominance of the West Saxons. Wiglaf's return is accompanied by evidence of his independence from Wessex. Documents indicate that Wiglaf exercised power in Middlesex and Berkshire, and in a document from 836 Wiglaf uses the phrase "my bishops, dukes and judges" to describe a group that included eleven bishops from the diocese of Canterbury, including bishops from the Wessex territories. It should be noted that Wiglaf was still able to assemble such a group of influential people; There were no such meetings of noble prelates in Wessex. Wiglaf may even have brought Essex back under Mercian influence. In East Anglia, King Æthelstan minted coins possibly as early as 827, but more likely as early as 830, after Egbert's influence in England waned with the Mercian Restoration. This demonstration of East Anglia's independence is not surprising, since the then-king, Æthelstan, was probably responsible for the defeat and death of the Mercian kings Beornwulf and Ludeki.

The reason why Wesex weakened

Both the sudden rise to Wessex hegemony in the twenties of the 9th century, and the failure in subsequent years to maintain this dominant position, have been examined by historians looking for root causes. One plausible explanation for the events of these years is that the fortunes of Wessex depended to some extent on the support of the Carolingian dynasty. The Franks supported Earwulf when he returned to the throne of Northumbria in 808, in the same way they probably supported Egbert's accession to the throne in 802.

The alignment of political forces in England

Despite some loss of hegemony, Egbert's military successes significantly changed the balance of political forces in Anglo-Saxon England. Wessex retained control of the south-eastern kingdoms (with the possible exception of Essex). Mercia was unable to regain its control over East Anglia. Egbert's victories ended the independent existence of the kingdoms of Kent and Sussex. The conquered territories, including Surrey and possibly Essex, were ruled for a time as a dependent kingdom of Wessex by Egbert's son Aethelwulf. Although he was subordinate to his father, Aethelwulf maintained his own royal court, with which he traveled throughout the lands of his kingdom. Documents published in Kent describe Egbert and Æthelwulf as "kings of the West Saxons and also the people of Kent."

Norman threat

At the end of his reign, Egbert had to face a new danger - attacks from the Viking Danes. In 835, the Vikings devastated the island of Shepi. In 836, the Danes landed on 35 ships near the city of Dorchester. At the Battle of Charmouth (Carhampton) they defeated Egbert's army and drove him from the battlefield. Wessex, which rallied the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms around itself and was less accessible to Danish raids than other areas, became the center of resistance to the conquerors. While Egbert's reign continued, the Normans could only land in the northern regions, where they plundered churches and monasteries.

A year before Egbert's death, the Britons of Cornwall rebelled in 838. Some evidence suggests that the rebellion in Cornwall was instigated and supported by the Vikings. The Normans arrived in England with huge naval forces and united with the rebels. However, Egbert managed to defeat the army of Danes and Britons at the Battle of Hingston Down, in the vicinity of Plymouth in Cornwall. Although the royal dynasty of Dumnonia continued to exist in the future, it is believed that it was on this date that the independence of the last British kingdom ended. Details of the expansion of Anglo-Saxon influence in Cornwall are not known, but some evidence can be gleaned from place names. The River Ottery, which flows east into the Tamar near Launceston, seems to have been a natural boundary: south of the Ottery all place names have Cornish names, while north of it they are more influenced by the newly arrived Anglo-Saxons.

Domestic policy

In his enterprises, Egbert found great support from the Church. Egbert's wealth, acquired through conquest, no doubt enabled him to buy the support of the clergy of south-east England. At the council of Kingston-upon-Thames in 838, Egbert and Æthelwulf granted land to the dioceses of Winchester and Canterbury, in return for a promise to support Æthelwulf on the throne. Archbishop Ceolnoth of Canterbury also recognized Egbert and Æthelwulf as lords and protectors of the monasteries under his control. These agreements, along with a later document in which Æthelwulf confirmed ecclesiastical privileges, suggest that the Church recognized that Wessex was a new political power to be reckoned with: a united state could more easily withstand the fight against the pagans.

The clergy ordained the king at the coronation ceremony, and helped write the will that determined the king's heir; their support was valuable in establishing West Saxon control over neighboring kingdoms and in supporting the hereditary succession of power for Egbert's dynasty. Both the report of the Kingston council and another document of the same year contain identical expressions: that the condition of the grant of these lands would be that “we ourselves and our heirs thereafter shall always have a stable and unshakable friendship with Archbishop Ceolnoth and his congregation in Church of Christ." Although nothing is known of any other claimants to the throne of Wessex, there were likely other surviving descendants of Cerdic (the legendary founder of the Wessex dynasty) who may have vied for control of the kingdom.

Instead of a national assembly, Egbert was the first to convene the “Council of the Wise” (Witenagemot), consisting of the most noble and influential, “wise people” - Wheatans(bishops of the kingdom, abbots of large monasteries, ealdormen (heads) of counties, royal thegns); The king decided all matters only with the consent of this council.

Death of Egbert

King Egbert died on 4 February 839 and was buried in Winchester Cathedral, and his descendants began to call him the eighth Bretwald. Egbert reigned for 37 years and 7 months.

Family

Redburg's wife. It is believed that she may have been the half-sister or niece of the Frankish Emperor Charlemagne. Neither the date of his marriage nor the documents confirming this have been preserved. This theory is confirmed by Egbert's strong connections with the royal house of the Franks and for a long time the time he spent there.
- Aethelwulf, king of England.
- Edith the Saint (d.), Abbess of Polesworth. Many authors after the Norman Conquest call her the daughter of Egbert, but this is doubtful.

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Notes

Literature

Egbert the Great // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
Glebov A. G. England in the early Middle Ages. - St. Petersburg: Eurasia Publishing House, 2007. - P. 288. - ISBN 978-5-8071-0166-2
// / Author-compiler V. V. Erlikhman. - T. 2.

To the cinema

Vikings / Vikings (-; Ireland, Canada) as Egbert Linus Roache.

Links

(English)

Wessex dynasty
Predecessor Beortric	king of wessex king of england -	Successor Aethelwulf

Excerpt characterizing Egbert (King of Wessex)

(I am talking about the Key of the Gods with the permission of the Wanderers, whom I was lucky enough to meet twice in June and August 2009, in the Valley of the Magicians. Before that, the Key of the Gods had never been spoken of openly anywhere).
The crystal was material. And at the same time truly magical. It was carved from a very beautiful stone, like an amazingly transparent emerald. But Magdalena felt that it was something much more complex than a simple gem, even the purest one. It was diamond-shaped and elongated, the size of Radomir’s palm. Each cut of the crystal was completely covered with unfamiliar runes, apparently even more ancient than those that Magdalene knew...
– What is he “talking about”, my joy?.. And why are these runes not familiar to me? They are a little different than those that the Magi taught us. And where did you get it from?!
“It was once brought to Earth by our wise Ancestors, our Gods, to create here the Temple of Eternal Knowledge,” Radomir began, looking thoughtfully at the crystal. – So that he helps worthy Children of the Earth find Light and Truth. It was HE who gave birth on earth to the caste of Magi, Veduns, Sages, Darins and other enlightened ones. And it was from him that they drew their KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING, and from it they once created Meteora. Later, leaving forever, the Gods left this Temple to people, bequeathing to keep and take care of it, as they would take care of the Earth itself. And the Key to the Temple was given to the Magi, so that it would not accidentally fall into the hands of the “dark-minded” and the Earth would not perish from their evil hand. So since then, this miracle has been kept for centuries by the Magi, and they pass it on from time to time to a worthy person, so that a random “guardian” does not betray the order and faith abandoned by our Gods.

– Is this really the Grail, Sever? – I couldn’t resist, I asked.
- No, Isidora. The Grail was never what this amazing Smart Crystal is. People simply “attributed” what they wanted to Radomir... like everything else, “alien.” Radomir, all his adult life, was the Guardian of the Key of the Gods. But people, naturally, could not know this, and therefore did not calm down. First, they were looking for the Chalice that supposedly “belonged” to Radomir. And sometimes his children or Magdalene herself were called the Grail. And all this happened only because the “true believers” really wanted to have some kind of proof of the veracity of what they believe in... Something material, something “holy” that could be touched... (which, Unfortunately, this is happening even now, after many hundreds of years). So the “dark ones” came up with a beautiful story for them at that time in order to ignite sensitive “believing” hearts with it... Unfortunately, people always needed relics, Isidora, and if they didn’t exist, someone simply made them up. Radomir never had such a cup, because he did not have the “Last Supper” itself... at which he allegedly drank from it. The cup of the “Last Supper” was with the prophet Joshua, but not with Radomir.
And Joseph of Arimathea actually once collected a few drops of the prophet’s blood there. But this famous “Grail Cup” was really just a simple clay cup, which all Jews usually drank from at that time, and which was not so easy to find later. A golden or silver bowl, completely strewn with precious stones (as the priests like to portray it) never existed in reality, neither in the time of the Jewish prophet Joshua, nor even more so in the time of Radomir.
But this is another, albeit most interesting, story.

You don't have much time, Isidora. And I think you will want to know something completely different, something that is close to your heart, and that perhaps will help you find more strength within yourself to endure. Well, in any case, this tangled tangle of two lives that are alien to each other (Radomir and Joshua), too closely tied by “dark” forces, cannot be unraveled so soon. Like I said, you simply don't have time for this, my friend. Forgive me...
I just nodded in response, trying not to show how much I was interested in this whole real true Story! And how I wanted to know, even if I was dying, all the incredible amount of lies brought down by the church on our gullible earthly heads... But I left it to the North to decide what exactly he wanted to tell me. It was his free will to tell me or not tell me this or that. I was already incredibly grateful to him for his precious time, and for his sincere desire to brighten up our sad remaining days.
We again found ourselves in the dark night garden, “eavesdropping” on the last hours of Radomir and Magdalena...
-Where is this one? Great Temple, Radomir? – Magdalena asked in surprise.
“In a wonderful, distant country... At the very “top” of the world... (meaning the North Pole, the former country of Hyperborea - Daaria), Radomir whispered quietly, as if going into the infinitely distant past. “There stands a holy man-made mountain, which neither nature, nor time, nor people can destroy. For this mountain is eternal... This is the Temple of Eternal Knowledge. Temple of our old Gods, Mary...
Once upon a time, a long time ago, their Key sparkled on the top of the holy mountain - this green crystal that gave the Earth protection, opened souls, and taught the worthy. Only now our Gods have left. And since then, the Earth has plunged into darkness, which man himself has not yet been able to destroy. There is still too much envy and anger in him. And laziness too...

– People need to see the light, Maria. – After a short silence, Radomir said. – And YOU are the one who will help them! – And as if not noticing her protesting gesture, he calmly continued. – YOU will teach them KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING. And give them real FAITH. You will become their Guiding Star, no matter what happens to me. Promise me!.. I have no one else to trust with what I had to do myself. Promise me, my darling.
Radomir carefully took her face in his hands, carefully peering into her radiant blue eyes and... unexpectedly smiled... How much endless love shone in those wondrous, familiar eyes!.. And how much deepest pain there was in them... He knew how scared and lonely she was. Knew how much she wanted to save him! And despite all this, Radomir could not help but smile - even in such a terrible time for her, Magdalena somehow remained as amazingly bright and even more beautiful!.. Like a clean spring with life-giving clear water...
Shaking himself, he continued as calmly as possible.
– Look, I’ll show you how this ancient Key opens...
An emerald flame blazed on Radomir’s open palm... Each smallest rune began to open up into a whole layer of unfamiliar spaces, expanding and opening into millions of images that smoothly flowed through each other. The marvelous transparent “structure” grew and spun, revealing more and more floors of Knowledge, never seen by today’s man. It was stunning and endless!.. And Magdalene, unable to take her eyes off all this magic, plunged headlong into the depths of the unknown, experiencing a burning, sizzling thirst with every fiber of her soul!.. She absorbed the wisdom of the centuries, feeling, like a powerful wave, filling every cell of it, unfamiliar Ancient Magic flows through it! The knowledge of the Ancestors flooded, it was truly immense - from the life of the slightest insect it was transferred to the life of the universes, flowed over millions of years into the lives of alien planets, and again, in a powerful avalanche, returned to Earth...
With her eyes wide open, Magdalene listened to the wondrous Knowledge Ancient world... Her light body, free from earthly “shackles,” bathed like a grain of sand in the ocean of distant stars, enjoying the grandeur and silence of universal peace...
Suddenly, the fabulous Star Bridge unfolded right in front of her. Stretching out, it seemed, into infinity, it sparkled and sparkled with endless clusters of large and small stars, spreading out at her feet like a silver road. In the distance, in the very middle of the same road, completely shrouded in a golden glow, a Man was waiting for Magdalene... He was very tall and looked very strong. Coming closer, Magdalena saw that not everything in this unprecedented creature was so “human”... What struck him most were his eyes - huge and sparkling, as if carved from gemstone, they sparkled with cold edges, like a real diamond. But just like a diamond, they were insensitive and aloof... The stranger’s courageous facial features were surprising with their sharpness and immobility, as if a statue stood in front of Magdalene... Very long, lush hair sparkled and shimmered with silver, as if someone had accidentally scattered stars on it ... The “man” was, indeed, very unusual... But even with all his “icy” coldness, Magdalena clearly felt a wonderful, soul-enveloping peace and warm, sincere kindness coming from the strange stranger. Only for some reason she knew for sure that this kindness was not always the same to everyone.
The “man” raised his palm facing her in greeting and said affectionately:
– Stop, Star... Your Path is not over yet. You can't go Home. Return to Midgard, Maria... And take care of the Key of the Gods. May Eternity protect you.
And then, the powerful figure of the stranger suddenly began to slowly oscillate, becoming completely transparent, as if about to disappear.
- Who are you?.. Please tell me who you are?! – Magdalena shouted pleadingly.
- Wanderer... You will meet me again. Goodbye, Star...
Suddenly the wondrous crystal slammed shut... The miracle ended as unexpectedly as it began. Everything around immediately became chilly and empty... As if it was winter outside.
– What was that, Radomir?! This is much more than we were taught!.. – Magdalena asked in shock without taking her eyes off the green “stone”.
“I just opened it a little.” So you can see. But this is just a grain of sand of what he can do. Therefore, you must keep it, no matter what happens to me. At any cost... including your life, and even the lives of Vesta and Svetodar.
Staring at her with his piercing blue eyes, Radomir persistently waited for an answer. Magdalene nodded slowly.
- He punished this... Wanderer...
Radomir just nodded, clearly understanding who she was talking about.
– For thousands of years people have been trying to find the Key of the Gods. But no one knows what he really looks like. And they don’t know its meaning,” Radomir continued much softer. – There are the most incredible legends about him, some are very beautiful, others are almost crazy.

(It’s true that there are various wonderful legends about the Key of the Gods. In what languages have they not tried to paint the largest emeralds for centuries!.. In Arabic, Jewish, Hindu and even Latin... But for some reason no one wants to understand that this will not make the stones magical, no matter how much someone wants it... The proposed photographs show: the Iranian pseudo Mani, and the Great Mogul, and the Catholic “talisman” of God, and the Emerald “tablet” of Hermes (Emeral tablet) and even the famous Indian Cave of Apollo from Tiana, which, according to the Hindus themselves, was once visited by Jesus Christ. (You can read more about this in the book “The Holy Country of Daaria”, which is currently being written. Part 1. What did the Gods know?))
“It just worked, apparently, someone’s ancestral memory once worked, and the person remembered that there was once something unspeakably great, given by the Gods.” But I can’t understand WHAT... So the “seekers” have been walking around for centuries, unknown why, and circling in circles. It’s as if someone had punished him: “go there - I don’t know where, bring that - I don’t know what”... They only know that there is great hidden power in him, unprecedented knowledge. The smart ones are chasing knowledge, but the “dark ones”, as always, are trying to find it in order to rule the rest... I think this is the most mysterious and most (to each in their own way) desired relic that has ever existed on Earth. Now everything will depend only on you, my dear. If I'm gone, don't lose him for anything! Promise me this, Maria...
Magdalene nodded again. She understood that this was the sacrifice that Radomir asked of her. And she promised him... She promised to keep the amazing Key of the Gods at the cost of her own life... and the lives of children, if necessary.
Radomir carefully placed the green miracle into her palm - the crystal was alive and warm...
The night passed too quickly. It was already dawn in the east... Magdalena took a deep breath. She knew that soon they would come for him to hand Radomir into the hands of jealous and deceitful judges... who hated this, as they called, “foreign envoy” with all their callous souls...
Curled into a ball between Radomir’s strong arms, Magdalena was silent. She just wanted to feel his warmth... as much as possible... It seemed that life was leaving her drop by drop, turning her broken heart into cold stone. She could not breathe without him... This, such a dear person!.. He was her half, part of her being, without whom life was impossible. She didn’t know how she would exist without him?.. She didn’t know how she could be so strong?.. But Radomir believed in her, trusted her. He left her with a DEBT that did not allow her to give up. And she honestly tried to survive...
Despite all her superhuman composure, Magdalena hardly remembered what happened next...

She knelt right under the cross and looked Radomir in the eyes until the very last moment... Before his pure and strong soul left her unnecessary, already dead body. A hot drop of blood fell on Magdalena’s mournful face, and merging with a tear, rolled to the ground. Then the second one fell... So she stood, motionless, frozen in the deepest grief... mourning her pain with bloody tears...
Suddenly, a wild, more terrible cry than an animal scream shook the surrounding space... The scream was piercing and drawn-out. It chilled my soul, squeezing my heart with an icy vice. It was Magdalene who screamed...
The earth answered her, shuddering with its entire old mighty body.
Then darkness came...
People ran away in horror, not making out the road, not understanding where their unruly feet were taking them. As if blind, they bumped into each other, darting in different directions, and again they stumbled and fell, not paying attention to their surroundings... Screams rang out everywhere. Crying and confusion engulfed Bald Mountain and the people watching the execution there, as if only now they were allowed to see clearly - to truly see what they had done...
Magdalena stood up. And again a wild, inhuman scream pierced the tired Earth. Drowning in the roar of thunder, the cry snaked around like evil lightning, frightening frozen souls... Having freed the Ancient Magic, Magdalene called on the old Gods for help... She called on the Great Ancestors.
The wind ruffled her wondrous golden hair in the darkness, surrounding her fragile body with a halo of Light. Terrible bloody tears, still flowing on her pale cheeks, made her completely unrecognizable... Something like a formidable Priestess...
Magdalene called... Wringing her hands behind her head, she called her Gods again and again. She called the Fathers who had just lost their wonderful Son... She couldn’t give up so easily... She wanted to bring Radomir back at any cost. Even if you are not destined to communicate with him. She wanted him to live... no matter what.

But the night passed and nothing changed. His essence spoke to her, but she stood there, deadened, hearing nothing, only endlessly calling on the Fathers... She still did not give up.
Finally, when it was getting light outside, a bright golden glow suddenly appeared in the room - as if a thousand suns were shining in it at the same time! And in this glow, a tall, taller than usual, human figure appeared at the very entrance... Magdalena immediately understood that it was the one whom she had so vehemently and stubbornly called on all night had come...
“Get up, Joyful One!” the newcomer said in a deep voice. – This is no longer your world. You lived out your life in it. I'll show you your new path. Get up, Radomir!..
“Thank you, Father...” Magdalena, who stood next to him, quietly whispered. - Thank you for listening to me!
The elder peered long and carefully at the fragile woman standing in front of him. Then he suddenly smiled brightly and said very affectionately:
- It’s hard for you, sad one!.. It’s scary... Forgive me, daughter, I’ll take your Radomir. It is not his destiny to be here anymore. His fate will be different now. You yourself wished for it...
Magdalena just nodded at him, showing that she understood. She could not speak, her strength was almost leaving her. It was necessary to somehow withstand these last, most difficult moments for her... And then she would still have enough time to grieve for what was lost. The main thing was that HE lived. And everything else was not so important.
A surprised exclamation was heard - Radomir stood, looking around, not understanding what was happening. He did not yet know that he already had a different destiny, NOT EARTHLY... And he did not understand why he still lived, although he definitely remembered that the executioners had done their job superbly...

“Farewell, my Joy...” Magdalena whispered quietly. - Farewell, my dear. I will fulfill your will. Just live... And I will always be with you.
The golden light flashed brightly again, but now for some reason it was already outside. Following him, Radomir slowly walked out the door...
Everything around was so familiar!.. But even feeling absolutely alive again, Radomir for some reason knew that this was no longer his world... And only one thing in this old world still remained real for him - it was his wife. .. His beloved Magdalene....
“I’ll come back to you... I’ll definitely come back to you...” Radomir whispered to himself very quietly. A whiteman hung over his head with a huge “umbrella”...
Bathed in the rays of golden radiance, Radomir slowly but confidently moved after the sparkling Old Man. Just before leaving, he suddenly turned around to see her for the last time... To take her amazing image with him. Magdalena felt a dizzying warmth. It seemed that in this last glance Radomir was sending her all that he had accumulated for their for many years love!.. Sent it to her so that she would also remember it.
She closed her eyes, wanting to endure... Wanting to appear calm to him. And when I opened it, it was all over...
Radomir left...
The earth lost him, turning out to be unworthy of him.
He stepped into his new, still unfamiliar life, leaving Maria Debt and children... Leaving her soul wounded and lonely, but still just as loving and just as resilient.
Taking a deep breath, Magdalena stood up. She simply didn’t have time to grieve yet. She knew that the Knights of the Temple would soon come for Radomir to betray his deceased body to the Holy Fire, thereby escorting his pure Soul to Eternity.

The first, of course, to appear was John... His face was calm and joyful. But in the deep gray eyes Magdalene read with sincere sympathy.
– I am very grateful to you, Maria... I know how hard it was for you to let him go. Forgive us all, honey...
“No... you don’t know, Father... And no one knows this...” Magdalena quietly whispered, choking on tears. – But thank you for your participation... Please tell Mother Mary that HE is gone... That HE is alive... I will come to her as soon as the pain subsides a little. Tell everyone that HE LIVES...
Magdalena couldn't stand it anymore. She no longer had human strength. Falling straight to the ground, she burst into tears loudly, like a child...
I looked at Anna - she stood petrified. And tears ran down the stern young face in rivulets.
– How could they allow this to happen?! Why didn't they all work together to convince him? This is so wrong, mom!.. – Anna exclaimed, looking at Sever and me indignantly.
She still, like a child, uncompromisingly demanded answers to everything. Although, to be honest, I also believed that they should have prevented the death of Radomir... His friends... The Knights of the Temple... Magdalene. But how could we judge from afar what was right for everyone then?.. I just really wanted to see HIM as a human being! Just as I wanted to see Magdalene alive...
This is probably why I never liked to dive into the past. Since the past could not be changed (at least, I could not do this), and no one could be warned about the impending trouble or danger. The past was just the PAST, when everything good or bad had already happened to someone long ago, and all I could do was observe someone’s good or bad life.

EGBERT THE GREAT (770/775-4.2.839). King of Wessex 800-839. King of England in 829-839. Son of Elmund. In the painting of the Saxon House in England () No. 17. In the painting “House of Romanov” () under No. 3999. J.: REDBURG.
In his youth, Egbert was forced to flee from his hereditary possession of Wessex, which Briterich took possession of. Egbert went to the court of Charlemagne and returned only in 800, after the death of Briterich. The people immediately recognized him as king. Egbert soon annexed Cornwall to Wessex and forced the other southern British kingdoms to pay tribute. He mercilessly devastated rebellious Wales with fire and sword, even burning down the episcopal residence of St. David's. 23 years after the start of his reign, Egbert came to the aid of the king of Ostanglia, who asked him to protect him from the insults of the king of Mercia. Knowing the upset state of Mercia, Egbert willingly agreed to take the East English king under his protection. At the bloody battle of Ellendun he defeated Beornwulf, who was then king of Mercia; two years later, Beornwulf was killed in a battle with the Ostangles. Then, in 825, Egbert conquered Mercia, the most powerful of those states that still remained beyond his control. This decided the fate of Kent and Essex, which were dependent on Mercia. Their kings were driven out and replaced by others on whose loyalty Egbert could rely. After this, Sussex was conquered, the kings and nobles of which recognized the supreme power of Egbert; he went to Northumbria, its king met him with a request for peace, promised to pay tribute and gave hostages. Thus, the king of Wessex became the supreme sovereign of all England. Only in the mountains of Wales, distant Cumberland, did weak tribes still retain their independence, but due to their powerlessness they were not dangerous. But the king had to face a new danger: in 832 and 835. Danish Vikings landed in England and carried out devastating campaigns. After several unsuccessful battles with the Normans, Egbert defeated and drove them away. Shortly before his death, he took Chester, the capital of one of the Welsh principalities, and ordered all residents to leave the state.

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Norman threat

Domestic policy

See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what EGBERT is in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:

The beginning of England

First King of England

Biography

Origin

Coming to power

Encounter with Mercia

Military operations in Cornwall

Battle of Ellendun

Subjugation of Kent, Sussex, Essex and Surrey

Events in East Anglia

Subjugation of Mercia

Relations with Northumbria

Loss of dominant position

The reason why Wesex weakened

The alignment of political forces in England

Norman threat

Domestic policy

Death of Egbert

Family

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