Uhtred the Bold, the real historical figure who inspiredThe Last Kingdom, wasn’t raised by Vikings like his onscreen counterpart, but he did fight against the Danes, unite Northumbria, and spark a blood feud that lasted for generations.
NetflixAlexander Dreymon inThe Last Kingdomas Uhtred of Bebbanburg , a theatrical role based on the real - life Uhtred of Bamburgh .
The showThe Last Kingdomfollows the story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg , a Saxon who is raised by Vikings , wreak for Alfred the Great , and fights for the lands that truly belong to him . Much about Uhtred ’s chronicle is fictional , but the character is establish on a real historical figure know as Uhtred of Bamburgh or Uhtred the Bold .
The material Uhtred lived in the 11th century , more than 100 years after his onscreen opposite number . During this riotous sentence in English history , the kingdom of Northumbria , where Uhtred live , face constant threat from both Vikings and Scottish invader . Although the realm had thrived independently between the seventh and 9th centuries , the unremitting conflict ultimately took its toll on the realm .
NetflixAlexander Dreymon inThe Last Kingdomas Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a character based on the real-life Uhtred of Bamburgh.
By the 10th century , Northumbria was dwindling . It was divided into two parts : a Danish - operate area centered on York and an Anglo - Saxon part prevail from Bamburgh in the north . It was within this fragile political clime that Uhtred the Bold uprise to power .
Though young , Uhtred proved himself to be a adequate to loss leader , fighting back for his people ’s exemption against the ever - looming terror of Scottish invasion . However , he also found himself extend lean by his oaths , shifting his allegiances as the political climate around him changed as well . This at long last led to his assassination , sparking a line feud that lasted for generations .
This history serve as the loose inspiration for Bernard Cornwell’sThe Saxon Stories . The novel were afterwards accommodate into the Netflix seriesThe Last Kingdom , in which Alexander Dreymon rose to celebrity as Uhtred of Bebbanburg . However , the actual Uhtred ’s story was just as gripping .
Michael Hanselmann/Wikimedia CommonsBamburgh Castle, once the seat of power in Northumbria.
Inside Uhtred The Bold’s Rise To Power
Michael Hanselmann / Wikimedia CommonsBamburgh Castle , once the seat of power in Northumbria .
The real - life Uhtred the Bold was born in the late 10th hundred into the influential House of Bamburgh . His father , Waltheof I , governed northern Northumbria from the fort of Bamburgh , a strategic stronghold against raids . Unlike Uhtred of Bebbanburg , however , Waltheof ’s son was not call forth by Vikings .
In 1006 , the invasion of Durham by Malcolm II of Scotland interrupt the status quo at Bamburgh . harmonise to theDe Obsessione Dunelmi , a twelfth - hundred text about the besieging , Waltheof was “ of great age and so too honest-to-goodness to make a outdoor stage against the enemy . ” To the south , Ealdorman Ælfhelm of York likewise refused to take action .
Public DomainKing Æthelred II, also known as Æthelred the Unready.
So , it fell to Uhtred to rally his people and campaign back against the Scots .
Uhtred of Bamburgh put together a violence of warriors from Bernicia and Yorkshire to fight off the Scotch invader . His bravery earn him the nickname “ Uhtred the Bold . ” When England’sKing Æthelred IIheard of Uhtred ’s success , he broke tradition to respect his braveness , as recorded inDe Obsessione Dunelmi : “ [ W]hilst his founding father , Waltheof , was still living , [ Æthelred ] gave him as a reward for his prowess and the direction in which he fought , his father ’s earldom adding the earldom of York . ”
Public DomainKing Æthelred II , also cognise as Æthelred the Unready .
Public DomainThe short-lived king Sweyn Forkbeard.
This unified northern and southerly Northumbria under Uhtred ’s rule — but his loyalty to the English king would soon be tested .
How The Real Uhtred The Bold’s Story Differs From Uhtred Of Bebbanburg’s
InThe Last Kingdom , Uhtred of Bebbanburg fight for Alfred the Great , who ruled from 871 to 899 . Of course , the real Uhtred lived more than a hundred after the events onscreen take place , so he never met King Alfred . Instead , he made coalition with a variety of 11th - C leaders .
At the prison term of the siege of Durham , Uhtred of Bamburgh was marital to a woman name Ecgfrida . However , upon return home with his new title , he give the sack his first wife and we d Sige , the daughter of a wealthy folk . Although his motives for this Modern union are unconfirmed in the historical record , Sige ’s founder ’s gamy position in York company suggest that Uhtred was seeking to establish political alliances .
Then , in 1013 , another invasion propel Uhtred to take action . That twelvemonth , King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark launched an overwhelming invasion of England . Many Saxons recognized that this was a losing battle and swore allegiance to Sweyn — let in Uhtred . Æthelred was force into exile in Normandy , and Sweyn was accepted as Martin Luther King .
Public DomainKing Cnut as portrayed in theGenealogical Chronicle of the English Kings.
Public DomainThe suddenly - lived king Sweyn Forkbeard .
This raw leadership last all of five weeks .
In February 1014 , Sweyn died dead , and Æthelred seized the chance to reclaim his throne . Uhtred once again swear allegiance to the king . This fourth dimension , he solidify their coalition through union , taking Æthelred ’s daughter Ælfgifu as his wife .
Sarah Sierszyn/Wikimedia CommonsBernard Cornwell, the author ofThe Saxon Storieswho claims to be a descendant of Uhtred the Bold.
This did not last long , either . A yr afterward , Sweyn ’s Logos , Cnut , followed in his father ’s footsteps and launch his own invasion of Northumbria — and Uhtred of Bamburgh would not live the resulting conflict .
Conflict With Cnut, Betrayal, And Death
The true fib of Uhtred the Bold ’s death is perhaps even more compelling than the bloody onscreen ruination of Uhtred of Bebbanburg . It was sparked by a shift in the English political landscape in 1015 and 1016 in the shape of the resurgence of Danish force under Sweyn ’s son , the Viking power Cnut .
This time , however , Uhtred initially resist Cnut ’s invasion and subsequent order to turn against King Æthelred . According toDe Obsessione Dunelmi , Uhtred told Cnut , “ No reward could persuade me to do what I ought not to . I will serve the king as long as he lives . He is both my lord and Church Father - in - law , by whose endowment I enjoy enough riches and honor . I will never betray him . ”
Then , Æthelred died in April 1016 . Cnut once again order Uhtred to defer to him , and this time he agreed . The new Martin Luther King Jr. summon Uhtred to a peace group meeting — but his intention were not pure . En route , Uhtred and his 40 men were ambushed and murdered by a nobleman name Thurbrand the Hold , on the face of it on the order of Cnut .
Public DomainKing Cnut as portrayed in theGenealogical Chronicle of the English Kings .
This , of course of action , differ greatly from the dying of the fictional Uhtred of Bebbanburg , who is gravely wounded in the midst of a bloody struggle .
In any case , Uhtred of Bamburgh was utter — and a blood feud that traverse generations followed .
What Happened To The Descendants Of The Real-Life Uhtred Of Bebbanburg?
About a decade after Uhtred ’s death , his Word , Ealdred , revenge him by bump off Thurbrand . In answer , Thurbrand ’s son , Carl , slew Ealdred . Then , 50 years later , Ealdred ’s grandson Waltheof II had most of Carl ’s sons and grandsons kill , seemingly bringing a macabre final stage to the feud .
Sarah Sierszyn / Wikimedia CommonsBernard Cornwell , the writer ofThe Saxon Storieswho arrogate to be a descendent of Uhtred the Bold .
Uhtred of Bamburgh ’s lineage cover on — purportedly all the direction to English author Bernard Cornwell . The author claimed in a 2014 interview withEntertainment Monthly , “ I am descended from him . ”
This apparent connection inspired Cornwell to writeThe Saxon Stories , a fictional account of a Northumbrian king named Uhtred of Bebbanburg that served as the source textile for Netflix’sThe Last Kingdom .
“ I guess if I ’d grown up knowing I had such a grand lineage I might feel much closer to the family , ” Cornwell said , “ but finding them so late is really just a peculiarity , though a nice one ! ”
Still , there ’s no abnegate the winner of Cornwell ’s stories and the all-embracing appeal of his own version of Uhtred — even if he is a far cry from the real Uhtred of Bamburgh .
After learn about the substantial historical anatomy who inspired the fictional character Uhtred of Bebbanburg , read about the carrying out of Scotch rebelWilliam Wallace . Then , go inside the true floor ofRobert the Bruce .
