Æthelburg (also Æthelburh or Ethelburga) (ca. 673–740) was Queen of Wessex by marriage to King

Ine of Wessex Ine or Ini (died in or after 726) was King of Wessex from 689 to 726. At Ine's accession, his kingdom dominated much of what is now southern England. However, he was unable to retain the territorial gains of his predecessor, Cædwalla of Wessex ...

. Perhaps most famed for her act in 722, when she destroyed the stronghold of

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...

(which had been built by Ine) in an attempt to find the rebel Ealdbert.

Life

Æthelburg was born circa 673. She was the wife of King

. Æthelburg is considered by some historians to be one of the few Anglo-Saxon women warriors. In 722, Æthelburg burned down the city of

, a city built by Ine. Ine himself was absent at the time, fighting the South Saxons. Æthelburg's exact motivations for burning down the city are not clear, but she was either trying to find the rebel Ealdbert or she was trying to prevent Taunton from being taken by the rebels. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Ealdbert "wandered a wretched exile in Surrey and Sussex" because of this. Ealdbert would be killed by Æthelburg's husband Ine three years later. In 726 Æthelburg went on a pilgrimage to

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

with her husband King

who had abdicated the throne, he left no clear heir. Both Æthelburg and King Ine died in Rome.

Legacy

Æthelburg is a featured figure on

Judy Chicago Judy Chicago (born Judith Sylvia Cohen; July 20, 1939) is an American feminist artist, art educator, and writer known for her large collaborative art installation pieces about birth and creation images, which examine the role of women in history ...

's installation piece ''

The Dinner Party ''The Dinner Party'' is an installation artwork by American feminist artist Judy Chicago. There are 39 elaborate place settings on a triangular table for 39 mythical and historical famous women. Sacajawea, Sojourner Truth, Eleanor of Aquitaine, ...

'', being represented as one of the 999 names on the '' Heritage Floor''. In ''The Dinner Party'' the character Æthelburg is actually a combination of Æthelburg of Wessex and Æthelburg of Kent, which she is often confused with. She is associated with the place setting for Theodora.Chicago, 105.

References

Bibliography

*Chicago, Judy. ''The Dinner Party: From Creation to Preservation''. London: Merrell (2007).

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aethelburg 8th-century English people 8th-century English women Anglo-Saxon royal consorts Anglo-Saxon warriors History of Taunton House of Wessex Place of birth unknown Place of death unknown Women in medieval European warfare Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown

Life

Legacy

See also

References

Bibliography

External links