Warriors, Warlords and Saints: The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Mercia

Description

Anglo Saxon Mercia was a great power in its day, although many aspects of it have been shrouded in myth and mystery. However, recent discoveries, such as the Staffordshire Hoard and the Lichfield Angel, have shone a fascinating light into the world of Mercia and the Mercians. In "Warriors, Warlords and Saints: The Anglo Saxon Kingdom of Mercia", author John Hunt uses this evidence to paint a vivid picture of this political and cultural powerhouse which, at the height of its influence, ruled over much of England, and reached out across Europe into the Middle East. The Mercians themselves were complex. They were a force capable of both great violence and great art, fostering the embryonic English Church and yet fighting bloody wars with the rival kingdoms of Wessex, Northumbria and East Anglia. The story of the Mercians is integral to the story of Anglo Saxon England, from the end of Roman rule to the Norman invasion. It was a land peopled by ruthless kings, great ladies, brave warriors and famous saints who lived at a vital and compelling time in English history with Mercia at its heart. Preface Acknowledgements Chapter One. Introduction: Mercia and its People 1.1 Place-Names and the Anglo-Saxons Chapter Two. The Origins of Mercia Chapter Three. The Kingdom Builders 3.1 Warriors and Warbands 3.2 Mercia and the Staffordshire Hoard Chapter Four. Kings, Monks and Saints: the Making of a Christian Kingdom 4.1 Mercia and the Saints: Presenting Relics Chapter Five. The Age of Æthelbald and Offa 5.1 Coins, Kings and Trade Chapter Six. Court, Church and Country: Mercian Kingship at Work 6.1 Offa's Dyke Chapter Seven. Merchants, Markets and the Carolingians 7.1 Lundenwic: the Mercian Entrepôt Chapter Eight. Art and Society in Anglo-Saxon Mercia 8.1 The Lichfield Gospels (Gospels of Saint Chad) Chapter Nine. The Vineyard of the Lord Devoured by Foxes: a Changing World 9.1 Repton and the Vikings Chapter Ten. Mercia, Wessex and the Vikings 10.1 The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Mercian Identity and the Mercian Register Chapter Eleven. People and Settlement in Anglo-Saxon Mercia 11.1 Manorial Sites - New Directions Chapter Twelve. Magnates, Earls and Earldom: a Tale of Two Families End Notes Glossary Further Reading Index