General Notes

Edmund I., the Magnificent. was born in 922, the twelfth o
f his father's fifteen children. The first of the six Boy K
ings, he reigned from 939 to 946. He had to meet a genera
l uprising of the Danes of Mercia as well as those of the N
orth. In the suppression of this he showed himself to b
e a great statesman as well as a great warrior. Little is d
efinitely known about the policy of the Scots at this tim
e but it appears that they joined the English whenever the
y were afraid of the Danes, and joined the Danes whenever t
hey were afraid of the English. Edmund made it to be the in
terest of the Scottish King permanently to join the English
. The southern part of the kingdom of Strathclyde had for s
ome time been under the English Kings. In 945 Edmund took t
he remainder, but gave it to Malcolm on condition that he s
hould be his fellow worker by sea and land. The king of th
e Scots thus entered into a position of dependent allianc
e towards Edmund. A great step was thus taken; the dominan
t powers in the island were to be English and Scots, not En
glish and Danes. Edmund thought it worth while to conciliat
e the Scottish Celts rather than to endeavor to conquer the
m. The result of Edmund's statesmanship was soon seen, bu
t he did not live to gather its fruits. On May 26, 946 an o
utlaw named Lief, who had taken his seat at a banquet in hi
s hall, slew him as Edmund was attempting to drag him out b
y his hair. He was succeeded by his brother Edred. He marri
ed Princess Elgiva (Aelfgifu), known as the "Fairies Gift,.
" who died in 944. Edmund and his wife had the following ch
ildren:
1. Edwig (Eadwig), who became the third Boy King, reignin
g from 955 to 959.
2. Edgar the Peaceful, who succeeded Edwig. See below.