Hello, my name is Mrs. Tipping and I'm really looking forward to learning with you today all about the Vikings and how the Vikings settlement changed Britain.

So shall we get started, let's go.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to describe how Aethelflaed strengthened Mercia alongside her husband Aethelred.

Now, before we start, I would like to introduce you to some keywords.

We'll be using these keywords during the lesson, so it might be a good idea to write these words down.

The keywords we'll be using today are overlord, burh, and saint.

I'm going to say those again and I'd like you to repeat them after me.

Overlord, burh, saint, good job.

Now let's think in more detail about what each of these keywords mean.

Here are the definitions for each of these key words.

An overlord is a person of great power or authority.

A burh is an Anglo-Saxon fortification or fortified settlement.

A saint is a holy person who has died and being officially recognised and honoured by the Christian Church.

Pause the video here to make a note of these key words, and when you are ready to continue, press play.

These are the learning cycles that we're working through together in today's lesson.

How did Wessex support Mercia? Rebuilding and strengthening Mercia? In the first learning cycle, we will explore how Wessex supported Mercia.

In 886 CE, an agreement was drawn up between King Alfred of Wessex, the Viking leader Guthrum and the Danes to divide Britain and each control different areas.

So you can see on this map here that it's a divided Britain.

So you can see the pink and then that brownish colour and how that's been split.

King Alfred allowed the Danes to control certain areas, which were called the Danelaw.

The Danelaw was north of a line between the River Thames and the River Mersey, and included East Anglia, Northumbria, and the east of Mercia.

King Alfred controlled the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex in the South and Western Mercia.

So you can see on the map here, the pink side is the Danelaw.

And can you see here where East Mercia is? And that was part of the Danelaw.

And then that browner section is what King Alfred controlled, and you can see where Western Mercia is.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Mercia was controlled by the Danes.

Is that true or false? What do you think? If you said that was false, you are absolutely right, well done.

Now let's take a look at these two statements to help justify our answer.

The Danes controlled Eastern Mercia.

King Alfred controlled all of Mercia.

Pause the video here, have a discussion with your partner.

Which of these two statements helps to justify your answer? And press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that the Danes controlled Eastern Mercia, you are absolutely right, well done.

In 882 CE King Aethelred offered to become the overlord of Western Mercia.

This meant King Alfred would have power over Western Mercia, but he allowed Aethelred to rule as West Mercia's king.

As overlord, King Alfred offered King Aethelred support and protection, which allowed Aethelred to rebuild Mercia.

In 886 CE King Alfred was able to take London back from the Vikings.

London had traditionally been a Marcian city before the Vikings invaded and took control of it.

Can you see it on the map there surrounded by a purple box.

So you can see London is currently in the Danelaw.

As a token of their alliance, King Alfred handed the city back to King Aethelred rather than keeping it under his own rule.

Let's take a moment here to pause and check our understanding as overlord of Marcia.

What did King Alfred offer Aethelred? Support, protection on money.

Pause the video here.

Have a moment to think and press play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think.

If you said that he offered support and protection? You are absolutely right, well done.

By 887 CE, Aethelred had proved he was a powerful king.

So Alfred offered his daughter Aethelflaed's hand in marriage.

The marriage between Aethelred and Aethelflaed strengthened the alliance between Wessex and Western Marcia.

You can see an illustration of Aethelflaed there, King Alfred's daughter.

Let's take a moment to pause.

King Alfred gave Aethelred the city of London.

Is that true or false? What do you think? King Alfred gave Aethelred the city of London.

True or false? If you said that's true, you're absolutely right.

Now taking a look at these two statements here, which would help to justify your answer.

King Alfred did not want to keep the city.

King Alfred gave the city to Aethelred as a token of their alliance.

Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner.

Which of these two statements helps to justify your answer and press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that King Alfred gave the city to Aethelred as a token of their alliance, you are absolutely right, well done.

Now taking a look at this other statement, Wessex and Mercia formed an alliance in two ways.

Is that true or false? What do you think? If you thought that was true, you are absolutely right.

Now again, taking a look at these two statements, which would help to justify your answer.

Alfred became overlord of Mercia and Aethelflaed married Aethelred.

Alfred became king of Marcia, and Aethelflaed married Aethelred.

What do you think? Pause the video here.

Have a quick discussion with your partner and press play when you are ready to continue.

How did that go.

If you said that Alfred became overlord of Mercia and Aethelflaed married Aethelred, you are absolutely right.

He didn't become king of Mercia because he let Aethelred become king of Marcia.

This brings us to our first learning task.

I'd like you to write two or three sentences to describe how King Alfred helped Aethelred.

You can use these words to help you.

Overlord, London, Alliance, marriage.

So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to have a go at writing two or three sentences to describe how King Alfred helped Aethelflaed.

Press play when you're ready to continue.

How did that go? Shall we take a look at an example? So your answer may have included, King Alfred became the overlord of Marcia offering Aethelred support and protection, which allowed him to rebuild Mercia.

King Alfred also took the traditionally Mercian city of London back from the Vikings and gave it to Aethelred as a token of their alliance.

He also offered his daughter Aethelflaed in marriage to Aethelred.

Well done for completing that learning task.

This brings us to the second part of this lesson.

We are going to explore rebuilding and strengthening Marcia.

As husband and wife, King Aethelred and Aethelflaed spent years strengthening Marcian towns with fortifications to defend them from Viking attacks.

Aethelflaed was thought to have been a strong, independent and well-educated woman.

After watching her father King Alfred fight against the Vikings for many years, she learned a lot about military leadership and strategy.

It was Aethelflaed's idea to use the tactic of fortifying the Marcia and borders whenever they had driven the Vikings further back, these fortifications were called burhs.

A burh could be created with fences or big steep banks and deep ditches were dug all around the burhs.

Those living within the walls of the burhs were safe from Viking attacks.

Take a look at that illustration there of an Anglo-Saxon burh.

Can you see how is a town surrounded by fences or steep banks and those deep ditches were dug all around keeping those Anglo-Saxons safe from Viking attacks.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

What does a burh include? Deep ditches, houses, defensive fences.

What do you think? Pause the video here, have a think about this question and press play when you are ready to hear the answers.

What did you think? If you said deep ditches and defensive fences, that's absolutely right, well done now.

Aethelred and Aethelflaed took back Marcian land in both the Midlands and to the north.

But unfortunately by 902 CE, Aethelred had been battling with poor health, which meant Aethelflaed continued to rebuild Mercia on her own.

In 907 CE, a group of Vikings had been given permission by Aethelflaed to set up camp outside Chester if they did so peacefully.

However, these Vikings got restless and decided to launch an attack on the city.

They were unsuccessful because Aethelflaed had built a burh around Chester.

After hearing about the Viking uprising in the area, Aethelflaed decided to ride North to meet the Vikings with a clever battle plan.

She aimed to fight the Vikings outside the city, but would then fall back and draw the Vikings into the bur.

Once inside the city walls, the gates would close and the Vikings would be killed by an army hiding inside.

The plan proved successful and it strengthened the position of the Mercians.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Drawing the Vikings into the burh helped defeat them.

Is that true or false? What do you think? Drawing the Vikings into the burh helped defeat them, true or false? If you said true, that is absolutely right, well done.

Now looking at these two statements, which would help to justify your answer.

Once inside the burh the Anglo-Saxon army hiding inside killed the Vikings.

The burh was a large weapon that could kill the Vikings.

Have a quick discussion with your partner.

Which of these two statements would help to justify your answer, and press play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that once inside the burh, the Anglo-Saxon army hiding inside killed the Vikings? You are absolutely right, well done.

In 909, CE an Anglo-Saxon force from Wessex and Marcia travelled to the Northern Danelaw to fight the Vikings.

The Anglo-Saxons won.

But in response to the battles, they took the remains of the Royal Northumbrian Saint Oswald from his resting place in Barney Abbey in Lincolnshire to Gloucester to protect them.

Aethelflaed built a priory, which is a building lived in by a community who followed religious vows.

At Gloucester, which was small but detailed with rich sculpture, it was here that St.

Oswald's remains were laid to rest.

The priory became very well respected as Saint Oswald had been one of the most important founding saints of Anglo-Saxon Christianity.

This act of devotion to the Christian faith strengthened Aethelflaed's rule and made her more popular with people.

You can see that photo there of the remains of St.

Oswald's Priory, which you can still see in Gloucester today.

Sadly, in 911 CE, King Aethelred died and Aethelflaed continued to rule Marcia alone, earning her the title Lady of Marcia.

Let's take a moment to pause here and check our understanding.

Can you match the event to the correct date? We have 907 CE and 909 CE.

Wessex and Mercia fought and defeated Vikings in the Northern Danelaw.

Aethelflaed fought a group of Vikings by drawing them into the burh around Chester.

So pause the video here and have a go at matching the event to the correct date.

And press play when you're ready to continue.

How did you get on? Shall we take a look at some answers? In 907 CE, Aethelflaed fought a group of vikings by drawing them into the burh around Chester.

In 909, CE Wessex and Marcia are fought and defeated Vikings in the Northern Danelaw.

Well done if you match those correctly.

This brings us to our final learning task.

I'd like you to write one paragraph to describe how Aethelflaed and Aethelred rebuilt and strengthened Mercia.

You could use these words and phrases to help you.

Ill, burhs, Marcian borders.

Chester, St.

Oswald, remains, Christian faith and strengthened.

So pause the video here and give yourself enough time.

Make sure you have a pen and some paper and write one paragraph to describe how Aethelflaed and Aethelred rebuilt and strengthened Mercia and press play when you're ready to continue.

How did you get on? Shall we take a look at an example answer? So your answer could have included, Aethelflaed and Aethelred took back Marcia and land in both the Midlands and to the North.

Unfortunately, Aethelred became ill.

So Aethelflaed continued to rebuild Mercia on her own.

She created burhs to fortify the Marcia and borders and keep the Vikings out.

Using this tactic, Aethelflaed's army defeated the Vikings at Chester and strengthened Mercia.

In 909, Wessex and Mercia defeated some Vikings and to protect the remains of St.

Oswald, Aethelflaed brought them to a priory in Gloucester.

This act of Christian faith strengthened Aethelflaed's rule.

Well done for completing that learning task.

Now, before we finish this lesson, let's summarise what we've learned about Aethelflaed and Aethelred.

King Alfred agreed to help Aethelred take back Marcian lands and he made himself their overlord instead of their king.

Alfred's daughter, Aethelflaed married Aethelred and formed an alliance between Wessex and Mercia.

By 902 CE, Aethelred was struggling with poor health, so Aethelflaed continued to rebuild Marcia on her own.

She strengthened Mercia by building burhs and minting coins.

Her rule was also strengthened by her devotion to the Christian faith, when she placed St.

Oswald's remains in a priory at Gloucester.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson, and I hope to see you in the next one.

See you next time.