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→Key Historical Characters
As stated in Season 1, Uhtred is a fictional character, although he is based on possibly Uhtred the Bold who came from Bebbanburg. Other key characters are fictional, such as Brida and Father Beocca. Nevertheless, some important historical figures become more developed in Season 4 and begin to ultimately shape the history of England and the United Kingdom. Uhtred's children are also shown in the series, including Uhtred the Younger and Stiorra his daughter. These characters are very different from each other and their father in some ways. Stiorra has both her mother's spirit and her father's ability to fight, while Uhtred was trained as a priest.
Edward the Elder: Edward is shown as a somewhat indecisive ruler, swayed by his father in law Æthelhelm. Historically, we do not know much about Æthelhelm, and he may have died before Edward even became king. But in the series, he is shown as having substantial influence over the young king. Overall, Edward can be brave and smart, but he is shown to be held back by his insecurities. He is also shown as pushing his mother (Ealhswith) more away from court to lessen her influence. Still, he did not want to establish was torn between establishing his own distinct rule that was different from his father'sas well as helping to establish his father's vision of a united England.<ref>For more on Edward, see: Keynes, Simon (2001). "Edward, King of the Anglo-Saxons". In Higham, N. J.; Hill, D. H. (eds.). <i>Edward the Elder, 899–924</i>. Abingdon, UK: Routledge. pp. 40–66. ISBN 978-0-415-21497-1 </ref>
Æthelstan (Athelstan): One of the most important characters in English history, as he is the first true king of the English as he unites the four kingdoms to make England in 927. In the series, he is only a baby and was the son of Edward's first wife (Ecgwynn) or lover. He is only introduced at this stage but the series foreshadows his important role later.<ref>For more on Athelstan, see: Foot, S., 2012. <i>Æthelstan: the first king of England, 1</i>. paperback ed. ed, The English monarchs series. Yale Univ. Press, New Haven. </ref>
