2019-11-13 Wed

Ethelred II known as the Unready was King of England from 978 and 1013 and again from 1014 until his death in 1016. He was an ineffectual ruler who failed to prevent the Danes from overrunning England.

Ethelred was born in 966 to King Edgar and Queen Elfthryth. He came to the throne at about the age of 12. His epithet “unready” is derived from unraed, meaning “poorly advised”; it is a pun on his name, which means “well-advised”.

The St. Brice's Day massacre was the killing of Danes in the Kingdom of England on 13 November 1002, ordered by King Ethelred the Unready. England had been destroyed by Danish raids every year from 997 to 1001, and in 1002 the king was told that the Danish men in England "would faithlessly take his life, and then all his councillors, and possess his kingdom afterwards". In response, he ordered the deaths of all Danes living in England.

Depicted here is a silver Penny issued under his reign from Southampton mint. The obverse of a coin depicts the diademed and draped bust. The reverse of a coin engraved Hand of God in Benediction, the last two fingers pointed upward, curved and volute sleeve & small cross.

Image Source: www.wildwinds.com