If you consult profs of Anglo Saxon literature, they will tell you that the English had a sense of themselves as a nation (they called themselves the Englisc) before even the reign of Alfred the Great. Edward the Elder is just a convenient first king because he managed to get the allegiance of all
Weren’t the Normans part of the Scandinavian diaspora?
There were a lot of Bretons and nobility from the French speaking areas of the low countries in there too. I don't think the idea of them as Scandinavian really holds, especially since, in comparison to Harold, Töstig and Harald Hardrada, they were useless sailors.
Feb 5, 2026 08:27
