[History] Cynethryth: Mercia's Forgotten Queen?
[History] Cynethryth: Mercia's Forgotten Queen?
Listen now (6 min) | Ælfgif-who? Newsletter number 1
![Cynethryth: Mercia's Forgotten Queen?](https://beehaw.org/pictrs/image/fc81c40c-8886-4239-b987-117551d14921.jpeg?format=webp&thumbnail=256)
A fun read about a prominent medieval woman that you've probably never heard of:
Cynethryth rose to prominence as Offa’s queen with the birth of their son and heir, but her life and influence outlived both these men. As part of a royal family whose legitimacy was stressed in religious terms, Cynethryth was able to enjoy an exalted status that also had practical applications - she was an important landholder, possibly with her own income, who retired as an abbess with a position of great authority. Despite her remarkable career, at the centre of a period of Mercian political dominance, there has not yet been a substantial historical study on Cynethryth’s life, which leads me to conclude that she is one of the most important ‘forgotten’ queens of the early medieval period.
I thought it might be good to label the subject matter of the humanities/culture post in the title? Let me know what you think.