Did Uhtred of Bebbanburg Really Exist in Anglo-Saxon England?

"The Last Kingdom (2015-2022) is a historical fiction TV series based on Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories novels and adapted for television by English screenwriter Stephen Butchard. With five seasons, the show began as a BBC production and was later acquired by Netflix. Filmed in Hungary and Wales, it is based on English history during the 9th and 10th centuries, as the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms fought against the invading Vikings."

"The show follows the life of Uhtred of Bebbanburg (or Bamburgh, as it was actually called at the time), an English warrior and nobleman from Northumbria (northern England). As a young boy, his father is killed by the Vikings, and Uhtred is taken as their prisoner. A Viking family soon adopts him, and he learns to love their culture, customs, and pagan religion."

"As an Englishman and a 'heathen,' Alfred is suspicious of him, leading to a turbulent relationship between the two men. Yet Uhtred's knowledge of Viking warfare and culture makes him an invaluable military adviser and commander. In service of the House of Wessex, under Alfred and then his children, Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians (r. 911-918) and Edward the Elder (r. 899-924), he consistently defeats the Vikings, helping his masters build what would become the Kingdom of England, and earning the epithet "The Daneslayer.""

The Last Kingdom is a five-season historical fiction TV series adapted from Bernard Cornwell's novels and produced initially by the BBC before Netflix acquisition. Filming took place in Hungary and Wales. The narrative follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg, an English noble captured and raised by Vikings who later serves Alfred the Great and his successors as a military adviser. Uhtred's knowledge of Viking warfare aids Wessex in defeating Viking forces and helps forge what becomes the Kingdom of England. The show portrays complex relationships between pagan and Christian cultures and blends real historical figures like Alfred, Aethelflaed, and Edward with fictionalized elements. The series has received both praise for periods of accuracy and criticism for historical inaccuracies.

Read at World History Encyclopedia