If you've ever logged into Netflix in search of a Game of Thrones -style action movie, you've probably heard of The Last Kingdom . The Last Kingdom, now in its fifth and final season, tells the story of Uhtred, a Northumbrian from Bebbanburg as he defends his medieval home and family in ninth-century England. It is adapted from Bernard Cornwell's novel series Saxon Tales , which blends real-life history and fiction. While the show does explore many of the real wars and events that took place when England was a series of independent kingdoms, the main character Uhtred is only loosely based on a real person. “Uhtred was an important figure in Northumbria in the early 11th century, so there must have been an Uhtred in history, just not in the 9th century,” Ryan Lavelle, professor of early medieval history, told the Den of Geek explained. "Most Northumbrian people in this period, in order to survive, had to have some connection with Denmark, so it's likely he did."
Cornwell said in a 2015 profile in The Guardian that The Last Kingdom was inspired by the exploits of the real Saxon king Alfred the Great, who served under Uhtred in the show. . "Even though Uhtred didn't exist as I wrote it, there was always that big story (Alfred and his son Athelstan) in the background," Cornwell explains. He added that he was particularly interested in creating Uhtred because of his personal connection to history: Cornwell was adopted, and when he first met his biological father, William Utred, He learned that their family tree stretched back as far back as the sixth century.
"I saw the name Uhtred. He said they lived at Bamburgh Castle. That's when I realized I was descended from the Lords of Bebbanburg. I had to write a book about the creation of England," Conn Will told the Guardian . "Most historical novels have a big story and a small story, and the big story is the true story. I didn't understand the significance of the small story until I met my real father."
In the play, Uhtred is the son of a Northumbrian Saxon noble from Bebbanburg. He was orphaned at an early age and raised by a Danish warlord who defeated his father. The play explores, in part, his ongoing divided loyalties between his Saxon heritage and his Danish upbringing. Uhtred finds himself in the Kingdom of Wessex, a lonely Anglo-Saxon kingdom fighting against invading Viking settlers. What begins as a simple mission to reclaim his ancestral homeland quickly turns into a... A huge epic. Alfred the Great's dream was to unite England into one nation - a goal his grandson achieved in real life - and Uhtred was the best warrior in Wessex.
As Professor Lavelle said, there is a famous figure in history named Uhtred the Bold, who was Earl of Northumbria - but he was born about 100 years after the death of the real Alfred the Great Years later, so they won't know each other. Time issues aside, Uhtred's family is very different on TV than in real life. The Last Kingdom made Uhtred a Dane and a Saxon so that he could unite the two peoples - but in reality, the bold Uhtred was not raised by a Dane, And definitely not fighting them.
Throughout the season, there are many real events that happened through Uhtred's eyes, but he obscured his role in them in order to show the true history. For example, according to History Extra, Uhtred played a major role in the Battle of Devonshire Sinwett in Season 1, but The Last Kingdom attributed the victory to Oda the Elder, which is inconsistent with real life What happened is the same.
"I do joke about history sometimes, but I always admit that," Cornwell told the Guardian . "I think you have to do that. Historical fiction is the gateway to real history, and I think you should say to the reader, 'Look, you can find out more information by following these clues.'"
It's this blend of fact and fiction that makes playing Uthred so interesting for actor Alexander Dreymon. "Even though he's very cheeky and can talk absolutely BS, he's very honest, very loyal, very trustworthy," Draymond told Syfy in 2018. "He's been tested time and time again from both sides, and He is not trusted, [but] in fact, he practices what he preaches and is a man of his word.”
This year, viewers finally get to see the conclusion to Uhtred's story. Season five, based on the ninth and tenth books in Cornwell's 13-part series, follows Uhtred, who is responsible for training King Edward's eldest son Æthelstan to become a warrior and finally realize his destiny Not just about Bebbanburg; For the future of England itself.
