A huge sculpture of a bad-ass warrior queen who has been forgotten by history has been unveiled in the historic capital of Mercia – Tamworth.
Next month marks the 1100th anniversary of the death of Aethelflaed, the Lady of the Mercians, and the Staffordshire town is determined to revive her reputation.
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Despite being Englands first lady – previously the lords wife – a successful military commander and the architect of fortifications which held the Vikings at bay, Aethelflaed is largely unknown outside of Tamworth.
Internationally renowned Black Country artist Luke Perry, who created the £27,000 six metre high metal sculpture of Aethelflaed, is determined she regains her rightful place in British history.
He told Metro.co.uk: Make no mistake this woman was a bad-ass warrior queen who should not have been forgotten by history.
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metro-video id=”1693768″ video=”http://video.metro.co.uk/video/met/2018/05/22/1846570597017960321/480x270_MP4_1846570597017960321.mp4″ image=”http://video.metro.co.uk/pix/met/2018/05/22/10/4C8510FE00000578-0-image-a-5_1526981680707.jpg”%5D
We all remember Boudicca but Aethelflaed was arguably the more important historic figure, she was allowed to rule Merica after her husband Aethelred died in 911 and went on to fight the Irish and the Vikings.
Powerful women are not new, there have been women like Aetheflaed throughout history but we have chosen to ignore them, with this sculpture I wanted to create a powerful image and redress that.
The only other statue of her, which is in Tamworth and made of stone, is the Victorian image of her, which was motherly, maternal and submissive. Thats totally wrong, she was a warrior.
The artist, who once built a replica of the Titanics anchor for Channel 4 and pulled it through the Black Country, added: Its also quite a big year for women and womens rights and Aethelflaed is a relatively unrecognised, yet incredibly important, female character in history.
I hope she gains the recognition she deserves through this campaign and the various events taking place this year to mark the 1100th anniversary of her death in Tamworth.
Aethelflaed was daughter of King Alfred the Great and ruled Mercia with her husband Aethelred (also known as Ethelred) and together they defended the ancient kingdom against Viking invaders.
Alongside Aethelflaeds brother, Edward the Elder, the couple launched a series of military campaigns in the 10thcentury which brought large parts of England under Anglo-Saxon control.
After her husbands death in 911, Aethelflaed became the sole ruler of Mercia and continued her campaign to further defend and expand her kingdom. She died where Tamworth Castle stands to this day on June 12, 918.
The Mayor was off duty this morning, but that didn't stop him popping along to #DoTheAethel, with our fantastic new statue of Aethelflaed. The artist and sculptor, Luke Perry, was also on hand. pic.twitter.com/KnrnF9h80I
— Mayor of Tamworth (@TamworthMayor) May 20, 2018
Netflix is bringing her deeds to a new worldwide audience with its series The Last Kingdom, so she finally might get the fame that has alluded her in the last 1000 years.
The statue was transported from Cradley Heath to Tamworth on Sunday and local residents lined the streets to see her being brought home.
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Andrew Barratt, Chief Operating Officer at Tamworth Borough Council, said: The hope is that as people step off the train at Tamworth Railway Station, they will be greeted by this impressive statue, that will not only point them towards the town centre, but will also give them a sense of Tamworth as an interesting and cultural place with a rich heritage to explore.
Did you know that Aethelflaed has been described as 'our greatest woman-general' and one of the most effective leaders we ever had? If she had been born in another nation, her name would have been a household word. #DotheAethel
— Tamworth Council (@TamworthCouncil) May 22, 2018
Sunday was a big day, marking the culmination of months of planning and hard work and it was great seeing Our Aethel being brought back to the town she took her last breath in 1,100 years ago.
The giant metal structure has been already been affectionately named Our Aethel and there are events throughout the Summer in Tamworth to mark Aethelflaeds death.
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