Kwenthrith (Old English: Cwēnþrȳð) is the former Queen of Mercia and mother of Magnus, an unconfirmed son of Ragnar.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Kwenthrith was a princess, and the daughter of the late King Offa of Mercia. She was also the sister of the late Prince Kenelm, who's since been sainted by the Pope, and Burgred, who was fighting with her Uncle Brihtwulf to prevent Kwenthrith from claiming Mercia as her own.
As a child, Kwenthrith was raped by her uncle Brihtwulf at the age of six. Brihtwulf would also bring other men to her so that they might, as she puts it, "enjoy the pleasure of having sex with a child." Her uncle also forced her to have sex with Kenelm when she was twelve.
After the death of their father, Kenelm took the Mercian throne. Unfortunately, the young king died shortly thereafter and rumors soon started that he was killed by his sister, setting off a nasty civil war as Kwenthrith became one of the leading claimants of the Mercian crown.
Season 2[]
Kwenthrith is introduced arriving at King Ecbert's castle. He realizes the advantage of influencing Mercia's future, and seeks to ally himself with the princess, at least for the time being. He welcomes her to Wessex with a grand feast, where she engages Athelstan in conversation about his experiences among the Northmen. Kwenthrith proceeds to ask the flustered monk about the liberal sex life of the Northmen, and how much more "natural" it seems.
She later shares King Ecbert's bed. Immediately after having sex with him, she wants Æthelwulf brought to her room. She settles for doing it with three of Ecbert's guards.
When King Ecbert hires a company of Vikings as mercenaries, after a stunning victory against them in battle, the princess strolls through the ranks, remarking that she would like to breed with them and they would certainly produce "giants" as offspring.
Season 3[]
When Ragnar returns to Wessex, King Ecbert asks him to fight for Princess Kwenthrith so that she may claim Mercia and the crown. Ragnar is uninterested in helping her and tells the King that this was not part of their treaty. Nevertheless, he agrees to help.
Not one to sit idly, Princess Kwenthrith joins Ragnar and his warriors as they seek out her brother and uncle. She promises Ragnar that she can offer him something special should he follow through in his task. The Northmen find the Mercians with large armies on each side of an expansive river; Ragnar decides to take on her uncle, confusing Burgred who does not understand why they are not attacking both sides. A bloody battle ensures, leaving Brihtwulf dead.
Kwenthrith, heavily intoxicated and wildly pleased with her uncle's death, asks Ragnar for his head, to which he agrees. Ragnar learns that her uncle used to rape her and "shared" her with other men and her brother, Kenelm, never relenting despite her cries. The princess happily takes the head and stabs it over and over again, finally free of him.
Ragnar safely recovers her brother, Burgred, as promised. Ragnar warns her that her brother is weak but could still cause her downfall; Kwenthrith takes little notice of this and instead focuses on a wound Ragnar received during battle. Kwenthrith decides to urinate on it to help sterilize the area, and it also attracts Ragnar.
At a grand feast held by King Ecbert, Princess Kwenthrith decides that her brother is no longer needed - she poisons his drink and he subsequently dies, which causes all present to pour out their drinks in a rather macabre toast. It is clear that the now-Queen will be no one's pawn and fully intends to take Mercia for herself.
She decides to rule Mercia alone, breaking her arrangement with King Ecbert and killing the Wessex nobles that had been sent to monitor her. Ecbert sends Æthelwulf to Mercia to try and reason with her. After bypassing her defenses by sheer force of character, he is the first male to withstand her sexual seduction. Kwenthrith then reveals her plan to use her son by Ragnar to threaten Ecbert. She claims that "nothing will stop him from coming back to these shores, both for his settlement and for his son." Æthelwulf informs her that he and Ecbert have destroyed the Danish settlement. She replies that Ragnar will return for vengeance. Æthelwulf proceeds to verbally destroy her. He tells her, “Queen Kwenthrith, you would be unwise to kill us. It would give my father the very pretext he needs, a pretext to invade Mercia and become its King. He may have been even prepared to sacrifice me to attain his ends. So if you value your life and that of your son, then I suggest you sign the documents we have brought with us, reaffirming the fact that Mercia is a vassal state of Wessex, and must in future pay not only homage, but also TAXES TO WESSEX, FOR THE PRIVILEGE!” Kwenthrith sinks back on her throne, defeated.
Season 4[]
Unfortunately for Queen Kwenthrith, the nobles of Mercia have revolted against her and she has been taken prisoner. News of this reaches Wessex, and King Ecbert learns that Kwenthrith and her young son Magnus have been locked in a tower. Ecbert sends scouts to Mercia to locate the captive Queen and, although most are killed, one man is able to return and report to the king where the Queen is being held. Ecbert sends Æthelwulf to rescue them.
In Mercia, Æthelwulf and his men find the queen and her son, though a battle soon breaks out and the Mercian general commands his men to kill the Queen. Kwenthrith fights desperately to save her life and manages to fight off the men with the help of Æthelwulf. Returning victorious from Mercia, Kwenthrith quickly invites Æthelwulf to her chambers. This time, he accepts her offer.
King Ælle arrives in Wessex, his mind heavy with the issue of Mercia. While at dinner, Ælle notices something is amiss as Æthelwulf cozies up to the deposed Queen Kwenthrith while Judith giggles with Ecbert. The problem of Mercia continues to trouble Ælle, Ecbert, and Æthelwulf. Naturally, Æthelwulf sides with Kwenthrith who still wants to rule over Mercia. Ecbert agrees and decides to march with an army to Mercia. When Ecbert returns, having killed the ruling council members, Kwenthrith believes she is to return home and rule. She is also excited to announce her pregnancy by Æthelwulf. Unfortunately, her happiness is short-lived: before killing the councilmen, Ecbert has them sign documents proclaiming himself as king.
Realizing she is once again a captive, Kwenthrith turns to Judith for help escaping the castle. Kwenthrith admits that Æthelwulf is the father of her child, and Judith forgives her. Unfortunately, Judith can not help her and only watches as Kwenthrith makes a failed attempt to escape with her son. Kwenthrith will not be held prisoner again however, and says goodbye to her son before heading towards Ecbert's chambers. She stabs a soldier, Waerferth, who attempts to stop her before making it to Ecbert. Holding a knife to his throat, Kwenthrith ignores his warning that she will be killed by his guards, but is stabbed in the back by Judith before she can kill the king. Kwenthrith falls on the bed, telling Judith that she has been "killed twice over" before succumbing to her wound.
Personality[]
Kwenthrith is clearly traumatized and insane. She is willing to use her sexuality to achieve her ends and has become something of a sexual predator.
In History[]
Kwenthrith is based on the historical figure Cwenthryth. Cwenthryth was a princess of Mercia, the daughter of King Coenwulf, and the sister of Saint Kenelm. After her father's death, Kenelm was killed fighting the Welsh, possibly due to Cwenthryth's treachery. She was also the Abbess of Minster-in-Thanet in Kent, England. Wulfred, Archbishop of Canterbury, challenged her for the authority over her abbey estates and she was ultimately compelled to resign.
Trivia[]
- The name Cwenthryth (Kwenthrith) likely means "woman of power." "Cwen" means queenly and a royal woman and "thryth" means strength.
- Kwenthrith believes eating meat is harmful and is vegetarian.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
| Season two appearances | ||||
| Brother's War | Invasion | Treachery | Eye For an Eye | Answers in Blood |
| Unforgiven | Blood Eagle | Boneless | The Choice | The Lord's Prayer |
| Season three appearances | ||||
| Mercenary | The Wanderer | Warrior's Fate | Scarred | The Usurper |
| Born Again | Paris | To the Gates! | Breaking Point | The Dead |
| Season four appearances | ||||
| A Good Treason | Kill the Queen | Mercy | Yol | Promised |
| What Might Have Been | The Profit and the Loss | Portage | Death All 'Round | The Last Ship |
| The Outsider | The Vision | Two Journeys | In the Uncertain Hour Before the Morning | All His Angels |
| Crossings | The Great Army | Revenge | On the Eve | The Reckoning |