Osburh

See also: Osburh of Coventry

Osburh or Osburga (also Osburga Oslacsdotter) was the first wife of King Æthelwulf of Wessex and mother of King Alfred the Great. Alfred's biographer, Asser, described her as "a most religious woman, noble in character and noble by birth".^[1]

Osburh
Early 20th century illustration of Osburh reading to her son Alfred
Spouse	Æthelwulf, King of Wessex
Issue	Æthelstan, King of Kent Æthelswith, Queen of Mercia Æthelbald, King of Wessex Æthelberht, King of Wessex Æthelred I, King of Wessex Alfred, King of the Anglo-Saxons
Father	Oslac

Sources

Osburh's existence is known only from Asser's Life of King Alfred. She is not named as witness to any charters, nor is her death reported in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. So far as is known, she was the mother of all Æthelwulf's children, his five sons Æthelstan, Æthelbald, Æthelberht, Æthelred and Alfred, and his daughter Æthelswith, wife of King Burgred of Mercia.

Osburh is best known from Asser's story about a book of Saxon songs which she showed to her sons, offering to give the book to whoever could first memorise it, a challenge which Alfred took up and won. This exhibits high-status ninth-century women's interest in books and their role in educating their children.^[2]

Osburh was the daughter of Oslac (who is also only known from Asser's Life), King Æthelwulf's pincerna (cupbearer), an important figure in the royal court and household.^[3] Oslac is described as being of partial Gothic ancestry,^[4] and descendant of King Cerdic's Jutish nephews, Stuf and Wihtgar, who conquered and settled the Isle of Wight.^[5]

See also

• House of Wessex family tree