At last all the Dead Æthels have arrived in heaven (not a phrase you hear everyday). The Æthels were King Alfred’s dad Æthelwulf, and his elder brothers Æthelstan, Æthelbold, Æthelberht and Æthelred, all of whom died before Alfred became King of Wessex. As you can see from this part of our mural of Alfred and the Vikings, Æthelwulf and the three older Æthels are all comfortably seated in heaven while the recently departed Æthelred is ascending with the help of a couple of angels. On the left hand side of heaven two angels can be seen in earnest discussion about the new throne requirement. The kings and angels copy ones depicted in Anglo-Saxon manuscripts and the Bayeaux tapestry.