Coronation Gospels of Æthelstan

What it is

Also called the Athelstan Gospels, this is a Continental illuminated gospel book, probably made at Lobbes Abbey in the late 9th or early 10th century. It was given to King Æthelstan, who presented it to Christ Church Priory, Canterbury, as recorded in an inscription in the manuscript. It is now held at the British Library.

Why it matters

The inscription styles Æthelstan as ruler of the English and of the whole of Britain, linking him to an imagined imperial past. The book may have come to him from his brother-in-law Otto, later Holy Roman Emperor, and Otto's mother Matilda, whose names are written inside, connecting Æthelstan's reign to the marriage of his sister Eadgyth into the German royal family and to wider European politics. In the 17th century, Robert Cotton promoted the false idea that it had been used as a coronation oath-book.

Look closer

• What does the inscription's grand title for Æthelstan tell you about how he wanted to be seen?
• Why might a gospel book be used as a diplomatic gift between royal families?
• How did later owners, like Robert Cotton, change the story told about this book?