Uhtred in The Last Kingdom: A Man Torn Between Two Worlds

Caught Between Two Worlds: A Saxon by Blood, a Dane at Heart

Uhtred’s life is defined by the tension between his Saxon birth and his Danish upbringing. Born into a noble Christian family in England, he’s captured and raised by Danes after his family is killed. As a boy, Uhtred grows up under the care of Ragnar, a Danish warrior who becomes his adoptive father, and he learns the Danish way of life—embracing their gods, values, and warrior spirit. But Uhtred can never fully escape his Saxon heritage. His noble blood ties him to the Christian kingdom of Wessex, where King Alfred and others expect his loyalty.

This divide between his Saxon roots and Danish heart creates constant conflict for Uhtred. Is he Saxon, or is he Dane? The answer is never simple. His struggle to balance these two parts of his identity touches on something deeply human—our ability to form meaningful bonds and loyalties that aren’t always based on blood or biology, but on shared experiences, values, and culture.

In the animal kingdom, family loyalty—what scientists call kin selection—usually comes down to one thing: biology. Animals like wolves or ants are hardwired to protect and cooperate with their relatives because they share the same genes. The closer the genetic link, the stronger the bond. But for humans, it’s much more complicated. While family is still important, our sense of kinship and loyalty often extends beyond our blood relations. We create strong connections with people based on shared beliefs, culture, and even friendships—something animals don’t really do.

Uhtred’s story shows this clearly. Even though he’s a Saxon by blood, his strongest loyalties are often to his Danish family—Ragnar, Brida, and the other Danes who raised him. His love for them isn’t biological but cognitive, emotional, and cultural. At the same time, his Saxon heritage keeps pulling him back, especially when it comes to reclaiming his ancestral lands and dealing with King Alfred, who represents the Christian Saxon world.

This tension between his Saxon blood and his Danish identity highlights something unique about humans: we are not just driven by our biology. We form bonds, allegiances, and identities based on complex factors like culture, belief systems, and shared experiences. Uhtred’s loyalty to the Danes is just as powerful as any blood tie because humans have the capacity for what’s called “fictive kinship”—the ability to treat non-blood relations as family. This is something most animals can’t do, but for humans, it’s a crucial part of how we build societies and communities.

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For animals, kin selection is fairly straightforward. They recognize family members through biological cues like smell or appearance and stick together to ensure their genes survive. In contrast, humans rely heavily on culture and shared identity to form bonds. Uhtred’s connection to the Danes isn’t about shared genes; it’s about shared history and values. He sees Ragnar as his true father, even though they aren’t related by blood, because their relationship is built on trust, love, and a common way of life.

This flexibility is one of the reasons humans are so successful at forming large, complex societies. We don’t need to be related by blood to form strong alliances, friendships, or even family units. Our ability to form these connections through culture and shared identity allows us to build nations, communities, and even armies like the ones Uhtred fights with and against.

At the same time, this kind of cognitive flexibility can create inner conflict, like the one Uhtred faces throughout his life. He loves the Danes who raised him, but he can’t completely shake the obligations that come with his Saxon birthright. This struggle is deeply human—animals rarely face this kind of internal conflict over loyalty, but humans constantly wrestle with competing cultural and familial expectations.

Uhtred’s internal battle between his Saxon blood and Danish upbringing comes at a great personal cost. He’s often at odds with himself, torn between two worlds that he can never fully belong to. This mental and emotional strain reflects the unique burden of being human: we have the ability to reflect on who we are and make choices about our identities, but that also means we can experience deep conflict when those identities clash.

For Uhtred, the question of who he is loyal to—his Danish family or his Saxon birthright—is not just a matter of survival, but of self-identity. He can’t just follow his instincts like an animal might; he has to make conscious decisions about which side to fight for, which gods to believe in, and where he truly belongs. And as any human knows, making those kinds of choices can be incredibly difficult and painful.

Uhtred’s journey in The Last Kingdom is more than just a thrilling historical saga—it’s a reflection of the complicated way humans form bonds, choose loyalties, and navigate identity. His split between Saxon and Danish worlds highlights the fact that, for humans, kinship and loyalty aren’t just about blood. They’re shaped by our experiences, cultures, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are.

In the end, Uhtred’s struggle is a deeply human one, showing that while our ability to form complex social identities sets us apart from other animals, it also leaves us vulnerable to the emotional and psychological toll of divided loyalties.