[An Old English Chronicle ]

Alfred's struggle with the Danes from his accession in 871 till the treaty or Wedmore in 878 . The treaty in effect ceded to the Danes one half of England the Danelagh, an area which lies north and east of a line drawn roughly from Chester to London.

Then Aelfred, his brother, son of Aethelwulf, succeeded to the kingdom of the West Saxons; and one month after, king Aelfred, with a small force fought against all the army at Wilton, and far in the day put them to flight but the Dane. held possession of the battle place. And this year nine great battles were fought against the army in the kingdom south of the Thames besides which, Aelfred, the king's brother, and individual ealdormen, and king's thanes, often rode raids on them, which were not reckoned. And within the year nine jarls and one king were slain ; and that year the West Saxons made peace with the army.

An. DCCC.LXXII. (DCCC.LXXIV.). In this year the army went front Reading to London, and there took winter quarters and then the Mercians made peace with the army.

An. DCCC.LXXII. (DCCC.LXXIII.). In this year the army went to Northumbria, and took winter quarters at Torksey in Lindsey; and then the Mercians made peace with the army.

An. DCCC.LXXIIV. (DCCC.LXXV). In this year the army went from Lindsey to Repton, and there took winter quarters, and drove the king Burhred over sea, two and twenty winters after he had obtained the kingdom, and they subdued all the land; and he went to Rome, and there settled, and his body lies in St. Mary's church, in the school of the Angle race. And in the same year they gave the kingdom of Mercia to the custody of Ceolwulf, an unwise king's thane; and he swore oaths to them and gave hostages, that it should be ready for them, on whatever day they would have it; and that he would be ready in his own person, and with all who would follow him, for the behoof of the army.

An. DCCC.LXXV. (DCCC.LXXVI). In this year the army went from Repton; and Halfdan went with a part of the army into Northuinbria, and took winter quarter. by the river Tyne; and the army subdued the land and often harried on the Picts and on the Strathclyde Welsh and the three kings Guthorm, and Oskytel, and Amund, went from Repton to Cambridge with a large army, and sat there one year. And in the summer, king Aelfred went out to sea with a naval force, and fought against the crews of seven ships, and took one of them, and put to flight the others.

An. DCCC.LXXVI. (DCCC.LXXVII). In this year the army stole away to Wareham, a fortress of the West Saxons; and after that the king made peace with the army and they gave to the king as hostages those who were most honourable in the army, and they then swore oaths to him on the holy ring, which they before would not do for any nation, that they would speedily depart from his kingdom ; and notwithstanding this, the mounted body stole away from the army by night to Exeter. And in that year Halfdan divided the Northumbrians' lands, and from that time they were ploughing and tilling them. In this year Rolf (Rollo) overran Normandy with his army, and he reigned fifty summers.

An. DCCC.LXXVII. (DCCC.LXXVIII). In this year the army came to Exeter from Wareham; and the naval force sailed west about and then a great storm met them at sea, and there perished a hundred and twenty ships at Swanwick. And king Aelfred, with his force, rode after the mounted army as far as Exeter, but could not overtake them before they were in the fastness, where they could not be come at. And they there gave him as many hostages as he would have, and swore great oaths, and then held good peace. And then, in the autumn, the army went into the Mercians' land, and divided some of it, and gave some to Ceolwulf.

An. DCCC.LXXVIII. (DCCC.LXXIX). In this year at Midwinter, after Twelfth Night, the army stole away to Chippenham, and harried the West Saxons' land, and settled there, and drove many of the people over sea, and of the remainder the greater portion they harried, and the people submitted to them, save the king Aelfred, and he, with a little band, withdrew to the woods and moor-fastnesses. And in the same winter the brothor of Ingvar and Halfdan was in Wessex, in Devonshire with twenty-three ships, and he was there slain, and with him eight hundred and forty men of his force. And there was the standard taken which they call the Raven, And the Easter after, Aelfred, with a little band, wrought a fortress at Aethelney, and from that work warred on the army, with that portion of the men of Somerset that was nearest. Then in the seventh weak after Easter he rode to Aegbryht's stone, on the east of Selwood, and there came to meet him all the Somersetshire men, and the Wiltshire men, and that part of Hampshire which remained of it on this side of the sea; and they were rejoiced on seeing him ; and one night after, he went from the camp to Iley, and one night after that to Ethandun (Heddington ?), and there fought against all the army, and put it to flight, and rode after it, as far as the works, and there sat fourteen nights. And then the army gave him hostages, with great oaths that they would depart from his kingdom; and also promised him that their king should receive baptism ; and that they so fulfilled; and three weeks after, king Guthorm came to himi, with thirty of the men who were most honourable in the army, at Aller, which is opposite to Athelney; and the king received him there at baptism; and his chrism-loosing was at Wedmore; and he was twelve nights with the king; and he largely gifted him and his companions with money.