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VIKING England (Angle-land) was kept in a state of disturbance by the attacks of the Danes, who had made repeated incursions during the whole of the Saxon period, and about half a century after the unification of the kingdom became masters of nearly the whole of England. The name Viking comes from the word Vik, the Norwegian for inlet, the areas in which the Scandinavians dwelt. |
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TIME LINE c.789 - c.1066 |
They had a powerful oral poetic tradition, manifest
in their sagas, in the 8th century the Vikings began one of the most remarkable periods of expansion in history.
The Vikings were made up of land owning chieftains and clan heads, their retainers freemen, and young clan members
sought adventure overseas. The fall of the Danish royal line in 845 a contributory factor to the pirate raids.
They attacked Britain and Ireland, by negotiating the seas in their longships setting sail from Denmark and Norway,
they voyaged westward through the Shetland's, Iceland, and Greenland, as far as Vinland (Newfoundland) .
Scandinavian seafaring raids commenced in England in the late 8th century, with raids on the North East of England,
by ' sea borne pagans ' who worshipped a number of gods Odin, Thor, and Frey. Burning,
plundering, and killing earned them the name "
pirate " they were also called NORSEMAN, or NORTHMAN. Lindisfarne
Jarrow and Iona , were three of the first of England's most holy monasteries to fall fowl to brutal plunder.
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They also ravaged the coast of Europe, and entered the Mediterranean, where they fought Arabs as well as Europeans, they soon adopted new languages and quickly modified fighting styles to suit land-based operations. The Norwegians invaded Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall with the Danish plundering English and Frankish lands. They Vikings were eventually to settle in Normandy, the north of England, and the area around Dublin in Ireland, farming and, trade links with the continent would soon be established they modified existing forms of rule rather than impose their own. |
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A Viking Long Boat |
The great Danish army landed in East Anglia c.865 led by the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok, Halfden (Healfdene ) and Ivarr the Boneless (Inwaer), and perhaps Hubba within a short time they turned on Northumbria and York, conquering the ancient kingdoms of East Anglia and Northumbria and reduced Mercia to a fraction of its former size
Alfred the Great
The Danes attacked Wessex in 871 Ethelred, Alfred's brother died during the early confrontation Alfred then became king of the West
Saxons, he was one of a very few English Kings who wrote books he also learnt Latin and translated many works of
literature into English. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, was initiated after the raids by Danish invaders. King Alfred attributed the constant invasion and warfare of his reign
to the wrath of God, he therefore educated his people and initiated the collection of the seven manuscripts written
in Anglo-Saxon (Old English)
(The major text is known as the Parker Chronicle) it
provides a historical view of England from the beginning of Christianity up to 1154
Legend
The king, whilst travelling in disguise, burnt the peasant housewife's cakes, and was severely reprimanded by her.
The genius of Alfred the Great, who had ascended the throne in, 871, speedily reversed matters by the defeat of the Danes at Ethandune
c. 874 by this time Northumbria, East Anglia and
Mercia had ceased to exist as Saxon domains Alfred's reign had started badly, the great Danish army split into
half with Halfden turning Yorkshire into settlements, the other half of the army led by Guthrum, Oscytel and Anund
turned south to launch a new attack on Wessex, but they were forced to withdraw, the Danes partitioned Mercia,
and colonised Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire.
893
/ 894 the Danish Pirates wintered in Chester
Edward, known as Edward the Elder, was the son of Alfred the Great, born about 870, he succeeded his father in 901. His reign was distinguished by successes over the Danes. Along with his sister Ethelflaed the Lady of the Mercians defeated the Danes at Tettenhall 910 he also re-conqured parts of the Danelagh.
911 Ethelred lord of the Mercians - Died.
Even though Edward the Elder had significantly increased
the size of his kingdom by conquering East Anglia, Mercia in 918 and Northumbria in 920, he was still not recognised
beyond the Humber. Edward also had no direct authority over the Viking kingdom of York, problems did arise within
his government Ethelflaed the Lady of the Mercians was kept busy protecting Mercia from the Norwegian Vikings based
in Ireland and the Welsh in the west. He
fortified many inland towns, and subdued several of the Welsh tribes. the small Danish states of old Mercian and
East Anglian territory fell before him, but there was a little more resistance from Northumbria, who were largely
under Viking leadership from Ireland, but the Scandinavian power there was finally liquidated by Edred in 954.
A Northumbrian campaign, in 924 led to
an alliance between Mercians, men of Chester and Welshmen who called him out to fight. Edward suppressed the rising
and placed a new garrison in the town of Chester but within a few days he died 925.
Athelstan. (King of England born 895 succeeded his father Edward the
Elder) was the grandson of Alfred the Great, Athelstan and Eadred were competent in protecting themselves from
the Danes the main event in his life was victory over his enemies at Brunanburgh in 937 he reigned for 15 years
The reigns of the next five kings,
Edmund, Edred, Edwy, Edgar, and Edward the. Martyr, are chiefly remarkable on account of the conspicuous place
occupied in them by Dunstan, who was counsellor to Edmund, minister of
Edred, treasurer under Edwy, and supreme during the reign of Edgar and his successor. It was possibly due to his
policy that from the time of Athelstan till after the death of Edward the Martyr (978 or 979) the country had comparative
rest from the Danes.
Edwy ( Eadwig ) 955-959 Saxon ruler of England. Probably only
15 years old when he became king , it was only a short reign in which Mercia and Northumbria renounced him in favour
of his brother Edgar in 957, he ruled only over the lands south of the Thames
Edgar 959-975
Saxon ruler of England, King of Northumbria and Mercia and of England. After the political failure of his brother
Eadwig, he was chosen king of England north of the Thames (957). The southern part also became his on Edwy's death
(959). Edgar's reign saw freedom from Danish raids (due in part to his building of an effective navy), hence his
title of ' Edgar the Peaceful '. His authority was acknowledged (973) by the other kings
in England, Scotland, and Wales. Edgar supported Dunstan, Ethelwold,
and Oswald in their reform of English monasteries.
Edward
the Martyr Saxon ruler of England, succeeded his father, Edgar, at the age of fifteen, in 975. His reign of
four years was chiefly distinguished by ecclesiastical disputes. He was treacherously slain in 979 by a servant
of his stepmother, (Elfrida who wanted Ethelred to become king) at her residence, Corfe Castle. The pity caused
by his innocence and misfortune induced the people to regard him as a martyr.
Ethelred the Unready 978-1016 Saxon ruler of England. During the 10th century many changes had taken place in the Teutonic constitution.
Feudalism was already taking root; the king's authority had increased; the folkland was being taken over as the
king's personal property; the nobles by birth, or ealdormen, were becoming of less importance in administration
than the nobility of thegns, the officers of the king's court. Ethelred, who succeeded Edward, was a minor, the
government was feebly conducted, and no united action being taken against the Danes, their incursions became more frequent and destructive.
Animosities between the English and the Danes who had settled among them became daily more violent, and a general massacre of the latter took place in 1002. The following year Sweyn invaded the kingdom with a powerful army and assumed the crown of England. Ethelred was compelled to take refuge in Normandy; and though he afterwards returned, he found in Canute an adversary no less formidable than Sweyn. In 1013 there was a Danish invasion led by King Swein, Ethelred the Unready fled to exile in Normandy in France in 1014 but Swein died, his son Harold succeeded to the Scandinavian throne but the army in England accepted Canute (Cnut ) who was the King of Denmark. Ethelred returned and was soon engaging the Danes who were caught unprepared Canute was forced back to Denmark to re-assemble a larger army . On his return to England he found that Edmund Ironside Ethelred's son had succeeded to the throne and taken control of the Northen Danelaugh .
Ethelred left his kingdom in 1016 to his son Edmund, Ironside Saxon ruler of England who displayed great valour, but was compelled to divide his kingdom with Canute; and when he was assassinated in 1017 the Danes succeeded to the sovereignty of the whole.
Canute ( Cnut - Knut, ) had accompanied his father, Sweyn, on the invasion of England (1013) against Ethelred II and was chosen King of Denmark on Sweyn's death the following year. He launched his, counter attack against Edmund Ironside, which proved to be a decisive at the battle of Ashingdon in Essex. A treaty followed in 1016 leaving Edmund Ironside only Wessex, shortly afterwards due to Edmunds murder (1016), Canute became a Danish King of England, 1017-1035 deviding England into four earldoms he married Emma, the widow of Ethelred, that he might reconcile his new subjects . His reign was marked by legal and military reforms he obtained the name of Great, not only for his personal qualities, he wisely used English and Danes as advisers as well, and was one of the most powerful rulers in Europe ruling Denmark, Norway, Sweden, as well as England until his death at Shaftesbury Nov 12 1035 .
Legend
A story is told by Henry of Huntingdon that Canute rebuked his flatterers by showing that even he, as king, could not stop the in-coming tide.
In 1035 Canute died, in England and was followed by his sons Hardicanute and Harold (1035-1040) both claimed the right to succeed to the throne, Harold had an English mother Algiva, but the kingdom was divided between them, Harold taking the land north of the Thames, then due to Hardicanute absence the whole of England was reigned by Harold 1. until his death .
After Harold and Hardicanute, joint reigns Hardicanute (Harthacnut) 1040-1042 became the last Danish King, then the English line was restored in 1042 by :-
Edward The Confessor 1042-1066, younger son of Ethelred II.born 1005. He had lived in the Normandy region of north western France, on the death of his maternal brother, Hardicanute the Dane, in 1041, he was called to the throne, and thus renewed the Saxon line. He was crowned in 1042 and reigned for 25 years, his queen was the daughter of Godwin, earl of Kent .
Edward lacked influence among England's Anglo-Saxon nobles, Godwin, Earl of Wessex, Edwards farther in law tried to dominate him, but he relied on his Norman advisers and administrators. Edward was weak and superstitious, but well-intentioned prince, a pious man who devoted most of his time to religious matters founded Westminster Abbey, which was completed in 1065. He caused a body of laws to be compiled from those of Ethelbert, Ina, and Alfred, to which the nation was long fondly attached. Edward acquired the love of his subjects by his monkish sanctity and care in the administration of justice. In the latter years of his reign he had far less power than his brother-in-law Harold, son of Earl Godwin by whom he was succeeded. Edward died Jan 5 1066, in 1161, Pope Alexander III canonised him and gave him the title of Confessor.
Harold
II. (Godwinson) born
c. 1022, being a son of Earl Godwin, in 1046 he was made Earl of East Anglia by his brother in law Edward the Confessor.
In 1051 Godwin and his sons were banished; at this time we hear of Harold in Ireland and ravaging the coasts of
England. Wars against the Welsh gave him a great deal of fame, and in 1053 he succeeded his father as Earl of Wessex,
this made him one of the most powerful men in England.
When Harold was shipwrecked in 1064, he fell into the hands of Duke William of Normandy, later known as William the Conqueror, forced Harold to swear that he would support the Dukes claim to the English throne. Edward was childless, and a dispute arose over who should succeed him. William Duke of Normandy, claimed Edward had promised him the throne.
In 1066, on Edward's death, the Witan chose Harold who was the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England. He was crowned at Westminster, and just after he became king, Harold King of Norway, and Tostig, a rebellious brother of the English king, invaded England. Harold II. fought an early battle defeating the Norwegians at Stamford Bridge on Sept 25. Then marched his army south to met William of Normandy his cousin who had invaded England to fight for the throne.
At Hastings on October 14th 1066, Harold was killed with two of his brothers, he had married the widow of a Welsh prince, but his chief love was Edith, called Swan-neck, who bore him five children. She discovered his body on the field of battle and had it buried at Waltham in the church he had built.
