History of Britain: The Vikings

This is a part of an ongoing series of articles concerning ''The History of Britain''. Although the series of articles can be read separately, it is advised to read the series starting from the beginning as they are connected to each other chronologically and serve as a piece of puzzle to make up a full set. In the previous articles; Prehistoric Britain, until the Iron Age, The Brief History of Celts, the long Roman reign in Britain, and The Saxon invasions were given. This article continues with the invasions of the Vikings or Danes who came by wooden boats to conquer the Anglo-Saxon realm which eventually divided the island for almost 300 years.

PART ONE: THE GLORY OF THE DANES

The Vikings, who are also referred to as Danes, sailed from the North Sea as fierce raiders to conquer the land since they knew the prosperity of Anglo-Saxons. They landed on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne which was situated at the northeast coast of England. The Vikings initially demolished the important Christian churches and monasteries, especially  St Cuthbert and the monasteries of Lindisfarne and Northumbria. As a result, they heralded the time of the long Viking rule. In the year 835 Vikings attacked Wessex, which was the Supreme Kingdom at that time, and a series of wars started between Anglo-Saxons and Vikings.

''In the decades that followed Lindisfarne, more Viking raids occurred on English, Scottish, Irish and French soil. Eventually, the Scandinavians decided to up the stakes and looked to conquer instead of just raid. Halfdan Ragnarsson and Ivar the Boneless, sons of the legendary Viking warrior Ragnar Lothbrok, amassed a large army ready for an invasion. The collection of annals in Old English written during the late 9th century, known as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, called this invading force the Great Heathen Army.'' (History UK).

In the year 851, Athelstan, the son of the king of Wessex, defeated a Viking fleet, followed by greater battles with King Alfred in 878 that eventually divided England into two major realms.

PART TWO: THE GLORY OF THE KING ALFRED & THE ANGLO-SAXON CHRONICLE

King Alfred the Great

''The only Anglo-Saxon kingdom to weather the storm was Wessex. Led by their king, Alfred, the West Saxons defeated the Viking leader Guthrum at Edington in Wiltshire in 878. The subsequent negotiated settlement left Viking warlords in effective control of all England north and east of a line running roughly from east London to Chester. Alfred, meanwhile, was left in sole charge on the other side. In the areas that the Vikings took over, the resulting influence of Scandinavian culture was profound. '' (Williams). As a result, England was divided and the East became a Viking territory. The land was known as Danelaw as a whole, where both English and Danish kings were equal in law.

King Alfred ordered the construction of new boroughs and strengthened the borders which served as protection against the Viking attacks. In addition, he wanted to spread literacy and contributed the education immensely. He also wanted to record the history of the Anglo-Saxons by ordering the start of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle or the 'annual record of events'. It was originally compiled around the year 890 and is considered one of the most important sources regarding the comprehension of the history of the early medieval period. It was the first attempt to give a systematic account, year-by-year, of English history, and it was later maintained, and added to, by generations of anonymous scribes until the middle of the 1100s. It provides detailed information regarding events such, as Viking invasions, the rule of various Anglo-Saxon monarchs, and the Christianization of England. Thus, it also serves as a main source in learning the Viking occupation in England as the Chronicle recorded the first Viking raids as well as the most important battles between Vikings and Anglo-Saxons.

A Page from the Manuscript of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

The third paragraph in present-day English - Year 793;

Here were dreadful forewarnings come over the land of Northumbria, and woefully terrified the people: these were amazing sheets of lightning and whirlwinds, and fiery dragons were seen flying in the sky. A great famine soon followed these signs, and shortly after in the same year, on the sixth day before the ides of January, the woeful inroads of heathen men destroyed god’s church in Lindisfarne island by fierce robbery and slaughter. And Sicga died on the eighth day before the calends of March. (British Library)

The given passage, mentions the Viking raids by referring to the "woeful inroads of heathen men "of the Danes, who destroyed the church in Lindisfarne Island through "fierce robbery and slaughter."

PART THREE: THE GLORIOUS UNION OF THE SIBLINGS: EDWARD THE ELDER AND AETHELFLAED, THE LADY OF THE MERCIANS

In 899 King Alfred died and his son took the throne. He saved Wessex from the conquest by the Vikings despite the Scandinavian occupation of large portions of the island. In the meantime, Aethelwold, the nephew of King Alfred, tried to seize the throne which challenged the military operations and the authority of King Edward. After a series of struggles with the Vikings and Aethelwold, Edward finally took Mercia thanks to the help of his sister. Aethelflaed, or the Lady of the Mercians, ruled Merica alone. She was a great military expert and supported not only her brother but also the church. In addition, she raised Athlesan, the son of Edward, her nephew. After her death, Wessex and Mercia were united by Edward. As a result, the collaboration of siblings was very advantageous in many ways; they played an important role in the creation of a single kingdom in England and they encouraged people to buy land which increased monarchy considerably.

PART FOUR: ATHELSTAN - THE FIRST KING OF ENGLAND AND THE BATTLE OF MALDON

After the death of Alfred in 918, Athelstan became the king. He was the first king who successfully united all Anglo-Saxon kingdoms into a single kingdom which made him the first king of England. ''Although Viking rule returned to the north of England later in the tenth century, the violent death of King Erik Bloodaxe in 954 marked the end of independent Viking power in the north. This was not the end of the Viking era, however. From the 990s, Scandinavian war fleets reappeared in English waters and, for a quarter of a century, England endured a spiraling political and military crisis caused by repeated Viking incursions. Vast sums of money were violently extorted from the English.'' (Williams). 

In 991, during the reign of Ethelred the Unready who struggled to defend his land. The Battle of Maldon took place in the town of Maldon and it ended in defeat for the English by the Vikings. As a result, Swein Forkbeard forced Ethelred the Unready into exile and he became the king of England.

The event was also recorded as a poem that describes this battle which is a valuable literary work that provides a glimpse into the heroic poetry as well as cultural values of the Anglo-Saxons. The main themes of it are honor, heroism as well and loyalty which placed an important emphasis on one's lord and their willingness to die in battle for the honor and glory of their country.

The Battle of Maldon

PART FIVE: RESTORATION OF THE ANGLO-SAXON THRONE AND THE DECLINE OF THE VIKING POWER

Following the rule of the Caunute family, the Danish rule witnessed a period of prosperity. However, after the death of Harthacnut, the Anglo-Saxon rule was restored to the English throne. Edward the Confessor became King of England in 1042. He was the son of Ethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. He was in exile in Normandy with his family after his father was dethroned by King Sweyn Forkbeard. Later, the family returned to England. Edward was able to take the throne due to the uncertain power struggles after the end of the Scandinavian rule which left the English throne defenseless. Although his rule was a peaceful period, there was a growing tension between the pro-Norman court and Anglo-Saxons. In addition, he had no heir to replace him which led to the crisis of succession. He died in 1066 and was succeeded by Harold Godwinson who was the Earl of Wessex. Yet, his reign only lasted for nine months. Godwinson was faced with powerful threats from both William the Duke of Normandy and Harold Hardrada. In 1066 Harold Hardrada, the king of Norway attempted to invade England but was successfully defeated by Harold Godwinson. However, he was not very lucky in defending his crown against William of Normandy as he laid a strong claim to the English throne.

PART SIX: THE NORMAN CONQUEST

A scene from the 11th century CE Bayeux Tapestry shows Norman cavalry charging Anglo-Saxon infantry at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 CE. (Centre Guillaume le Conquérant, Bayeux, France)

Norman Conquest was the military conquest of England by William, Duke of Normandy which was mainly affected by his decisive victory at the Battle of Hastings (October 14, 1066) and resulting ultimately in profound political, administrative, and social changes in the British Isles. (Britannica).

William was a friend of Edward the Confessor and was promised the English throne. Yet, his attempts were halted when Harold Godwinson denied his claims. As a result, he defeated King Harold Godwinson, who was the last Anglo-Saxon King, in the battle of Hastings in 1066. He killed Harold Godwinson, crowned on 25 December 1066 on Christmas day, and became the King of England with the title William the Conquerer.

In conclusion, The Norman invasion of 1066 overthrew six centuries of Anglo-Saxon rule in England by marking the start of the Middle Ages and the rule of the Normans in England. They radically shaped the island by introducing landholding, bringing the feudal system, and replacing the old ruling class with the aristocracy. The period following the Norman Conquest saw a considerable change in the language of the land as well. While the Norman-French was the language of both law and the court, The Old English, or Anglo-Saxon, language remained as the language of the common people, and Latin was used as the language of religion as well as the Church. Later, such interaction between the three languages resulted in significant changes in the English language which eventually created Middle English. It was a combination of Norman-French, Anglo-Saxon (Old) English and Latin.

King William The Conqueror

SOURCES CITED:

Artist, Unknown. "Battle of Hastings, Bayeux Tapestry." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 08 Jan 2019. Web. 05 Oct 2023.

Dr. K. Hostetter, Aaron. ''Battle of Maldon''.Old English Poetry Project. Accessed From https://oldenglishpoetry.camden.rutgers.edu/battle-of-maldon/on 5 October 2023

Editors of Britannica. ''The Norman Conquest'' Britannica. Accessed From https://www.britannica.com/event/Norman-Conqueston 5 October 2023

Writers of Sky History. ''WHEN THE VIKINGS RULED IN BRITAIN: A BRIEF HISTORY OF DANELAW''. History Channel UK. Accessed From https://www.history.co.uk/articles/when-the-vikings-ruled-in-britain-a-brief-history-of-danelaw 4 October 2023.

Writers of British Library. ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - 11th Century'' British Library. Accessed From https://www.bl.uk/learning/timeline/item126532.html 4 October 2023.

Williams, Thomas. ''The History of the Vikings in England''. English Heritage. Accessed from https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/inspire-me/the-history-of-vikings-in-england/ on 5 October 2023