For the first time in nearly 80 years, the land is in a fragile . In 878 Anglo-Saxon England was on the verge of annihilation. Combatants By 878, the Danes held the east and northeast of England; their defeat at the Battle of Ashdown had paused but not halted their advance. Alfred seems at this time to have ineffectually chased the Danes around Wessex, while the Danes were in a position to do as they pleased. anno 878 Battle of Edington; anno 878 continued; Battle of Maldon; Lindisfarne 793; Overwintering; Raids 789 - 839; Raids 840 - 850; Raids 851 - 861; Raids 861 - 878; Viking Ring Fortresses. A map of the area around the battle positions Battle of Borodino summary. A version of the Life written in about 1000 AD, known as the Cotton Otho A. xii text, lasted till 1731 when it was destroyed in a fire. Under the terms of the Treaty of Wedmore, the converted Guthrum was required to leave Wessex and return to East Anglia. The Battle of Edington is a decisive military engagement. The battle was merely the nexus, the watershed, the moment of crisis. "The Pale Horseman" Guthrum was left overextended, and Alfred and his ealdormenbroke up the Danish supply lines and lines of communication. Otto the Great of Germany defeated the Magyars halting their advance into Europe in 955 at the Battle of _____ . . A list of Battle-related questions. [28] In 1904 William Henry Stevenson analysed possible sites and said "So far, there is nothing to prove the identity of this Eandun [as named in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle] with Edington" but then goes on to say that "there can be little reason for questioning it". After Alfred left Athelney, he went via Egbert's Stone and Iglea to Ethandun where he fought against the Vikings and won. The victory at Edington forced Guthrum to abandon Wessex , and Alfred resumed control of the entire kingdom, ensuring that the last Anglo-Saxon kingdom survived the Viking onslaught. The Battle of Edington was one of the most important battles in English history. As the fighting raged around him, Ivar pleaded to the gods for help, but once again a few of his bones broke. Consequently, in 879 the Viking army left Chippenham and made its way to Cirencester (in the kingdom of Mercia) and remained there for a year. Place However, the system of military reforms and the Burghal Hidage introduced by Edward the Elder enabled Alfred's successors to retake control of the lands occupied in the North of England by the Danes.[59][60]. To his horror, Hvitserk noticed that Ivar's eyes are now completely blue as this was a sign that he was more capable of breaking the bones of his legs. These forces began "a new stage, that of conquest and residence". The Battle of Barry is a legendary battle in which the Scots, purportedly led by Malcolm II, defeated a Danish invasion force in 1010 AD. . The arrival of a Danish "great army" in East Anglia in 865 marked the start of a new phase of Viking attacks on Britain. At the Battle of Edington, an army of the kingdom of Wessex under Alfred the Great defeated the Great Heathen Army led by the Dane Guthrum on a date between 6 and 12 May 878, resulting in the Treaty of Wedmore later the same year. Frna . We're a volunteer run registered charity dedicated to the protection, promotion and interpretation of Britain's battlefields. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps. Date. A victory for Guthrum would have ended the last Anglo-Saxon kingdom. However, they were ambushed by a sizeable Saxon force and were almost annihilated before Hvitserk arrived with his own party of men. It is not clear how seriously Guthrum took his conversion to Christianity, but he was the first of the Danish rulers of the English kingdoms to mint coins on the Alfredian model, under his baptismal name of Athelstan. Casualties The new king benefited from a lull in the onslaught until 876, when Danish attacks resumed in earnest. [28] However, the location has been much debated over the centuries. Map from Laborde's original 1925 paper suggesting the location of the Battle of Maldon. Hastings, battle of, 1066. Fortunately for Wessex, they did not use the time available effectively. Hist. Hide Map Menu. Halfdan went back to Northumbria and fought the Picts and the Strathclyde Welsh to secure his northern kingdom. Both armies charged at each other and hand-to-hand fighting emerged. [25][50] It is possible that the enforced conversion was an attempt by Alfred to lock Guthrum into a Christian code of ethics, hoping it would ensure the Danes' compliance with any treaties agreed to. King Harald and Ivar managed to assemble a considerable force of thousands of warriors which would closely resemble the first Great Heathen Army. TO COMMEMORATE THE BATTLE OF ETHANDUN FOUGHT IN THIS VICINITY MAY 878 AD WHEN KING ALFRED THE GREAT DEFEATED THE VIKING ARMY, GIVING BIRTH TO THE ENGLISH NATIONHOOD. Viking defeat. Previously, the Vikings had come to raid and settle around the coast; this force came to conquer. The primary sources for the location of the battle are Asser's Life of King Alfred, which names the place as "Ethandun" and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which has Eandun. Reinvading Wessex, they captured Wareham and, in 877, occupied Exeter. King Bjorn died following the Rus invasion, which was defeated, and King Harald was appointed as the new ruler of the prosperous city. [11] In the spring of 878, he summoned his West Saxon forces and marched to Edington, where he met the Danes, led by Guthrum, in battle. Vimeiro, battle of, 1808. For the next several months, Alfred launched raids into his own kingdom, now overrrun by Guthrum's warriors. [35] The Domesday Book of 1086 has an entry for Romsey Abbey holding land at Edendone in the county of Wiltshire at the time of Edward the Confessor (before 1066) and also in 1086, and this is known to be at Edington, Wiltshire. (It is to this period that the story of Alfred burning the cakes belongs.). BBC Radio 4 Archive Programme In Our Time: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battle_of_Edington&oldid=1117190568, This page was last edited on 20 October 2022, at 11:27. 878 The following year the army went to East Anglia, where it settled. Battle of Edington was an event which occurred in The Saxon Stories novel series, and The Last Kingdom television series. On the Norse side, a few catapults had been erected. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Battle of Ethandun 878. The battle was the culmination of a long period of preparation by Alfred in the wilderness - a victory snatched from the jaws of catastrophic . [25] It is believed that Asser's Life was originally written in 893; however, no contemporary manuscript survives. Primary sources locate the battle at "Eandun". By 878, Guthrum was no longer supported by other Danish leaders such as Ivar the . Alfred then approached Hvitserk holding his brother's lifeless body which prompted him to tell Alfred to leave him and his brother alone for a moment as he wept over his brother's body. Greswell, William Henry Parr 1848-1923 (Created by) Book Title: The Story Of The Battle Of Edington. The previous engagement has thinned both armies, but considerable numbers on either side were involved. Tennessee had the highest population of Edington families in 1840. By 896 the Vikings gave up with some going to East Anglia and others going to Northumbria. The Battle of Edington (May 878) was a battle which took place near Edington in the county of Wiltshire in the south-west of England . Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Ahead of battle, Alfred, who used to fear his men did not see him as a warrior, strays from his godly sermons to deliver a passionate speech and rally his men. The importance of the Battle of Edington, A.D. 878: a lecture given at the annual meeting of the Friends of Edington Priory Church, August 27th, 1977 Title: The importance of the Battle of Edington, A.D. 878: a lecture given at the annual meeting of the Friends of Edington Priory Church, August 27th, 1977 Author: Whitelock, D. Location: Edington Battle of Edington was an event which occurred in The Saxon Stories novel series, and The Last Kingdom television series. In this year, Alfred succeeded his brother Ethelred, who died after the Battle of Merton. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Known as a royal center during Alfred's reign, the area was memorable for being captured by Viking warrior Guthrum during the 9th century. In four months, the harshness of winter can be replaced by the the bright warmth of . It might not seem it. The first we read of Alfred after the disaster at Chippenham is around Easter, when he built a fortress at Athelney. 118-120, Wood. Edington, Wessex Alfred then called as many of the fyrdmen of Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire as he could, and they assembled at Egbert's Stone over the course of three days. Fought on 14 October at what is now Battle (Sussex), where William the Conqueror ordered the construct, Battle of Northampton King Alfred Bishop Aldulf Some scholars have suggested that Asser's life of King Alfred was a forgery. Internal disunity was threatening to tear the Danes apart, and they needed time to reorganize. There he built a fort that he used as a base for guerrilla warfare, while building up his forces. Many of the men in the counties around (Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire) who had not already fled rallied to him there. In this year, Alfred succeeded his brother Ethelred, who died after the Battle of Merton. The French Grande Arme under Emperor Napoleon I attacked the Imperial Russian Army of General Mikhail Kutuzov near the village of Borodino , west of the town of Mozhaysk , and eventually captured the main positions on the battlefield, but failed to destroy the Russian . At the cathedral in Winchester, Alfred orders his bishop to baptize Hvitserk and as a result makes him a Saxon prince as well as giving him land in East Anglia. Alfred and the battle of Edington: how the King of Wessex became great; . Meanwhile, Hvitserk, after cutting down several Saxon warriors despite receiving several injuries, gradually began to tire and struggled to fight on. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Alfreds Wessex controlled the south and west, Viking Danelaw the north and east. The reasoning to support the Eandun of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the Ethandun of Asser's Life being Edington in Wiltshire is derived from a trail of information from ancient manuscripts. The West Saxon Army, now bolstered with fresh reinforcements from the Chichester garrison and Mercian soldiers, began moving towards the valley of Edington, where Ivar had stationed his troops to fight. Also in 879, according to Asser, another Viking army sailed up the River Thames and wintered at Fulham in Middlesex. Heavy, 1,300 soldiers deathsSister AnnisBishop Aldulf pp. A charter records a meeting of the king's council at Eandun, although a later scribe has annotated the same document with Eandune. This site may or may not be it. After the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of East Anglia, Mercia, and Northumbria had been conquered by the Danish army, Wessex in southern England held out against the invaders. In the spring of 878 at the Battle of Edington the tide of English history turned. Chastened - but not yet broken - the Norse warlords have . Alfred then ordered that Hvitserk be spared as he is one of the last surviving sons of Ragnar Lothbrok and makes great plans for him. Battle of Edington - Battle in Wiltshire at which Alfred the Great defeated a Danish army, forcing them to withdraw from Wessex into East Anglia Battle of Edington, 878 Home - Book Shop - Wars - Battles - Biographies - Timeline - Weapons - Blog - Full Index - Subjects - Concepts - Country - Documents - Pictures & Maps The Witan met there in 957. In Search of the Dark Ages. Both sides fight each other. Even if Alfred had caught up with the Danish force, it is unlikely that he could have accomplished anything. [13] (It is to this period that the story of Alfred burning the cakes belongs.[16]). Guthrum reigned as king in East Anglia until his death in 890, and although this period was not always peaceful he was not considered a threat. Battle of Edington - Location of The Battle Location of The Battle The primary sources for the location of the battle are Asser's Life of King Alfred, which names the place as "Ethandun" and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which has Eandune. After the victory, when the Danes had taken refuge in the fortress, the West Saxons removed all food that the Danes might be able to capture in a sortie, and waited. IN 878 AD, Alfred the Great defeated the Danes at the Battle of Edington in Wiltshire. On the following day, both armies deployed on the battlefield, the Norse troops having the forest at their rear. Depicting scenes recorded using A Total War Saga: THRONES OF BRITANNIA, Creative Assembly has made a short documentary charting the rise and fall of the Anglo Saxons, between Alfred the Great's victory over the Viking invaders at the battle of Edington, to King Harold's demise at the Battle of Hastings. The Battle of Buttington was fought in 893 [a] between a Viking army and an alliance of Anglo-Saxons and Welsh. After the disaster at Chippenham in January 878, Alfred was reduced for some months to guerrilla warfare from the marshes around Athelney. A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia. But four months is around 120 days. Viking Invasion of British Isles Worksheets. The Vikings then surrendered en masse as they lacked the will to fight especially after witnessing their slain commander. Only the victory of Alfred the Great at Edington saved Anglo-Saxon independence. This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Viking Invasion of British Isles across 26 in-depth pages. Forge alliances, manage settlements, raise armies and pursue campaigns of conquest across the most detailed Total War map ever. In May of 878 Alfred the Great defeated the Vikings at the Battle of Edington, and a treaty was agreed whereby the Vikings were able to remain in control of much of northern and eastern England. [30][34] In 968, another charter reported that King Edgar had granted land at Edyndon to Romsey Abbey. Telling him that what happens next was what his life has led up to. At the other end of the country, in the Kingdom of Northumbria, during 793 the holy island of Lindisfarne was raided..mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, "This year dire forwarnings came over the land of the Northhumbrians, and miserably terrified the people; these were excessive whirlwinds, and lightnings; and fiery dragons were seen flying in the air. He was then carried away in a wagon on the road back to Winchester. Hvitserk erects a grave for his brother Ivar and then mourns him telling him to enjoy Valhalla while it lasts as the age of Christianity will flourish. 229 - The Battle of Edington. View original page. In addition to the customary hostages and leaving Wessex for good, the Vikings promised that Guthrum would be baptized as a Christian. 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