The Great Heathen Army

The Viking Age began with the sacking of the monastery at Lindisfarne in 793AD, on the UK's Northumbrian coast. These hit and run raids continued intermittently for almost a century. These men were probably attracted by the wealth of the Christian monasteries, but there were also social upheavals in Scandinavia around the same time which probably helped in forcing these excursions. However, in the year 865 the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle recorded the presence of the Great Heathen army in England.

(Picture Source: History Channel)

This army was no isolated raid, but an attempt at conquest by men of Denmark, Sweden and Norway banded together under a loose leadership. There are no firm numbers for the size of the army and legend says it was commanded by the three sons of Ragnar Lodbrok. The campaigning lasted for 14 years during which the Great Heathen Army clashed with the defenders of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms.

The Campaigns of the Great Heathen Army (Source: Wikipedia)

The army landed in East Anglia in 865 according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Here the local king provided them with horses in exchange for peace and they wintered at Thetford. The following year, 866, saw the army advance north to York which was quickly captured. By 868 they had advanced far in Mercia and captured Nottingham. It was here that two armies from Mercia and Wessex blunted the advance and no more progress was made until the Mericans agreed to terms that the Viking army would move back to York, which they did over the winter of 869-70.

(Picture source: Wikipedia)

However, in 870 the Great Army moved back to East Anglia and killed the local King there, before wintering in Thetford. In 871 campaigning against Wessex began until Alfred the Great paid them tribute to leave. In 872 the army had moved to London and wintered there before heading north again to Northumbria this time in 873. Mercia fell in 874 and the Vikings camped at Repton. Now Wessex was the only Anglo-Saxon Kingdom that had not been conquered by the army. However, Alfred the Great defeated the Vikings who were led by Guthrum, Oscetel, and Anwendat at the Battle of Edington on a date between 6 and 12 May AD 878.

Memorial for the Battle of Edington, erected in 2000 (Source: Wikipedia)

This defeat saw the Vikings sue for peace, a treaty was signed which gave them control of much of northern and eastern England under the Danelaw.

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