Conquered and conquerors
26 May 2024 10:36
Vikings
➢ England was divided into 4 kingdoms: Mercia, East Anglia. Northumbria, Wessex.
➢ The Vikings first attacked England at Lindisfarne in 793 AD which was appearing as there was a Monastery which
had lots of portable wealth. The Vikings continued to raid the coasts of England taking gold, cattle and even slaves.
➢ After so many years of raiding, the Vikings decided to settle in England on there was more space for them and the
land was more fertile for farming.
➢ Furthermore, the Vikings had religious motivations to invade England as there was great rivalry between the Pagan
Vikings and the Christian Anglo-Saxons so the Vikings took it as their duty destroy the Churches and Monasteries.
➢ A Great Heathen Army came to invade in 865 and was reinforced in 871. They and conquered Northumbria (867),
East Anglia (869) and the majority of Mercia (874-7). The Kings of these kingdoms were offered as sacrifices
to the God Odin, perhaps in their gruesome ritual of the 'blood eagle' where the victims ribcage was cut open and
the lungs were taken out and draped over their shoulders like an eagle's folded wings. The kingdoms were
completely obliterated with libraries and archives being destroyed everywhere.
➢ In 871, Alfred the Great became King of Wessex and fought back against the Vikings.
➢ In 876 however, Alfred was forced to flee to Isle of Athelney due to the Viking army launching another attack.
➢ In 878, after the Battle of Edington where the Vikings were defeated, Alfred established the Danelaw which went
up to the old Roman road known as Watling Street. Guthrum (the Danish King) was forced to convert to
Christianity and Alfred was his godfather. They agreed on a way to control England by power sharing.
➢ In 886, Alfred seized London.
➢ Alfred also build many fortified towns along the border in order to keep the Vikings out.
➢ From this point on, Alfred began to refer to his people as 'Englishkind 'and their language was 'Englisc'
➢ Alfred created a new law code and sought to increase Christian piety in England. To achieve this, he believed he
needed to improve literacy in the Kingdom. He had Bede translated into English and commissioned the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle. Alfred is remembered as the Father of the Nation.
➢ In 954, the Vikings lost control over their English territories and retreated back to Denmark.
➢ Edward became king in 975 when Edger the Peaceful died until 978 as ne was murdered by supporters of his
brother, Aethelred.
➢ From 980-988, the Danes return and launch a series of raids on the English coastline.
➢ In 991, the Battle of Maldom occurs where the Vikings attempted to exploit the fact that Aethelred was a weak
king. This battle was a defeat for the English so Aethelred pays the Vikings (led by Swein forkbeard) to leave,
this is called Danegeld and in total,3300 kilograms of silver are paid.
➢ However, not all of the Vikings left and continued raiding and demanded and received Danegeld. The English people
hated how high their taxes were so that Aethelred could afford to pay the Danegeld.
➢ Aethelred looked for allies abroad and negotiated a treaty with the Duke of Normandy that stated they would work
together against their enemies. This agreement was sealed by the marriage of Aethelred of the Duke's sister Emma
of Normandy. Together, they had a child called Edward.
➢ In 1002, Aethelred ordered the St Brice's Day Massacre where all of the Vikings living south of the Danelaw
would be killed. Gunhilda (Swein Forkbeard's sister) was murdered which enraged the Danish king but not enough to
prompt a response then and there.
➢ In 1013, Swein Forkbeard invaded and so Aethelred fled to Normandy where his wife was from. Swein conquered all
of England and became King however just after a year of being king, Swein died and his son, Cnut became King.
➢ He was briefly forced out and replaced by Aethelred however, he died 2 years later and his son Edmund 'the
ironsides' became king. Cnut and Edmund fought and in the Battle of Assandun October 1016 and decided that they
would split the land so that Edmund controlled Wessex and Cnut everywhere else until one of them died and then the
other would fully control England. However, just after a month, Edmund died mysteriously.
➢ Cnut was king from 1016 until 1035. Cnut married the widowed Emma of Normandy (Aethelred' s ex-wife) and
they had 2 children (Harold and Harthacnut), Emma sent Edward to live in Normandy when Aethelred died.
➢ Cnut was revered as a good, powerful and popular king. He brought peace lasting over twenty years, removing the
threat of Viking invasions and brought back many of the popular laws of Edgar the peaceful.
History - Migration and Empires Page 1
26 May 2024 10:36
Vikings
➢ England was divided into 4 kingdoms: Mercia, East Anglia. Northumbria, Wessex.
➢ The Vikings first attacked England at Lindisfarne in 793 AD which was appearing as there was a Monastery which
had lots of portable wealth. The Vikings continued to raid the coasts of England taking gold, cattle and even slaves.
➢ After so many years of raiding, the Vikings decided to settle in England on there was more space for them and the
land was more fertile for farming.
➢ Furthermore, the Vikings had religious motivations to invade England as there was great rivalry between the Pagan
Vikings and the Christian Anglo-Saxons so the Vikings took it as their duty destroy the Churches and Monasteries.
➢ A Great Heathen Army came to invade in 865 and was reinforced in 871. They and conquered Northumbria (867),
East Anglia (869) and the majority of Mercia (874-7). The Kings of these kingdoms were offered as sacrifices
to the God Odin, perhaps in their gruesome ritual of the 'blood eagle' where the victims ribcage was cut open and
the lungs were taken out and draped over their shoulders like an eagle's folded wings. The kingdoms were
completely obliterated with libraries and archives being destroyed everywhere.
➢ In 871, Alfred the Great became King of Wessex and fought back against the Vikings.
➢ In 876 however, Alfred was forced to flee to Isle of Athelney due to the Viking army launching another attack.
➢ In 878, after the Battle of Edington where the Vikings were defeated, Alfred established the Danelaw which went
up to the old Roman road known as Watling Street. Guthrum (the Danish King) was forced to convert to
Christianity and Alfred was his godfather. They agreed on a way to control England by power sharing.
➢ In 886, Alfred seized London.
➢ Alfred also build many fortified towns along the border in order to keep the Vikings out.
➢ From this point on, Alfred began to refer to his people as 'Englishkind 'and their language was 'Englisc'
➢ Alfred created a new law code and sought to increase Christian piety in England. To achieve this, he believed he
needed to improve literacy in the Kingdom. He had Bede translated into English and commissioned the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle. Alfred is remembered as the Father of the Nation.
➢ In 954, the Vikings lost control over their English territories and retreated back to Denmark.
➢ Edward became king in 975 when Edger the Peaceful died until 978 as ne was murdered by supporters of his
brother, Aethelred.
➢ From 980-988, the Danes return and launch a series of raids on the English coastline.
➢ In 991, the Battle of Maldom occurs where the Vikings attempted to exploit the fact that Aethelred was a weak
king. This battle was a defeat for the English so Aethelred pays the Vikings (led by Swein forkbeard) to leave,
this is called Danegeld and in total,3300 kilograms of silver are paid.
➢ However, not all of the Vikings left and continued raiding and demanded and received Danegeld. The English people
hated how high their taxes were so that Aethelred could afford to pay the Danegeld.
➢ Aethelred looked for allies abroad and negotiated a treaty with the Duke of Normandy that stated they would work
together against their enemies. This agreement was sealed by the marriage of Aethelred of the Duke's sister Emma
of Normandy. Together, they had a child called Edward.
➢ In 1002, Aethelred ordered the St Brice's Day Massacre where all of the Vikings living south of the Danelaw
would be killed. Gunhilda (Swein Forkbeard's sister) was murdered which enraged the Danish king but not enough to
prompt a response then and there.
➢ In 1013, Swein Forkbeard invaded and so Aethelred fled to Normandy where his wife was from. Swein conquered all
of England and became King however just after a year of being king, Swein died and his son, Cnut became King.
➢ He was briefly forced out and replaced by Aethelred however, he died 2 years later and his son Edmund 'the
ironsides' became king. Cnut and Edmund fought and in the Battle of Assandun October 1016 and decided that they
would split the land so that Edmund controlled Wessex and Cnut everywhere else until one of them died and then the
other would fully control England. However, just after a month, Edmund died mysteriously.
➢ Cnut was king from 1016 until 1035. Cnut married the widowed Emma of Normandy (Aethelred' s ex-wife) and
they had 2 children (Harold and Harthacnut), Emma sent Edward to live in Normandy when Aethelred died.
➢ Cnut was revered as a good, powerful and popular king. He brought peace lasting over twenty years, removing the
threat of Viking invasions and brought back many of the popular laws of Edgar the peaceful.
History - Migration and Empires Page 1
