Part 1: Conquered and Conquerors
1.2 Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, 790-1066
Focus
England was a politically divided land – there were seven different kingdoms, and
they were often at war with each other.
Viking York
The English city of York, known as Jorvik, became the capital of the large territory
conquered by a substantial Viking army between 865 and 874.
Viking Raiders
For the Vikings, England was an easy target – it was one of the richest territories in all
of Europe, but it was politically divided into seven different kingdoms.
The Viking age began in 792 with an attack on a monastery at Lindisfarne. News of
this attack spread throughout England and many people believed that they were sent
as a punishment from God.
They had fearsome long-ships, a fierce physical appearance and eagerness to kill
anyone who got in their way. They also had an apparent lack of fear of death only
supported their beliefs.
The Great Heathen Army
Aelle, the Anglo-Saxon King of Northumbria, successfully defeated a Viking raiding
force in around 860. Their leader, Ragnar Lodbrok, was killed.
In revenge, a large army of Norwegians and Danes sailed across the North Sea in 865
to avenge Ragnar’s death. King Aelle was captured and the leader of the Great
Heathen Army, Ivar the Boneless, suggested they carve the ‘blood eagle’ on his back.
Danegeld and Danelaw
The Great Heathen Army used the well-defended city of York as its capital and
continued to conquer territory across England. A combined Anglo-Saxon army halted
them at Nottingham, but to stop further attacks the Mercian agreed to pay the
Vikings to leave.
This payment was known as the Danegeld. Viking warriors and migrants from
Norway and Denmark settled the lands the Great Heathen army conquered between
,865 and 874. The Vikings had established control over northern and eastern England.
This territory was known as Danelaw because it was governed according to the laws
and traditions of the mostly Danish Scandinavian settles. However, they did not
impose any change of religion on the English Christians in their territories
Alfred and the English Resistance
After the other kingdoms had fallen to the Danes, led by Guthrum, Wessex under
King Alfred was the only surviving Anglo-Saxon kingdom. In 878, while in hiding,
Alfred sent messages to his commanders and managed to raise a large army to
launch a major counterattack against Guthrum’s Danish army. They met at Edington
and Alfred’s forces won a decisive victory.
One of the terms of Danish surrender was that Guthrum convert to Christianity, and
after being baptised, Guthrum accepted Alfred as his godfather.
Alfred then:
• reorganised the army
• built strong defensive fortresses permanently guarded by well-trained soldiers
• ordered the creation of an English navy to protect England’s coast again
further Scandinavian invasions
England as One Country
After decades of anarchy across England, Alfred’s armies managed to contain the
Viking threat and even recovered territory lost to the Vikings. Alfred’s successes
ensured the supremacy of the House of Wessex in England, making it the Royal
House. Queen Elizabeth II is a direct descendent of King Alfred.
King Alfred’s historical significance originates from his defence of England from the
Danes and how this led to the eventual unification of England. He is also
remembered as w wise ruler and introduced a new law code; he sent up schools to
ensure that future generations of priests and secular administrators were better
trained.
Saxon Survival in 1002: A Marriage and A Massacre
Alfred’s grandson Athelstan had mounted campaigns against the Danes in England
and defeated them in 937 at the Battle of Brunanburh. Eric Bloodaxe remained the
Danish King of Northumbria until his death in 954, but after that all the Danish forces
left England.
For 25 years there were no Viking raids on England and the country was
preposterous. However, around 980, the invaders returned and resumed their raid on
the English port towns. By 991, English King Aethelred was paying great sums of
money in Danegeld. One of the advantages of the Vikings was that they were able to
,sail over to the other side of the English Channel to restock their vessels and rest
until the next raid.
Aethelred and his advisors decided to secure a strategic marriage with Emma of
Normandy, the sister of Duke Richard II of Normandy. Emma was a devout Christian
and migrated to her new homeland to marry Aethelred in the spring of 1002.
The St Brice’s Day Massacre
In the same year as his marriage to Emma, Aethelred was still plagued about Viking
threats. He decided to use aggression against any Danes living in England. The
settled Vikings became known as Danes. Aethelred ordered the massacre of all
Danes living in English territory, 13 November 1002; it was St. Brice’s Day.
Viking Revenge
The Danish King Sweyn Forkbeard mounted attacks against England for more than a
decade after his sister and her husband was killed in St Brice’s Day Massacre. By
1013, he had systematically driven Aethelred and his sons out of the country. For a
few weeks Sweyn was the King of England, but he died on 3 February 1014. His son
Cnut succeeded him and declared himself King of England in 1016.
Cnut’s North Sea Empire
Cnut ruled England for 19 years and his reign was generally a time of peace and
prosperity. He had to conquer the country in 1013-16, but his approach as king was
largely peaceful. He organised English kingdom very well, putting reliable Saxons in
control of earldoms, to help run the country. He was also careful to treat Church
leaders very well and maintain good relations with the Pope. Cnut succeeded his
relatives as King of Denmark in 1018 and then Norway in 1028. With little fighting,
Cnut had established an empire across the North Sea.
Emma of Normandy: Queen and Mother
Emma of Normandy was the wife of two kings of England, crowned as Queen in 1002
and 1017. Two of her sons became king of England. She was an influential figure in
English society and politics. She had lands of her own, was particularly connected to
Winchester and was strong committed to the Church.
When Cnut died in 1035, Emma’s key priority was securing the throne of England for
her sons. Harthacnut (Cnut’s son) went to Denmark to secure his father’s throne
there. Her stepson, Harold Harefoot became king of England. Alfred, one of her sons
(Aethelred) was brutally murdered by soldiers of King Harold trying to come back,
while Edward fled back to Normandy. Emma went into exile in 1037, but she had a
special book written to convey her life with Cnut.
, Topic Summary, 790-1066:
• England under the Anglo-Saxon Kings faced regular invasion by Viking raiders
from Norway and Denmark from the end of the 8th century to the 11th, when a
Dane became King
• The Great Heathen Army regularly invaded England from 865 and the Vikings
fined the Anglo-Saxons to let them keep their liberty – the Danegeld
• Alfred the Great led the Saxon resistance to the Danes and his military
victories led to the negotiation of peace with Danish leader Guthrum and his
conversion into Christianity
• The Danes returned their invasions of England at the end of the 10th century
and in 1016, Cnut became King of England. He established the North Sea
Empire
• Emma of Normandy was both an influential queen and queen-mother in early
11th century England. She worked with Cnut to establish peace in England as a
Christian country
1.3 England and France, 1066-1560
The Normans and the Angevins in France and England
France was in a very different political situation to England at the start of the 9th
century. In 800, Charles the Great was crowned king of all the Franks. His lands
(France, Germany, Austria, etc) were fought over and divided between his
descendants.
One of his grandsons, Charles the Bald, became king of the western part of his
empire (modern France), and when he couldn’t defeat his rivals, he offered them
independence from his control as long as they accepted him as their king by
performing homage.
The Vikings saw this as an opportunity to secure gold and land from Charles and
made attacks against his kingdom in the mid-ninth century. Charles was often forced
to purchase their retreat at a heavy price. During the reign of his grandson, Charles
the Simple (son of Louis the Stammerer), the Vikings launched a massive assault and
refused to be bought off. He granted the leader, Rollo, much of northern France.
Rollo became a Christian, ‘Robert’ and the first Duke of Normandy in 918. These
Normans would be responsible for stopping any further Viking attacks on France.
1.2 Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, 790-1066
Focus
England was a politically divided land – there were seven different kingdoms, and
they were often at war with each other.
Viking York
The English city of York, known as Jorvik, became the capital of the large territory
conquered by a substantial Viking army between 865 and 874.
Viking Raiders
For the Vikings, England was an easy target – it was one of the richest territories in all
of Europe, but it was politically divided into seven different kingdoms.
The Viking age began in 792 with an attack on a monastery at Lindisfarne. News of
this attack spread throughout England and many people believed that they were sent
as a punishment from God.
They had fearsome long-ships, a fierce physical appearance and eagerness to kill
anyone who got in their way. They also had an apparent lack of fear of death only
supported their beliefs.
The Great Heathen Army
Aelle, the Anglo-Saxon King of Northumbria, successfully defeated a Viking raiding
force in around 860. Their leader, Ragnar Lodbrok, was killed.
In revenge, a large army of Norwegians and Danes sailed across the North Sea in 865
to avenge Ragnar’s death. King Aelle was captured and the leader of the Great
Heathen Army, Ivar the Boneless, suggested they carve the ‘blood eagle’ on his back.
Danegeld and Danelaw
The Great Heathen Army used the well-defended city of York as its capital and
continued to conquer territory across England. A combined Anglo-Saxon army halted
them at Nottingham, but to stop further attacks the Mercian agreed to pay the
Vikings to leave.
This payment was known as the Danegeld. Viking warriors and migrants from
Norway and Denmark settled the lands the Great Heathen army conquered between
,865 and 874. The Vikings had established control over northern and eastern England.
This territory was known as Danelaw because it was governed according to the laws
and traditions of the mostly Danish Scandinavian settles. However, they did not
impose any change of religion on the English Christians in their territories
Alfred and the English Resistance
After the other kingdoms had fallen to the Danes, led by Guthrum, Wessex under
King Alfred was the only surviving Anglo-Saxon kingdom. In 878, while in hiding,
Alfred sent messages to his commanders and managed to raise a large army to
launch a major counterattack against Guthrum’s Danish army. They met at Edington
and Alfred’s forces won a decisive victory.
One of the terms of Danish surrender was that Guthrum convert to Christianity, and
after being baptised, Guthrum accepted Alfred as his godfather.
Alfred then:
• reorganised the army
• built strong defensive fortresses permanently guarded by well-trained soldiers
• ordered the creation of an English navy to protect England’s coast again
further Scandinavian invasions
England as One Country
After decades of anarchy across England, Alfred’s armies managed to contain the
Viking threat and even recovered territory lost to the Vikings. Alfred’s successes
ensured the supremacy of the House of Wessex in England, making it the Royal
House. Queen Elizabeth II is a direct descendent of King Alfred.
King Alfred’s historical significance originates from his defence of England from the
Danes and how this led to the eventual unification of England. He is also
remembered as w wise ruler and introduced a new law code; he sent up schools to
ensure that future generations of priests and secular administrators were better
trained.
Saxon Survival in 1002: A Marriage and A Massacre
Alfred’s grandson Athelstan had mounted campaigns against the Danes in England
and defeated them in 937 at the Battle of Brunanburh. Eric Bloodaxe remained the
Danish King of Northumbria until his death in 954, but after that all the Danish forces
left England.
For 25 years there were no Viking raids on England and the country was
preposterous. However, around 980, the invaders returned and resumed their raid on
the English port towns. By 991, English King Aethelred was paying great sums of
money in Danegeld. One of the advantages of the Vikings was that they were able to
,sail over to the other side of the English Channel to restock their vessels and rest
until the next raid.
Aethelred and his advisors decided to secure a strategic marriage with Emma of
Normandy, the sister of Duke Richard II of Normandy. Emma was a devout Christian
and migrated to her new homeland to marry Aethelred in the spring of 1002.
The St Brice’s Day Massacre
In the same year as his marriage to Emma, Aethelred was still plagued about Viking
threats. He decided to use aggression against any Danes living in England. The
settled Vikings became known as Danes. Aethelred ordered the massacre of all
Danes living in English territory, 13 November 1002; it was St. Brice’s Day.
Viking Revenge
The Danish King Sweyn Forkbeard mounted attacks against England for more than a
decade after his sister and her husband was killed in St Brice’s Day Massacre. By
1013, he had systematically driven Aethelred and his sons out of the country. For a
few weeks Sweyn was the King of England, but he died on 3 February 1014. His son
Cnut succeeded him and declared himself King of England in 1016.
Cnut’s North Sea Empire
Cnut ruled England for 19 years and his reign was generally a time of peace and
prosperity. He had to conquer the country in 1013-16, but his approach as king was
largely peaceful. He organised English kingdom very well, putting reliable Saxons in
control of earldoms, to help run the country. He was also careful to treat Church
leaders very well and maintain good relations with the Pope. Cnut succeeded his
relatives as King of Denmark in 1018 and then Norway in 1028. With little fighting,
Cnut had established an empire across the North Sea.
Emma of Normandy: Queen and Mother
Emma of Normandy was the wife of two kings of England, crowned as Queen in 1002
and 1017. Two of her sons became king of England. She was an influential figure in
English society and politics. She had lands of her own, was particularly connected to
Winchester and was strong committed to the Church.
When Cnut died in 1035, Emma’s key priority was securing the throne of England for
her sons. Harthacnut (Cnut’s son) went to Denmark to secure his father’s throne
there. Her stepson, Harold Harefoot became king of England. Alfred, one of her sons
(Aethelred) was brutally murdered by soldiers of King Harold trying to come back,
while Edward fled back to Normandy. Emma went into exile in 1037, but she had a
special book written to convey her life with Cnut.
, Topic Summary, 790-1066:
• England under the Anglo-Saxon Kings faced regular invasion by Viking raiders
from Norway and Denmark from the end of the 8th century to the 11th, when a
Dane became King
• The Great Heathen Army regularly invaded England from 865 and the Vikings
fined the Anglo-Saxons to let them keep their liberty – the Danegeld
• Alfred the Great led the Saxon resistance to the Danes and his military
victories led to the negotiation of peace with Danish leader Guthrum and his
conversion into Christianity
• The Danes returned their invasions of England at the end of the 10th century
and in 1016, Cnut became King of England. He established the North Sea
Empire
• Emma of Normandy was both an influential queen and queen-mother in early
11th century England. She worked with Cnut to establish peace in England as a
Christian country
1.3 England and France, 1066-1560
The Normans and the Angevins in France and England
France was in a very different political situation to England at the start of the 9th
century. In 800, Charles the Great was crowned king of all the Franks. His lands
(France, Germany, Austria, etc) were fought over and divided between his
descendants.
One of his grandsons, Charles the Bald, became king of the western part of his
empire (modern France), and when he couldn’t defeat his rivals, he offered them
independence from his control as long as they accepted him as their king by
performing homage.
The Vikings saw this as an opportunity to secure gold and land from Charles and
made attacks against his kingdom in the mid-ninth century. Charles was often forced
to purchase their retreat at a heavy price. During the reign of his grandson, Charles
the Simple (son of Louis the Stammerer), the Vikings launched a massive assault and
refused to be bought off. He granted the leader, Rollo, much of northern France.
Rollo became a Christian, ‘Robert’ and the first Duke of Normandy in 918. These
Normans would be responsible for stopping any further Viking attacks on France.
