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 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. Telling him that what happens next was what his life has led up to. Edington, battle of, 878. Battle of Edington was an event which occurred in The Saxon Stories novel series, and The Last Kingdom television series. 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. As the fighting raged around him, Ivar pleaded to the gods for help, but once again a few of his bones broke. Interested in participating in the Publishing Partner Program? Danish army was placed at the medium size hill. Ragnar asks orders from Guthrum, who shows no desire to fight back, now believing that the Saxons truly do have God on their side. The Oxford Companion to British History. The first we read of Alfred after the disaster at Chippenham is around Easter, when he built a fortress at Athelney. Once a sufficient force of levies had been raised, they marched to Edington, where Alfred engaged Guthrum's warriors in one final, definitive battle. The English cry, "no mercy!". The indicates that the character was not fighting during the event. We ascend the eighteenth-century 'Alfred's Tower', overlooking this ancient landscape, and then continue to the ancient Bratton Camp with its White Horse and stunning views, near the small Wiltshire village of Edington, to discuss the most likely site of the bloody battle of Ethandun, which saw Alfred's 878 victory. However, Alfred managed to contain this threat by reforming his military and setting up a system of fortified cities, known as burhs. He was then carried away in a wagon on the road back to Winchester. The fact that his army could not defend the fortified Chippenham, even in "an age as yet untrained in siege warfare" casts great doubt on its ability to defeat the Danes in an open field, unaided by fortifications. Something Something. 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. Edington, battle of, 878. Sources and historical context. The battle was fought in 878, when the Wessex army, under King Alfred, defeated the "Great Heathen Army" under the Viking king Guthrum. Wessex had always been the focal point for Viking raids and invasions. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. The year is 878 AD, the embattled English king Alfred the Great has mounted a heroic defence at the battle of Edington, and blunted the Viking invasion. pp. . 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 . and also Edington), enough to . The Danes attacked Chippenham "in midwinter after Twelfth Night",[13] probably during the night of 67 January 878. by paul. [26] A version of the Life, written in about 1000 and known as the Cotton Otho A.xii text, lasted until 1731, when it was destroyed in the fire at Ashburnham House. Alfred stood to lose everything. 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. Hvitserk immediately rushed to his little brother to cradle him as he cried out in tears "I am afraid!" Osbern . [15] This they did, spending the rest of 877 (by the Gregorian calendar) in Gloucester (in the kingdom of Mercia). Alfred gave a rousing speech to his men, urging them to fight against the rapacious Danes and show no mercy. Ivar's legs then completely gave out, shattering all of his bones before collapsing on the ground. In the 9th century, the Danes had been steadily invading England, pushing and prodding the Anglo-Saxon residents. In Search of the Dark Ages. Enraged, Uhtred aggressively attacks the Danes. Battle of Ethandun 878. In May 878 he rode out to challenge the Danes at Edington (Ethandun) outside the now Danish-held fortress of Chippenham. Date: May 878: Location: Probably Edington, Wiltshire. The Vikings return to Norway but banish Hvitserk. The indicates that the character was not fighting during the event. Actium Octavians naval defeat of Antony and Cleopatra (31 B.C.). At the Battle of Edington, an army of the Anglo-Saxon 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. This page was last updated at 2022-12-24 07:00 UTC. The primary difference between this agreement and the treaties at Wareham and Exeter was that Alfred had decisively defeated the Danes at Edington, rather than just stopping them, and therefore it seemed more likely that they would keep to the terms of the treaty. It is believed that Asser's Life was originally written in 893; however, no contemporary manuscript survives. In southwest England, an army of villagers and farmers gathers to take part in the decisive event of their times. Edington is a village and civil parish in Wiltshire, England, about 4 miles (6 km) east-northeast of Westbury.The village lies under the north slope of Salisbury Plain and the parish extends south onto the Plain. The king was lucky to escape, taking refuge with a handful of followers in the depths of the Somerset marshes at Athelney. Find lesson aims, success criteria, PowerPoint presentations, information fact files, and worksheets - all easy to download and ready to use now!Introduce your class to King Alfred and King Athelstan. [58] 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. Date. Battle of Corbridge This was a battle between Viking forces led by Ragnall and Constantine II of Scotland supported by Ealdred of Bamburgh. This is my first map published in Stronghold Heaven, so there can be some mistakes. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Even if Alfred had caught up with the Danish force, it is unlikely that he could have accomplished anything. With his small warband, a fraction of his army at Chippenham, Alfred could not hope to retake the town from the Danes, who had in previous battles (for example at Reading in 871) proved themselves adept at defending fortified positions. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}511550N 020834W / 51.26389N 2.14278W / 51.26389; -2.14278. It tried to provide a framework that would minimise conflict and regulate commerce between the two peoples. Kingdom of Norway [8], Mercia had collapsed by 874, and the Army's cohesion went with it. The first we read of Alfred after the disaster at Chippenham is around Easter, when he built a fortress at Athelney. The Battle of Edington was fought in May 878, when an army of West Saxons under King Alfred the Great defeated the Great Heathen Army under the Viking king Guthrum. Alfred was finally convinced that the Vikings would keep their word, and Wessex was generally at peace with the Vikings for the next ten years. [10] Alfred the Great had spent the winter preceding the Battle of Edington in the Somerset marsh of Athelney, protected somewhat by the natural defences of the country. 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. THIS STONE, PRESENTED BY F. SWANTON AND SONS, NORTH FARM, WEST OVERTON, IS A SARSEN STONE SIMILAR TO THOSE AT KINGSTON DEVERILL, THE AREA WHERE KING ALFRED RALLIED SAXON LEVIES FROM HAMPSHIRE, WILTSHIRE AND SOMERSET TO MARCH AGAINST GUTHRUM'S VIKING ARMY BASED AT CHIPPENHAM. The Saxon army spent the night before the battle at Iley Oak, just to the south of Warminster, before moving out at dawn to meet Guthrum, who was occupying high ground at Edington, then known as Ethandun, near . Find the perfect Battle Of Edington stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. In 878 Alfred the Great, king of the Wessex, attacked the Danish territory of England. By May he was ready to attack again and encountered Guthrum's Danes at Edington, near Westbury on the Wiltshire downs. This started in 875 when Guthrum's army "eluded the West Saxon levies and got into Wareham". Chastened - but not yet broken - the Norse warlords have settled across Britain. BLUE = Guthrum's forces. 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. The converted Guthrum took the baptismal name of Athelstan. The Tudor historian Polydore Vergil appears to have misread the ancient texts for the battle site, as he places it at Abyndoniam (Abingdon) instead of Edington. Some Saxon warriors were also trapped and killed by spiked rakes which had been hidden under the leaves. There had previously been conflicting accounts of the location of the clash, which took place in AD 937, varying from South Yorkshire to Scotland. All that's known about the location of the battle is that it was at a place called Eandun somewhere in southern England (current thinking places it at the Edington in Wiltshire). Guthrum, with two other unnamed kings, "departed for Cambridge in East Anglia". Burkitt suggests that on philological grounds, Brixton Deverill may be a contender for the site. In Search of the Dark Ages. Viking defeat. In Search of the Dark Ages. But archaeologists now claim the site of the Battle of Brunanburh has been definitively established. "Edington, battle of Previously, the Vikings had come to raid and settle around the coast; this force came to conquer. Where is Edington, the scene of Alfred the Great's great victory over the Danes? UK Inventory of War Memorials. After Alfred left Athelney, he went via Egbert's Stone and Iglea to Ethandun where he fought against the Vikings and won. Result: Saxon victory: Belligerents; Wessex: Danelaw: Commanders and leaders; Alfred the Great: Guthrum: Strength; 2,000-6,000 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. [51][56], In 886, the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum defined the boundaries of their two kingdoms. In 865866 it escalated further with the arrival of what the Saxons called the Great Heathen Army. According to the Life: "Fighting ferociously, forming a dense shield-wall against the whole army of the Pagans, and striving long and bravelyat last he [Alfred] gained the victory. Chastened - but not yet broken - the Norse warlords have . The map of strikes by state as of 1880 shows that the states with the highest number of strikes were. In 885 Asser reports that the Viking army that had settled in East Anglia had broken in a most insolent manner the peace they had established with Alfred, although Guthrum is not mentioned. IN 878 AD, Alfred the Great defeated the Danes at the Battle of Edington in Wiltshire. 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. Encyclopedia.com. Updates? After the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of East Anglia, Mercia, and . Fortunately for Wessex, they did not use the time available effectively. Ivar then decided to walk onto the battlefield flanked by his four bodyguards, but he suddenly broke a bone but urged his men to continue escorting him to the battlefield. Strength The arrival of a Danish "great army" in East Anglia in 865 marked the start of a new phase of Viking attacks on Britain. In 1904 William Henry Stevenson analysed possible sites and said "So far, there is nothing to prove the identity of this Eandune with Edington" but then goes on to say that "there can be little reason for questioning it". 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. Alfred. The main reason for the Anglo-Saxon victory was probably mainly due to the size of the Wessex army, and the lack of unity and organisation between the different forces making up the Danish army. Primary sources locate the battle at "Eandun". Hvitserk himself showed remarkable skill, cutting down dozens of Saxons while Alfred took down some Norse fighters. The Battle at Edington was swift and decisive according to Asser, the great biographer and chronicler of Alfred's Life. 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. This was even truer after the Twelfth Night attack. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Some scholars have suggested that Asser's life of King Alfred was a forgery. Realizing the Danes are losing, Skorpa leaves the battlefield to attack the Saxon camp where he runs down Uhtred's lover Iseult and returns to the battle, flinging her bloody head at Uhtred. . Something Something. 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. Edington is accepted by most modern scholars as the site of the battle of Ethandun in which Alfred defeated the Danes under Guthram in 878. 885: Development of the Cyrillic Alphabet. The Battle of Edington was one of the most important battles in English history. Bratton '11. It is likely that the battle took place at Edington in Wiltshire. It might not seem it. Vimeiro, battle of At the Battle of Edington an army of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex under Alfred the Great defeated the Great Heathen Army led by Guthrum on a date between 6 and 12 May AD 878. [6] It was said to have been under the leadership of the brothers Ivar the Boneless, Ubba, and Halfdan Ragnarsson. 865 to 1066. [9] His army settled there, and he is not mentioned after 876, when "[the Danes] were engaged in ploughing and making a living for themselves". Which Anglo-Saxon king stopped the Viking invasion of England at the Battle of Edington in 878 A.D.? Campaign On the following day, both armies deployed on the battlefield, the Norse troops having the forest at their rear. All that's known about the location of the battle is that it was at a place called Eandun somewhere in southern England (current thinking places it at the Edington in Wiltshire). This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Viking Invasion of British Isles across 26 in-depth pages. Previously, the Vikings had come to raid and settle around the coast; this force came to conquer. Further Danish forces had settled on the land before Guthrum attacked Wessex: in East Anglia, and in Mercia between the treaty at Exeter and the attack on Chippenham; many others were lost in a storm off Swanage in 876877, with 120 ships wrecked. The process of battle during the late ninth century was a gruesome affair. Format: The Danes settled into their new kingdoms, the . He left a manor called Eandun to his wife in his will. Let's throw a little light into the Dark Ages. Reinvading Wessex, they captured Wareham and, in 877, occupied Exeter. The indicates that the character died during the battle. In May 878 in Edington, there was a greatest battle of this war. 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". Let's throw a little light into the Dark Ages. But for the average person, I don't think much would have changed over time. When the battle begins, the Saxons use their shield wall strategy to slowly advance, which allows them to gain ground. BATTLE OF THE EDINGTON In 878 Alfred the Great, king of the Wessex, attacked the Danish territory of England. Map from Laborde's original 1925 paper suggesting the location of the Battle of Maldon. 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. This post on the Battle of Ethandun is adapted from, and provides additional materials for, my book, King Alfred: A Man on the Move, available from Amazon and book shops. After the sacking of Lindisfarne, Viking raids around the coasts were somewhat sporadic until the 830s, when the attacks became more sustained. The indicates that the character died during 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. [31][32] Edington, Wiltshire, is known to have been part of Alfred's family estate. In 878 Anglo-Saxon England was on the verge of annihilation. Hastings, battle of, 1066. There was little that Alfred could do about the Danish menace between 875 and the end of 877, beyond repeatedly paying the invaders off. Questions or concerns? The Vikings then surrendered en masse as they lacked the will to fight especially after witnessing their slain commander. Alfred moved his army until he confronted the Danes at what is believed to be Edington Wiltshire although the exact location is still disputed. [5] In 836, Ecgberht of Wessex met in battle a force of 35 ships at Carhampton,[5] and in 838 he faced a combined force of Vikings and Cornishmen at Hingston Down in Cornwall. Vicious hand-to-hand fighting emerged but the Saxon ranks were thinning as archers took their toll. Alfreds Wessex controlled the south and west, Viking Danelaw the north and east. It was under Alfred that the Viking threat was contained. The Battle of Edington resulted in a total victory for Alfred's forces despite taking many casualties. [19] After two weeks, the hungry Danes sued for peace, giving Alfred "preliminary hostages and solemn oaths that they would leave his kingdom immediately", just as usual, but in addition promising that Guthrum would be baptized. This was about 29% of all the recorded Edington's in USA. The Danes attacked Chippenham "in midwinter after Twelfth Night", probably during the night of 67 January 878. #40 Battle of Edington Military Conflict Updated: 2020-05-13 An additional inscription reads: Distance: 4.3 mi. Bannockburn, battle of, 1314. The primary sources locate the battle at "Ethandun" or "Ethandune", and until a scholarly consensus identified its location with the present-day Edington in Wiltshire it was known as the Battle of Ethandun, a name . [12], Guthrum and his men had adopted the usual Danish strategy of occupying a fortified town and waiting for a peace "treaty", involving money in return for a promise to leave the kingdom immediately; Alfred shadowed the army, trying to prevent more damage than had already occurred. Alfred's decisive defeat of Guthrum the Dane freed much of the south and west of England from Danish control and brought to a halt Guthrum's assault on Alfred's Wessex. Casualties 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. Many of the men in the counties around (Somerset . Encyclopedia.com. 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. Select from premium Battle Of Edington of the highest quality. Battle of Edington; Part of the Viking invasions of England: Memorial to the Battle of Ethandun erected in 2000 near the hillfort of Bratton Castle. It was where Alfred the Great managed to defeat the Viking army and reclaim his kingdom. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle does not mention the reason for this invasion, perhaps because Viking raids were fairly common during that period of time. The next day, Alfred's host moved to Iley Oak, and then the day after that to Eandun. Bleeding out, he called out to his brother Hvitserk who responded in kind. Viking defeat. A significant Iron Age hillfort near Edington is called, "Alfred the Great and The Battle of Edington", "Viking Tide: Alfred the Great during the Danish Invasions", Asser's Life of King Alfred: Asserius De Rebus Gestis lfredi, "The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle: An Electronic Edition (Vol 1) literary edition", "The Electronic Sawyer an online version of the revised edition of Sawyer's Anglo-Saxon Charters section one [S 1-1602]", "On the Barrow at Lanhill near Chippenham; and on the Battles of Cynuit and Ethandun", Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine. Let us know. Primary sources locate the battle at "Eandun". Joshua Fit De Battle of Jericho (l. 13), 'Woeful Danes', Michinhampton, Gloucestershire. However, they were ambushed by a sizeable Saxon force and were almost annihilated before Hvitserk arrived with his own party of men. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Hist. The Battle of Edington was fought in May 878, when an army of West Saxons under King Alfred the Great defeated the Great Heathen Army under the Viking king Guthrum.
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