Historica Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. Place Prelude Wessex had always been the focal point for Viking raids and invasions. Hvitserk himself showed remarkable skill, cutting down dozens of Saxons while Alfred took down some Norse fighters. The king was lucky to escape, taking refuge with a handful of followers in the depths of the Somerset marshes at Athelney. I am your average medieval peasant raised to form a levy for our local lord. The two forces collided into each other in the thick woodland. The annals do not report the size of the army, but modern estimates suggest between five hundred and a thousand men. 878: Alfred the Great defeated the remnants of the Great Heathen Army at the Battle of Edington. and also Edington), enough to . He overthrew the Pagans with great slaughter, and smiting the fugitives, he pursued them as far as the fortress.". 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. By the end of the 9th century, all of the Anglo-Danish rulers were minting coins too. The event takes place in Season 6 Episode 20, The Last Act. Combatants This is my first map published in Stronghold Heaven, so there can be some mistakes. Alfred the Great and the Battle of Edington. Alfred then arrives and screams "no mercy!". Battle of Edington, (6-12 May 878). [15] This they did, spending the rest of 877 (by the Gregorian calendar) in Gloucester (in the kingdom of Mercia). Battle of Ellendun: King Egbert of Wessex defeats Mercia and establishes the kingdom of Wessex as the supreme Kingdom in England. pp. 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. Campaign 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. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. Where is Edington, the scene of Alfred the Great's great victory over the Danes? 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). Edmund Ironside (left) fights Canute the Great (right). YouTube. Halfdan went back to Northumbria and fought the Picts and the Strathclyde Welsh to secure his northern kingdom. By 878, after a decade of war between the pagan Great Heathen Army of Vikings and the Christian Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England, Wessex was the only remaining Anglo-Saxon kingdom in Britannia. Vimeiro, battle of https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-Edington, English Monarchs - The Battle of Edington. BATTLE OF THE EDINGTON In 878 Alfred the Great, king of the Wessex, attacked the Danish territory of England. It tried to provide a framework that would minimise conflict and regulate commerce between the two peoples. The first we read of Alfred after the disaster at Chippenham is around Easter, when he built a fortress at Athelney. Hvitserk immediately rushed to his little brother to cradle him as he cried out in tears "I am afraid!" However, Alfred managed to contain this threat by reforming his military and setting up a system of fortified cities, known as burhs. The decisive victory of the Wessex levies forced Guthrum to . The Vikings return to Norway but banish Hvitserk. After a heartfelt farewell to his brother, Hvitserk ran and took cover amidst the slaughter. "Edington, battle of 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. A charter records a meeting of the king's council at Eandun, although a later scribe has annotated the same document with Eandune. Alternatives to Edington, Wiltshire, have been suggested since early 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. Battle of Edington | Detailed Pedia Battle of Edington Coordinates: 511550N 020834W Norse invasions of England 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 Crosby Family Lawsuit, #40 Battle of Edington Military Conflict Updated: 2020-05-13 An additional inscription reads: Distance: 4.3 mi. He overthrew the Pagans with great slaughter, and smiting the fugitives, he pursued them as far as the fortress.". Alfred and the battle of Edington: how the King of Wessex became great; . 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 . 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. [4].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. 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. This started in 875 when Guthrum's army "eluded the West Saxon levies and got into Wareham". 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. 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. [5] The annals do not report the size of the army, but modern estimates suggest between five hundred and a thousand men. 878 A few years later, King Harald had launched an invasion of Wessex from the Norse stronghold of York with a smaller force, but was utterly defeated by King Alfred at the Battle of Marton with the help of his allies, Lagertha, Bjorn, Ubbe, and Torvi. Northampton, battle of, 1460. In addition, Ealdorman Aethelred Mucel of Mercia's son Aethelred led an experienced Mercian contingent to join the West Saxons. Result 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. 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. He made several attacks on Wessex, starting in 875, and in the last nearly captured Alfred in his winter fortress at Chippenham. Harold . The battle was merely the nexus, the watershed, the moment of crisis. 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]. However, Ubbe was met by Ealdorman Odda of Devon in the Battle of Cynwit, and Ubbe was struck down in battle and his fleet destroyed. Gangster Disciples Knowledge, Vol 4 Ep 25 - BATTLE - The Battle of Edington ( 878 ) 878 - The inevitable showdown between the Danish Vikings whose intensity against the Anglo-Saxons reached breaking point. 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. The location of Ashdown is not known, but may be Kingstanding Hill [a] in Berkshire. What made this army different from those before it was the intent of the leaders. However, the location has been much debated by antiquarians over the centuries. Viking Invasion of British Isles Worksheets. Internal disunity was threatening to tear the Danes apart, and they needed time to reorganize. Battle of Edington was an event which occurred in The Saxon Stories novel series, and The Last Kingdom television series. 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. Actium Octavians naval defeat of Antony and Cleopatra (31 B.C.). The battle was fought in 878, when the Wessex army, under King Alfred, defeated the "Great Heathen Army" under the Viking king Guthrum. Worthy of exploring to learn about the Viking's strategic sneak attacks during battle, Chippenham is a small village in northwest Wiltshire, England. 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. (It is to this period that the story of Alfred burning the cakes belongs.). By 878, Guthrum was no longer supported by other Danish leaders such as Ivar the . Some scholars have suggested that Asser's life of King Alfred was a forgery. The Vikings agree to remain in an area to the east of England - which becomes known as the Danelaw. The kingdom of Mercia was divided up, with part going to Alfred's Wessex and the other part to Guthrum's East Anglia. Edington, battle of, 878. King Harald Ivar Hvitserk [26] Some scholars have suggested that Asser's life of King Alfred was a forgery. This site may or may not be it. [37][38] In the 19th century there was a resurgence in interest of medieval history and King Alfred was seen as a major hero. The agreement also defined the social classes of Danish East Anglia and their equivalents in Wessex. It might not seem it. The Danes attacked Chippenham "in midwinter after Twelfth Night",[13] probably during the night of 67 January 878. [19] In addition, in 875 Guthrum had lost the support of other Danish lords, including Ivar and Ubba. King Bjorn died following the Rus invasion, which was defeated, and King Harald was appointed as the new ruler of the prosperous city. [15] Alfred spent Christmas at Chippenham (in Wessex), thirty miles (50km) from Gloucester . 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. Whilst here I also recommend exiting the spring area on to the slopes of Luccombe Bottom itself. The Saxons had set a huge cross in front of their troops to give them courage and motivate them. Date. It might not seem it. The Saxons then attack the Danes. The Battle of Edington was one of the most important battles in English history. Only the victory of Alfred the Great at Edington saved Anglo-Saxon independence. At the gathering place for the great Saxon army, thelwold abandons his assassination attempt and joins Alfred at the top of the hill, watching as thousands of swords of Wessex answer the war call. Over 2,500 Warriors deathsKing HaraldIvar the Boneless Even if Alfred had caught up with the Danish force, it is unlikely that he could have accomplished anything. In the spring of 878 at the Battle of Edington the tide of English history turned. [8], Mercia had collapsed by 874, and the Army's cohesion went with it. Its Grade I listed parish church was built for Edington Priory in the 14th century. Tinhead is labelled on the Ordnance . Of the nine battles mentioned by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle during that year, only one was a West Saxon victory. 878 (June) . Although the battle was indecisive the Vikings suffered huge losses and only . The Account Given By Ohthere; . The Battle of Buttington was fought in 893 [a] between a Viking army and an alliance of Anglo-Saxons and Welsh. In January 878, under their leader Guthrum, the Danes struck back with a surprise attack against Alfred at his winter fortress at Chippenham. [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. Situated under the slope of Salisbury Plain and roughly four miles from Westbury, The Battle of Edington eventually led to the Treaty of Wedmore in 878 . In 835, "heathen men" ravaged Sheppey. 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. Find the perfect Battle Of Edington stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. THIS STONE, PRESENTED BY F. 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