The 'Great Heathen Army' of 865 Quiz

Answer: Ragnar Lodbrok

Ragnar Sigurdsson better known by his nickname of Lodbrok ('Hairy Breeches') he was given the name because of the trousers he wore made from animal skin which his wife had made him. Ragnar had been raiding on the Continent for almost 20 years mainly in western Frankia (France), where he had extracted 7,000 pounds of silver from Charles the Bald for sparing Paris. According to the 'Tale of Ragnar's Sons' Ragnar, not wanting to be outdone in fame by his sons, sailed for England in two bulky cargo ships carrying 500 men. Both ships were wrecked off the coast of Northumbria, Ragnar and his crew survived the wreck but not the battle with the Northumbrians. Most of his men were killed and he was captured, Ælle of Northumbria ordered that Ragnar be thrown into a pit of vipers.

However, the snakes could not bite through his clothes so he was dragged out stripped and thrown back in.

Answer: 4 months

York was occupied by the Danes on 1st November 866, Northumbria at that time was in a state of civil war, Ælle who had usurped the throne and Osberht who had ruled the kingdom for the previous eighteen years, agreed to postpone their war in the face of the greater enemy, however it took 4 months for the two to join their forces, and on 21st March 867 they stormed the city walls and gained entry to the city.

The Danes rallied and slaughtered all those who had entered York, and routed those who were outside, both kings (Ælle and Osberht) along with eight ealdormen were killed.

The Danes then installed a puppet king on the throne of Northumbria by the name of Ecgberht.

Answer: The Danes refused open battle

When the Danes occupied Nottingham, Burgred king of Mercia asked for West Saxon help. Æthelred accompanied by his brother Ælfred arrived in front of Nottingham, however the Danes, heavily outnumbered, refused to fight. The Mercians and West Saxons were unable or reluctant to breach the wall, maybe they had heard what happened at York. The allied forces of Mercia and Wessex could not keep an army in the field indefinitely, and in the end Burgred bought peace from the Dane's who agreed to leave, in the autumn of 868. They left for Northumbria where they stayed for the next twelve months.

Answer: Beaten with clubs, tied to a tree and whipped, shot with arrows and finally beheaded

The story of King Edmund's death was written 116 years after the event by Abbo of Fleury in his 'Passio St Eadmundi'. King Edmund's armour bearer was said to have witnessed the killing from a hiding place. It was also said that Edmund refused to submit to the Danes, declaring that his religion was dearer to him than his life, whereupon the beatings began, all the time he called upon the name of Jesus, the Danes angered by this, then bound him to a tree and had him whipped, still calling upon Jesus they then began casting arrows at him, until finally Ivar enraged, lopped of his head and threw it into the bushes.

The 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle' and Asser in his 'Life of Alfred' only state that there was a battle, and that king Edmund was killed, but within twenty five years of his death Edmund was regarded as a saint by the East Angles.

Answer: Reading

The Danes made their camp at Reading which was a royal estate in Berkshire, and was protected by a ditch and stockade built between the Thames and Kennett rivers. After only three days the fighting began, when ealdorman Æthelwulf defeated a large raiding party led by two jarls at a place now called Englefield.

Then four days later, king Æthelred with Alfred and the full force of Wessex were defeated outside the gates of Reading. The Danes received a setback when they were defeated at Ashdown, (for which Alfred, though not king yet, gained the glory) but 14 days later they defeated the West Saxons at Basing, and again two months later at Meretun. Finally reinforced by the Great Summer Army they defeated the then king Alfred at Wilton.

The West Saxons were exhausted and had no choice but to make peace and pay the Danes to go away.

Answer: London

After the Danes' attack on Wessex they advanced to London where they stayed over the winter eventually being bought off by the Mercians. After a very brief stay in Northumbria the Danes went back to Mercia, this time they spent the winter at Torksey on the Trent, where again the Mercians bought peace from them, but late in the year of 873 the Danes moved deeper into Mercia to Repton, and set about conquering the kingdom.

Answer: Rome

St Mary's served the Schola Saxonum ("School of the Saxons") founded by Ine king of Wessex. The church and hospice served the small English community and visiting pilgrims and was situated on the Vatican hill next to the river Tiber. It was badly damaged by fire twice.

It was freed from taxation by Pope Marinus I at the request of King Alfred around 883. When Guy de Montpellier came to Rome around the year 1200 the site of the Schola Saxonum was used for the founding of a hospital, and the name was altered to Santo Spirito in Saxia, it is the oldest hospital in Rome and also the Historical Health Museum.

Answer: True

In 875 the two armies went their separate ways. Guthrum, Oscetel and Anwend took their army to Cambridge meanwhile Halfdan and his army moved north to the river Tyne and spent the winter there, where according to Asser "it subdued the entire province of the Northumbrians" and also raided against the Picts to the north and the Strathclyde Britons to the west.

A year later they were reported to have moved south and to have shared out the land, (roughly the area of present day Yorkshire). Halfdan was recognised as the first of the kings of Scandinavian York or Jorvik. Apart from three periods of interruption (927-39 Æthelstan, 944-46 Edmund and 948-50 Eadred) it remained under Viking control until 954 when its last king, Eric Bloodaxe was ambushed and killed at Stainmore.

Answer: Norwegians of Dublin

When Olaf the White, king of Dublin died in 871, Ivar the 'Boneless' left England and returned to Dublin where he became king of all the Vikings in Ireland and his death Olaf's son Eystein took the kingship. Halfdan left Northumbria with a samll force and made an attempt to add Dublin to his kingdom in Northumbria, but Eystein was supported by Aed Finnlaith King of the northern Ui Neill. Discovering this Halfdan sailed north up the Irish coast away from Dublin but was forced into battle at Strangford Loch by the Norwegians.

He was defeated and the remnants of his army fled, some back to England others to Scotland and Wales.

Answer: The Raven

The 'Raven' banner was, according to legend, woven during the hour of midday by three of the daughters of Ragnar Lodbrok. It was said that if a living raven flapping its wings was seen in the middle of the banner then they would have the victory, but if it was seen to hang limp it signalled a defeat. At that time Wessex had been overrun by Guthrum's army, Ubbe had spent the winter in Dyfed in Wales (it is possible that he had gone there after Halfdan's defeat in Ireland). Ubbe landed in Devon with 23 ships and a force of 1,200 men. Odda ealdorman of Devonshire along with a force of the king's thegns had taken refuge in the hill fort at Countisbury. Rather than making an assault, the Vikings decided to besiege the fort, however the defenders launched a surprise dawn attack and routed the Vikings. According to Asser, 840 Vikings including Ubbe were killed and the rest fled to their ships.