England Before the ConquestÆthelred

Æthelred – Alfred ComparedAlfred Æthelred

Paying Vikings

Payment to buy time to build up defenses

Payments at increasing rate (gafol, Danegeld)

Efficacy Peace over 15 years Temporary respites

Defenses Burhs as garrisoned forts

Existing burhs now commercial centersStone walls addedNew burhs at South Cadbury, Old Sarum, and Cissbury

Fyrds Rotating standing army Ad hoc army

Æthelred – Alfred ComparedAlfred Æthelred

Army Shortage of armor Large stock of coats of mail

Navy Start navy but it is ineffective

Start navy but betrayed by Wulfnoth

Dealing with the enemy

Forced to contribute hostages as well as geld

Forced to contribute supplies as well as geld

Support Support of nobles Lack of support by many nobles

Æthelred – Alfred ComparedAlfred Æthelred

Enemy force 2,000-3,000 5,000-10,000 organized troops

Area defended Wessex England

Governmental structure

Not yet organized Organized

Chroniclers Contemporary texts in A-S Chronicle

Retrospective texts after defeat in A-S Chronicle

Context Millenialism

Æthelred – Alfred ComparedAlfred Æthelred

Personality Intellectual approach to kingship

Subject to rage

counselors English and Continental clergy

Untrustworthy military leaders

Law New law code based on precedents

Several law codes dealing with regional variations

Culture Fostered education and church building

Period of continuing excellence in fine arts, education and scholarship

ReferencesSimon Keynes (1986). “A Tale of Two Kings: Alfred the Great and Æthelred the Unready”. Transactions of the Royal Historical Society, 36, pp 195-217 [Not as bad as later writers painted him]

Leonard Neidorf “II Æthelred and the Politics of The Battle of Maldon” Journal of English and Germanic Philology—October 2012, pp 451-473

Richard Abels English Logistics and military administration, 871-1066: The Impact of the Viking Wars http://asnoc.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/english-logistics-and-military-administration-871-1066-the-impact-of-the-viking-wars/

England-Danish, Anglo-Saxon, Norman?

Harold II

Canute Edward the Confessor

Trelleborg

Danish Invasion Preparations?

Aggersborg

Viking Ring Forts

1014 Attack on London?

”Fact or Folklore: The Viking Attack on London Bridge,” London Archaeologist, Spring 2004, 328-333

King Cnut (England and Denmark)• 1019 His brother, Harold, dies: Cnut now King of

Denmark• Commissions Wulfstan to produce new law code• c. 1025 Thorkell dies, Ulf, Cnut’s brother-in-law

made regent for Harthacnut in Denmark• 1035 Harthacnut, King of Denmark

Succession Crisis

• Cnut dies 12 November 1035• Harold Harefoot

– Earl Leofric Mercia– Earl Siward

Northumbria– northern thanes– London fleet

• Harthacanute– Earl Godwine of Mercia

Godwine

• His father may have been Wulfnoth, an Anglo-Saxon turned viking and nephew of Streona

• 1018 Appears as ealdorman on charters• 1022? travels with Cnut to Denmark• Married to sister-in-law of Cnut

Reign of Harold I• Emma given Winchester• Later driven to Bruges in 1037

Godwine embraces Alfred

1037 Harold tortures Alfred

Reign of Harthacanute

• 1040 Harold dies, buried at Westminster

• 1041 Edward returns to England

• 1042 Harthacanute dies at a wedding feast

Succession• Danish Claimants

– Harold of Denmark, died 1043– Swein of Denmark –preoccupied with own kingdom

• Norwegian Claimant– Magnus –purportedly in pact with Harthacnute

• Edward– Welcomed by Harthacanute– Championed by Godwine, Leofric and Siward

Coronations of Edward and Edith

Edward the King

• Opted out of Norway-Denmark conflict

• 1050 Dismisses Navy• 1051 Abolishes heregeld• 1051 Robert of Jumieges, Archbishop of

Canterbury• Administrative apparatus entrusted to others

Norman Influences

Edward the Confessor

Godwine

• Appointment of Stigand to Winchester in 1047; Canterbury in 1052

• 1051 The Dover fracas

• 1051 ‘Get thee to a nunnery’

• Dies 1053

Godwinesons

• Harold, Earl of Wessex• 1055 Tostig, Earl of North• 1057 Gyrth, Earl of East Anglia• 1057 Leofwine, Earl of E. Midlands• 1058 Leofric dies• Aelfgar banished; returns• 1062 Aelfgar dies

Earl Harold

• 1058 Leofric dies• m. Ealdgyth, daughter

of Aelfgar

Harold, son of Godwine kneels before King Edward

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey

Jumièges

Death of Edward

I commend this woman and all the kingdom to your protection

Edith Harold

England 1066