Guthrum
Guthrum the Elder († around 890 ), baptized Æthelstan , was king of the Danish Vikings in the Danelag .
Life
Guthrums taking the Danelag
Although it is unclear how Guthrum managed to rise to the rank of king over the other Danish princes in the Danelag, it is clear that in 874 he waged an extensive war against Wessex under Alfred the Great . As early as 876 Guthrum had brought parts of the kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria under his control. Then he turned against Wessex.
The battle for Wessex
His first major confrontation with Alfred the Great occurred near the Welsh border. Guthrum sailed around Poole with his army and then joined other Viking forces that invaded Alfred's territory between Frome and the Trent . According to Asser , Guthrum scored a victory in his first battle with Alfred; he conquered the fortresses of Exeter and Wareham . Alfred was able to negotiate a peace agreement that was broken by Guthrum as early as 877 when Guthrum was leading his army deeper into Wessex. Guthrum was also able to decide these disputes in his favor.
The Battle of Edington
878 attacked Guthrum again while Alfred wintered near Chippenham , Wiltshire . Alfred barely escaped and gathered his strength to defeat Guthrum at the Battle of Edington (a small town in Wiltshire) that spring . Wessex narrowly escaped full occupation by the Danes. In this decisive battle Guthrum's army was pushed back by Alfred to his field camp, where it was besieged. After two weeks, the Vikings (as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reports), intimidated "by hunger, cold and fear", sent a negotiator to Alfred to agree peace.
The Wedmore Treaty
Alfred accepted Guthrum's surrender on the condition of holding hostages and "swearing that Guthrum would profess Christianity ". In addition, the Danes had to withdraw from Wessex immediately. This peace treaty has become known as the "Wedmore Treaty". Three weeks later Guthrum and thirty of his most important people came to Aller (near Athelney), where Guthrum was baptized by King Alfred and was adopted by Alfred as an adopted son. When he was baptized, he took the name Aethelstan. After that Guthrum and his men withdrew from Wessex, but retained control of the Danelag.
The treaty stipulated the division of England between Alfred the Great and Guthrum. From today's point of view, however, the official acceptance of the Christian faith - which had a political impact, appears to be more important. As a result, Guthrum secured not only recognition from his own people but also recognition from Christians in his countries, which reinforced his claim to rule. By adopting a Christian name (Aethelstan was also the name of Alfred's eldest brother), he reinforced the impression that his followers would now be ruled by a Christian king.
After the unmolested withdrawal from Wessex Guthrum turned to the countries in the east of his kingdom. He withdrew his army from the western border and settled with his people in 879 in the Kingdom of Guthrum (consisting of East Anglia and Fens ).
Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum and Guthrum's death
As early as 884 Guthrum launched another attack on Wessex, but was repulsed again. Thereupon the two kings signed the treaty of Alfred and Guthrum , in which the borders of Danelag and Wessex and the Danish sovereignty over Danelag were laid down again.
Guthrum died in 890 and was buried in Headleage , which is now Hadleigh , Suffolk .
Remarks
- ^ Collingwood, MA and Powell, FY "Scandinavian Britain" New York. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge: 1908 p. 94
- ^ Anglo Saxon Chronicle Trans. By MJ Swanton (New York, Routledge: 1996)
- ^ Davis, RHC From Alfred the Great to Stephen (London, The Manbledon Press: 1991) p. 48
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Guthrum |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Æthelstan (baptismal name); Gorm the Elder |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Danish King in Danelag |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 9th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | around 890 |