The Great Heathen Army, also known as the Viking great army, was a mighty force of Scandinavian
warriors assembled with one purpose in mind. To invade and occupy the four kingdoms of
England. One of the largest Viking armies ever amassed and led by several legendary
warriors, it is a fascinating period of history that changed the face of England forever.
But what is the truth behind the legend? Let’s find out together, right now.
For many years, the shores of England had been exposed to relentless viking raids. Regular
small bands of warriors would cross the sea and pillage wealthy, gold laden monasteries
or churches. At this time England was not the single country we know today, but was
instead split into four smaller kingdoms. This fractured nature did not lend itself
to a coherent defence against the ever increasing Viking raids, and many small battles were
fought across several years. But in the year 865, everything changed.
This is where the story blurs the lines between history and legend with neither one quite
able to prove itself fully against the other. Some believe that the great army of Vikings
was assembled simply due to the obvious potential of England and its wealth and the mutual profit
to be had for so many Viking leaders by joining together. Other sources however, suggest a
much more poetic agenda and that the army was led by the sons of the most famous Viking
to ever live, Ragnar Lodbrok, in response to his death at the hands of the English King
Aella of Northumbria. Famous names that evoke emotive responses from many today following
their depiction in successful modern tv shows. Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan Ragnarsson, Ubba
and Bjorn Ironside. Whilst both are possible and indeed plausible,
which you choose to believe I will leave up to you.
What is uncontested however, is that in late 865 this great force of Nordic warriors, believed
to number around 3000, landed in England and encamped in the Isle of Thanet. The usual
tributes were offered by the people of Kent, gold in exchange for peace. But something
was different this time, the Vikings would not be so easily bought off. This time they
were here to stay. Using East Anglia as a starting point for
the invasion, they rampaged across the land until King Edmund of East Anglia was finally
able to offer something to make them take pause, buying a temporary truce with food
and horses. This was a clear sign for the Vikings of the incredibly weak position the
King found himself in, to be forced to effectively pay them to stay on his land.
It was perfect for them however, as by this point the winter was setting in and war was
not waged during winter. They settled in East Anglia, comfortable and well fed and waited
for the spring. When the land thawed, they moved into Northumbria
which, torn by civil war as it was, was an easy target and swiftly the city of York fell
into their hands. The two squabbling factions of the region quickly realised they only stood
a chance if they came together to unite against the Viking threat, and a combined army was
formed to lay siege to York and retake the city. They were humbled however, and defeated
easily with both English claimants to the throne killed. A puppet leader was installed
by the Vikings and the army moved on. Slicing across the land like a knife through
hot butter, the great force moved now into the Kingdom of Mercia where in the year 867,
they captured Nottingham. The king of Mercia requested help from Wessex, the strongest
Kingdom in England, and a combined army besieged Nottingham, determined to recapture it.
The siege dragged on however and with no clear victor looking likely, the Mercians settled
on paying off the Vikings. Returning to Northumbria, the great army spent
the winter in York before returning to East Anglia the following year and arriving at
Thetford. This time however, King Edmund was not ready
to submit so easily and instead of offering food and horses to buy peace, he decided to
fight. Unfortunately for him however, he had underestimated the strength and ferocity of
the Viking warriors and was defeated. Some sources claim the Vikings offered him
the choice between abandoning his religion or death. His decision to die earnt him the
nickname Edmund the Martyr. He was tied to a great Oak tree and filled full of arrows
before his head was cut off. The Vikings went on to pillage many of the churches in the
region, decimating the local landscape. In 871, a second Viking force landed in England
to bolster the successful great heathen army. This was led by Bagsecg. The combined armies
now turned their attention to Wessex, the great power in the south of the country.
Following several minor encounters, a fierce battle took place at Ashdown, where the Vikings
suffered their first major defeat at the hands of the Kings brother, Alfred. Bagsecg was
slain along with many other Jarls of the Viking force. Three months later, the King of Wessex
died and the throne was passed to Alfred, who would later become known as King Alfred
the Great. With the fighting raging on, Alfred bought
the Vikings off with a huge tribute, primarily to buy himself some time to establish a hold
over his new kingdom. During this time, a rebellion took place back
in Northumbria against the puppet ruler the Vikings had installed. They were forced to
move their army back north to deal with the issue and restore their rule.
By 874 the Vikings found themselves in Repton, a town in Derbyshire. It was whilst based
here that they drove the Mercian King into exile and finally conquered the region, replacing
the King with another puppet, Ceolwulf. It was at this point that a significant decision
was taken to split the army into two bands. One half, led by Halfdan, went north into
Scotland where he would pillage successfully, fighting against the local Picts and Britons.
In 876 this half of the army would return south from Scotland and share out the lands
of Northumbria amongst the soldiers who settled and began to plough the land, creating a permanent
legacy in England that would change the social development of the country forevermore. This
land became part of what was to be known as the Danelaw.
The second band however, led by Guthrum, spent the next year raiding and pillaging back southwards,
eventually forcing Alfred to act and war broke out again. Fierce battles would follow, but
eventually in 878 Alfred was able to win a decisive victory at the battle of Edington
which led to the treaty of Wedmore. This was a significant moment as it saw the willing
baptism of the Viking leader Guthrum. Whilst some fighting did continue over the
next decade or so with other Viking bands arriving to try their luck and smaller raiding
parties continuing to pillage, many see this moment as the final act of the true Viking
invasion into England. Guthrum would withdraw eventually to East
Anglia where he would rule as King until his death in 890.
By 896, most Viking attacks had ceased but the impact on England remained immense. The
great heathen army had left a permanent mark on the country, with Vikings still ruling
in Northern and Eastern England, whilst Alfred had been the only King able to truly resist
and maintain his rule in Wessex. As such, the Viking invasion of England changed
forever the social evolution of the English people, with the clash of cultures blending
and fading into one over the years as is often the way.
A fascinating period of history, made all the more gripping by the mysterious mixture
of legend and history as well as some of the most famous Vikings to ever live. Were the
sons of Ragnar successful in avenging the death of their father? You would have to say
yes, and then some. Whether that was the truth behind the invasion or not, you can not deny
that they left their mark on the history of England forevermore.