Guthrum the Old
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Guthrum (died c. 890), christened Aethelstan, was king of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw.
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[edit] Guthrum, Founder of the Danelaw
Although it is unknown as to how Guthrum consolidated his rule as king over the other Danish chieftains of the Danelaw (Danish ruled territory of England), what is known, is that by 874 he was able to wage an extensive war against Wessex and its kings, most notably King Alfred the Great. By 876 Guthrum had been able to acquire various parts of the kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria and then turn his attention to acquiring Wessex, in which his first confrontation with Alfred the Great took place near the Welsh border. Guthrum sailed his army around Poole Harbour and linked up with another Viking army that was invading the area between the Frome and Trent rivers which was ruled by Alfred the Great(Collington p.94). According to the historian Asser, Guthrum’s initial battle with Alfred the Great resulted in a victory, as he was able to capture “the castellum” as well as the ancient square earthworks known as the “Wareham” where a convent of nuns existed. Alfred the Great was able to broker a peace settlement, but by 877 this peace was broken as Guthrum lead his army raiding further into Wessex, thus forcing Alfred the Great to confront him in a series of skirmishes that Guthrum continued to win.
[edit] Defeat by Alfred The Great
Guthrum may have succeeded in conquering all of Wessex if he had not suffered a defeat at the hands of Alfred the Great at the Battle of Edington in 878. At the Battle of Edington, Guthrum’s entire army was routed by Alfred the Great all the way to their encampment where they were besiged by Alfred the Great for two weeks. According to the Anglo Saxon Chronicle Guthrum’s army was able to negotiate a peace treaty with known as the Treaty of Wedmore (Canterbury Manuscript F). The Anglo Saxon Chronicle recorded the event, “Then the raiding army granted him (Alfred) hostages and great oaths that they would leave his kingdom and also promised him that their king (Guthrum) would receive baptism; and they fulfilled it. And three weeks later the king Guthrum came to him, one of thirty of the most honourable men who were in the raiding army, at Aller- and that is near Athelney- and the king received him at baptism; and his chrism loosing was at Wedmore” (Canterbury Manuscript F).
[edit] Conversion to Christianity and Peace
Under the Treaty of Wedmore the borders dividing the lands of Alfred the Great and Guthrum were established (Davis p.48) and perhaps more importantly, Guthrum converted to Christianity and took on the Christian name Aethelstan with Alfred the Great as his godfather. Guthrum conversion to Christianity served as Guthrum’s oath or legal binding to the treaty to which its significance was more political than religious. Politically, Guthrum’s conversion to Christianity did nothing to loosen the Danish hold on the lands that Guthrum had already acquired via conquest (Loyn p.59). Instead it not only garnered Guthrum recognition amongst Christian communities he ruled, but also legitimized his own authority and claims. By adopting the Christian name of Aethelstan which was also the name of Alfred the Great’s eldest brother, Guthrum’s conversion reassured his newly acquired subjects that they would continue to be ruled by a Christian king rather than heathen chieftain(Loyn p.59).
Guthrum upheld his end of the treaty and left the boundary that separated the Danelaw from English England unmolested. Guthrum although failing to conquer Wessex turned towards the lands to the east that the treaty had allotted under his control free of interference by Alfred the Great. Guthrum withdrew his army from the western borders facing Alfred's territory and moved eastward before eventually settling in the Kingdom of Guthrum in East Anglia in 879.He would live out the remainder of his life there until his death in 890.
[edit] References
Anglo Saxon Chronicle. Trans. by M.J. Swanton. New York. Routledge: 1996.
Collingwood, M.A. and Powell, F.Y. Scandinavian Britain. New York. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge: 1908.
Davis, R.H.C. From Alfred the Great to Stephen. London. The Manbledon Press:1991.
Loyn, H.R. The Vikings in Britain. New York. St.Martin’s Press: 1977.
| Preceded by: Aethelred |
King of East Anglia 879– 890 |
Succeeded by: Guthfrith |
