Did the Danes or Saxons win?

Edmund’s army routed the Danes, but the success was short-lived: at the Battle of Ashingdon, the Danes were victorious, and many of the English leaders were killed. Cnut and Edmund agreed to split the kingdom in two, with Edmund ruling Wessex and Cnut the rest.

How did Alfred beat the Danes at Edington?

Alfred came to the throne after his brother, King Aethelred I, was killed fighting the Danes in 871. In May 878 he rode out to challenge the Danes at Edington (Ethandun) outside the now Danish-held fortress of Chippenham. Alfred’s warriors, fighting on foot, confronted the Danes with a dense shield wall.

Who forced King Alfred into hiding?

Guthrum – more of an enemy than a friend! He was king of the Danish chieftains and was actively fighting Alfred from 874. In 878 his surprise night-time attack on Alfred forced Alfred to hide out in the Somerset marshes.

Who wins the battle of Wessex?

The battle of Marton in March saw the royal brothers of Wessex once more splitting their forces into two to come up against their viking foes. The West Saxons prevailed at first in driving the enemy back for most of the day, however we are told that the Danes eventually reached the upper hand and won the battle.

What was the difference between the Anglo-Saxons and the West Saxons?

But, despite the lull, the Anglo-Saxons took control of Sussex, Kent, East Anglia and part of Yorkshire; while the West Saxons founded a kingdom in Hampshire under the leadership of Cerdic, around 520. However, it was to be 50 years before the Anglo-Saxons began further major advances.

What happened to the Danes in the Middle Ages?

The Danes retreated and began some savage raiding in Essex, before moving on to attack the coastline of Kent, Sussex and Hampshire. These raids were recorded as particularly vicious with contemporary writers noting that, “they wrought the most evil that any force had ever done and worked unspeakable evil”.

Where did the Danes go for winter in England?

The Danes agreed and took winter quarters in Southampton where, according to the Chronicle, “they were provisioned throughout the West Saxon kingdom” and given Danegeld of sixteen thousand pounds. Since his retirement Jim Keys has indulged his passion for history, writing two books on Britain’s past: The Dark Ages and The Bloody Crown.

How did Anglo-Saxon identity survive the Norman Conquest?

Anglo-Saxon identity survived beyond the Norman conquest, came to be known as Englishry under Norman rule, and through social and cultural integration with Celts, Danes and Normans became the modern English people.