4.2 why were edward and aethelflaed successful in dealing with the vikings? Flashcards
What does Higham say about the Danelaw?
What does he not mention?
How did Aethelflaed do this?
How did this help Edward?
-Edward the Elder is the most neglected of the English Kings
-The role played by Edward’s sister in aiding the expansion of the realm (kingdom)
-Through the construction of buhrs
-Aided him in carrying out raids against the Danes
What is Higham also unclear about?
What is he likely referring to?
-What constituted an “expanding realm” and “south centred Anglo-Saxon kingdom”.
-“Conquest of the Danelaw”.
What is the term Danelaw associated with?
What is unlikely?
What is more probable?
-The treaty King Alfred made with Guthrum .
-That Guthrum was acknowledged as leader over all geographical entities.
-The Guthrum treaty was established to create a line between East Anglia and Wessex.
If the Danelaw is not a geographical region, what is it? (3)
What other 2 things can the Danelaw be described as?
Economic, social, CULTURAL characteristics.
-The Danelaw is cultural, NOT fixed.
-Fluid concept
What can it be argued about the Danelaw in 920?
Why did Stenton argue that the Danelaw did not truly vanish until 1066?
Why is this a probelmatic concept?
-It hardly existed at all.
-Old Danelaw seemed to retain a distinct Danish feel (material culture).
-Doubtful whether the Danelaw constituted as a single, integrated entity (integration culture).
What does evidence tell us about the Viking communities?
They have been brought together by shared cultural beliefs and views.
What is unclear at the end of Edward’s reign?
How much of the Danelaw had been conquered.
In what 4 ways did Edward and Aethelflaed deal with the Vikings?
-Buhr construction
-Use of force to gain submission
-Other methods/diplomacy (leadership)
-Intergration (unity)
BUHR CONSTRUCTION
When did buhr construction start and why?
Who was now in charge of Mercia?
911, death of Aethelred
Aethelflaed
What strategic pattern can we find out from buhr construction? (3 steps)
- A buhr would be constructed
- Viking army would then submit in the area where the buhr had been built
- People in the area who had been subjugated (taken control of) would also submit
Give an example of how the strategic pattern of buhr construction came to fruition?
What were the functions of the first two of this buhr.
911 Herford:
1st buhr: designed to repel vikings
2nd buhr: protected routes routes from Essex to London
When did the strategic pattern change? How?
-After 913
-Edward moved from a defensive to an offensive approach
Which buhrs did Edward comission?
Which buhrs did Aethelflaed commission?
What does this show?
-Hertford and Witan.
-Northern, North-Western, and Western frontiers of Mercia.
-Aethelflaed had a big contribution
Who was the Nottingham buhr 918 garrisoned by?
What does this show?
-Garrisoned (defended) by both Viking and Anglo-Saxon soldiers
-Intergration
Where were most buhrs?
Name + date 5 additional buhrs.
On borders, within the Danelaw
890 Worcester
890-900 Hereford and Gloucester
914 Eddisbury Hill
914 Warwick
USING FORCE TO GAIN SUBMISSION
When did Edward begin raiding? Why?
When did he stop?
909, to test the Vikings response
920
What happened in 909?
What did the Vikings do in return?
-Edward raided Northumbrian Vikings for 5 weeks.
-Attaccked Mercia.
What battle did 909 prompt in 910?
Which Vikings were killed? (3)
Battle of Tettenhall.
Halfdan, Eowils, Ivar.
When did the Vikings return again?
Why were they forced to leave?
913
Combined soldiery from Hereford and Gloucester
What happened in 917?
Edward engaged with the Viking of Northampton, Huntingdon and other parts of East Anglian Vikings.
What did Edward do when the Vikings camped at Tempsford? Why?
What position was Edward in by 918?
Attacked Colchester (a stronghold of East Anglian Vikings) to show how easy it was to penetrate their defences.
Overlord of most of East Anglia.
Why can’t Edward get all the credit in the use of force to gain submission?
Aethelflaed’s success:
-Launched her own offensive>capture of Derby and Leicster.
-Residents of York looked to form an allience with her, but she died before this to came into fruition.
OTHER METHODS/DIPLOMACY
Before raiding, how did Edward deal with the Vikings?
Negotiation.
What did Edward encourage thegns to do and why?
Buy land near Viking settlements to limit the Viking expansion.
What did Edward do once he had complete control of the Vikings?
Give an example of this. What does this show?
Allowed complete autonomy (independence) e.g. Northampton: allowed complete autonomy and retained their estates=loyalty to Edward.
What did Edward use to maintain the new parts of his kingdom? E.g?
Overall what is Edward doing here?
-Viking administration systems e.g. Viking mints.
-Not to be so over-oppressive>creates unnecessary backlash.
INTERGRATION
What is the area of settlement of Vikings commonly referred to?
What is not clear?
Danelaw.
What this constituted in a geographical sense.
Who were the settlers in 903?
What was CLEAR about the settlers?
What does Martin Ryan call this?
-Mixture of members of Vikings armes and Danish migrants from Ireland (Hiberno-Norse).
-Settlers and migrants clearly intergrated with Anglo-Saxons in the Danelaw>society emerged.
-“multiple identities”
What does the story of Guthred and Cuthbert tell us?
“multiple identities” was achieved through a form of mutual respect and cooperation.
Where were most settlements and why?
Derby, Northampton and Leiscter
Urbanised areas
What does the term “Five Boroughs” suggest and why?
*What were the “Five Boroughs”?
There was an element of collaboration between settlements.
-Leiscter
-Lincon
-Nottingham
-Stamford
-Derby
What are the 3 main sources of evidence on settlement and intergration?
-Place names
-Materials
-Genetics
What is the place name theory based on?
What does this theory give evidence about?
-Grimston hybrids
-Where and to what extent settlement took place
What does the theory suggest about place names taken over and settled by the Vikings? (2)
What is this indicated by (examples)?
They will naturally have Scandinavian names and can be located in most of Northern and Eastern England.
“-by” in Derby =primary settlement
“-thorpe” in Mablethorpe=secondary settlement
What is a limitation of place names?
Not reliable:
-Scandinavian place names weren’t recorded until the publication of the Doomsday book (1086)
-not obvious that place names emerged in the initial phases of settlement and migration.
-places get renamed often
-doesn’t look at Edward’s time, instead looks at William the Conquerer’s
What does material culture refer to?
Give 2 examples of this?
-Objects that reflect cultural development in society.
-Rune stones and cross e.g. Gosforth Cross>gives Norse mythology
-Stone sculptures e.g. ‘Hogback’ grave covers, found in northern of England>Scandinavian
Limitations of material culture (2)
-Hogback graves, people who were buried likely had high social statuses>not useful to see how widespread settlement may have been.
-Dating of these are hard and limited in number.
What has scientific studies based on genetic systems revealed about Viking settlement?
What is a limitation about genetics?
-Strong links between people of north and east England and people from Denmark and Norway.
-Can’t tell us WHEN this integration took place.
