Jorvik and the Danish Conquest 866-900AD

Most people have heard of the Norman Conquest of 1066, but the Danish conquest of 866 made just as great an impact on the North. The Danes brought cultural, linguistic and political changes to the North and made southern Northumbria the Danish Kingdom of York which they divided into three ‘ridings’. In Northern England, the Danes settled mainly in Yorkshire while the land north of the Tees and especially north of the Tyne remained largely unsettled. Many Danish place-names survive in Yorkshire today like Thornaby, Wetherby and Danby, but the most important Viking settlement in England was, of course, the city of York.

Bootham Bar and York Minster — York as depicted on an old postcard

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866AD – Osbert overthrown by the Northumbrians

Osbert, King of Northumbria, is overthrown by his people and replaced by his brother Aelle II.

866AD – Ivar the Boneless invades

A Danish army of around 10,000 men invades East Anglia where it encamps for the whole winter. The Danes are led by Ivar the Boneless (so called because of his lanky, gangling appearance) along with his brothers, Halfdene and Hubba.

866AD – Danes invade the North

The Danes have taken advantage of turmoil in Northumbria and crossed the Humber into the Deiran province of Northumbria (Yorkshire).

York Minster from Low Petergate — York © David Simpson 2021

Nov 1, 866AD – Danes sack York

York is sacked by the Danes under Ivar, Halfdene and Hubba. Aelle of Deira and Osbert of Bernicia unite against the Danes.

Mar 23, 867AD – Danes murder Northumbrian king

Aelle, King of Northumbria, is captured attempting to retake York from the Danes. Earl Osbert of Bernicia is killed during the battle. Aelle is subjected to the horrific Blood Eagle ordeal by the Vikings. His ribs are torn out and folded back to form the shape of an eagle’s wings. It is punishment for his alleged murder of Ragnor Lodbrook, a great Danish leader who was the father of Ivar, Halfdene and Hubba.

867AD – Danes employ a client

The Danes employ an Anglo-Saxon called Egbert as temporary King of Northumbria.

869AD – Danes return north

The Danish army returns to York following an excursion into the Midlands where it captured Nottingham.

871AD – Alfred the Great is the Wessex king

Alfred the Great is King of Wessex. Earlier this year he defeated the Danes at Ashdown in Berkshire. Alfred will encourage learning and will translate many great Latin works including Bede’s History of England. He will also build a great navy to defend against the Danes

872AD – Bernicians eject their king

The Bernicians of North Northumbria reject the appointment of King Egbert and hope to replace him with a nobleman called Ricsige.

873AD – Ivar the Boneless dead

Viking leader Ivar the Boneless dies in Ireland. He is succeeded by his brother Halfdene at York.

Norham church at Norham-on-Tweed. Norham was an important long-term resting place for teh Community of St Cuthbert who protected the coffin and relics of St Cuthbert . Photo © David Simpson 2018

875AD – Cuthbert people flee Vikings

Eardwulf, Bishop of Lindisfarne, leaves Norham on Tweed with the Community of St Cuthbert carrying St Cuthbert’s coffin to escape the anticipated Danish attacks. The influential community begins a period of wandering around the north and settles briefly in Cumbria where Eadred, the abbot of Carlisle, becomes its new leader.

King's Square, York looking towards Low Petergate — King’s Square, York looking towards Low Petergate and York Minster © David Simpson 2021 The Royal Place of the Viking kings is thought to have been situated in King’s Square

875AD – Halfdene king of York

Halfdene becomes King of York (Yorkshire) on returning from a victory over the Mercians. The old Anglo-Saxon estates in Yorkshire are to be shared out among his army and followers. Yorkshire will be divided into the three Ridings (Viking ‘thrithings’ or thirds) which can be defended by three military divisions of the Danish Army based at York. None of the Ridings is further than a day’s ride from York.

View of Tynemouth Priory and Castle from Cullercoats. Photo © David Simpson 2018

875AD – Danes attack the Tyne

The Danes, under the leadership of Halfdene, enter the Tyne and destroy Tynemouth Priory before wintering at the mouth of the River Team near Gateshead. Once the winter is over the Danes begin their battle campaign in Bernicia and Scotland. Hexham is ransacked.

875AD – North East escapes Danish settlement

Bernicia north of the Tees (Northumberland and Durham) is defeated by the Danes but will generally escape Danish settlement. There will be pockets of Danish settlement here and there, particularly in southern Durham around Sadberge and Gainford, but most of the region remains Angle dominated and will continue to speak the Anglian language. Descendants of the old Kings of Bamburgh continue to rule the North East region but as clients of the Danish Kings of York.

Place-names show Viking settlement was mostly south of the River Tees, especially as indicated in village names ending in ‘by’. A scattering of Viking place-names can be found north of the Tees (shown in yellow) but only ‘by’ names are shown south of the river on tis map due to the high density of Viking place-names. Places within the Viking wapentake of Sadberge are marked in purple. © David Simpson 2021.

875AD – Viking army share Midlands and Yorkshire

One half of the huge Danish army under Hatfdene is settling in Yorkshire while the other half is taking control of the East Midland shires of Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, Lincoln and Stamford. The East Midlands is known as the Danish Five Boroughs. The West Midlands remain Anglo-Saxon.

877AD – Danish king of York dies

Halfdene, the Danish King of York, has been killed in battle in Northern Ireland fighting a rival faction of Irish Norsemen from Dublin.

878AD – Alfred of Wessex defeats Danes

Alfred the Great of Wessex defeats a Danish army under the leadership of Guthred.

882AD – Cuthbert people support Danes

Abbot Eadred of Carlisle, the leader of the Communuity of St Cuthbert, has supported the claims of Guthred the King of York to the Northumbrian throne.

883AD – Beginnings of County Durham

Guthred, the new Danish King of York, has granted an area of land between the Tyne and Tees to the Community of St Cuthbert, which recently fled to Cumbria before taking refuge briefly at Crayke in Yorkshire. The grant of this land signifies the beginning of what will later become County Durham. The parcel of land is mostly between the Wear and Tyne and the ‘Community of St Cuthbert’ settle at Conecaster (much later called Chester-le-Street). Their territory will be called the Land of the ‘Haliwerfolk’ – meaning the holy man people.

Chester-le-Street church. — Chester-le-Street church on the site of an Anglo-Saxon minster and Roman fort. Photo © John Simpson.

883AD – St Cuthbert reburied

St Cuthbert’s body is interred in a new church at Conecaster (Chester-le-Street). Eardwulf the former Bishop of Lindisfarne becomes the first Bishop of Conecaster .