The Vikings raided England periodically for years. The attacks began in 793 with the sack of the Lindesfarne monastery. In the mid-ninth century, an abnormally large Viking force landed to conquer rather than raid. The Anglo Saxons dubbed the invaders the "Great Heathen Army." The Great Heathen Army encountered little resistance of note until King Alfred finally defeated the force at Ethandun in 878. Despite the defeat, the Viking army remained in control of northern and eastern England.
The large Viking force struck England in 865 A.D. According to legend, the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok sought vengeance for their father's death at the hands of King Aella of Northumbria. The army probably included warriors from all of Scandinavia, England, and perhaps Ireland. In the end, the Great Heathen Army represented an army of conquest as opposed to raiders. The conflict lasted around 14 years.
The invasion began in East Anglia which evolved into the launching point for attacks into all four English kingdoms. The East Anglian rulers chose to make peace rather than fight and allowed the Viking sanctuary within their territory. Likewise, the Northumbrians declined to give battle and paid a ransom to the invaders. However, they did so under duress. The army captured York and King Aella. Afterward, they executed the king through the "blood eagle." The executioner severs the ribs from the spinal column and pulls the lungs through the opening to create wings. After Aella's grisly death, Viking leader Ivar the Boneless installed a puppet ruler.
After the conquest of East Anglia and Northumbria, the Heathen Army attacked Mercia. Nottingham fell in short order, but Wessex marched to Mercia's aid. The counterattack resulted in stalemate, so Mercia followed Northumbria's example and paid a large indemnity. The Vikings returned to Northumbria and later East Anglia. However, the East Anglians revolted to no avail and lost their king to the Vikings in 870. The Great Heathen Army appeared invincible heading into the 871 campaign season. Reinforcements arrived from Scandanavia for the invasion of Wessex. Things did not go as planned. The Anglo Saxons found a champion to match the Vikings. King Aethelred's brother, Alfred, led his forces to victory at Ashdown. Aethelred died three months later making Alfred the new king.
Initially, Alfred bribed the Vikings to buy time to steady his defenses. The invaders spent the next couple years putting out brush fires in Northumbria, bullying and then conquering Mercia, and splintering into two distinct forces. One force marched north into Scotland, returned to England, and established the Danelaw. The second group, led by Guthrum, marched on Alfred. The diminished force lost a decisive battle to Alfred at Ethandun in 878. After their defeat, the Vikings resorted to raids on Wessex. Although initially successful, Alfred developed a strategy to defeat the heathens. Eventually, an uneasy peace developed and the two sides agreed to the Treaty of Wedmore that split England in two. Over time, the Vikings realized the foolhardiness of attacking Alfred and his impressive defensive network and navy. By the turn of the 10th century, Wessex remained firmly in Anglo Saxon hands while north and east England remained in Scandinavian control.
The Great Heathen Army crushed Anglo Saxon England. Perhaps the largest Viking force ever struck England with an unprecedented fury. Northumbria, Mercia, and East Anglia fell to the invaders. Anglo Saxon kings died gruesomely in ritualized executions. Then, the army encountered Alfred of Wessex. Alfred the Great blunted the Viking advance and saved what was left of Anglo Saxon rule. The two sides later worked out a non-aggression pact while Alfred built his defenses. Eventually, the Scandinavians decided to avoid Wessex and its wily king.
