Page 82 - All About History - Issue 27-15

Alfred vs the Vikings

stormed towards the centre of the close to the capital, Alfred decided
region. The raiders outnumbered that he would try to settle things
Anglo- the fractured and broken Wessex on his terms. He set out to halt
forces considerably and this the army’s advance at Wilton, less
Saxon skeleton army could only watch than 30 miles from his capital
Kingdoms as the Vikings moved closer to city of Winchester.
their capital. Although the Saxons One thing was immediately
put up a brave resistance, the obvious – Alfred was
battlegrounds transformed into outnumbered. He had struggled
scenes of slaughter, and as the The Legends to quickly assemble a force and
brothers faced the Vikings for of King Alfred the Viking ranks were swelling
the ninth exhausting time, the Quick learner with eager new conquerors and
Wessex army fled in panic. gold seekers. Aware that this
Alfred’s mother, showing her children
ThebodiesofAnglo-Saxon abeautifulbookofSaxonpoetry,told was his first battle as king,
NORTHUMBRIA
dead were strewn about the themthatwhoeverwasfirstableto Alfred knew he had no option
field, and the king received a memorise it would get to keep it. but to lead from the front. He
Alfred was fascinated, but unable
mortal wound. Within a month toread.Sohetookittotutors ordered his men to form the
hewasdead,andhispassingwas and managed to learn it, shield-wall and faced his mighty
MERCIA receiving the book in
EAST followed by the arrival of a fresh reward. enemies. Perhaps benefiting
WALES ANGLIA fleetofVikingships. from the strength that only men
Æthelred had sons, but they were defending their homeland are gifted,
young, and with the fate of Wessex dangling the Wessex forces somehow managed to hold
WESSEX ESSEX onaknifeedge,itwasagreedthatAlfredwould their ground. What they lacked in numbers they
KENT rule,inthehopethatastrongrulercouldunitethe made up for in will and they destroyed the enemy
JUTES
SUSSEX forces and claim victory from the jaws of defeat. shield-wall. In mild disbelief, Alfred watched as the
ItisdifficulttothinkofanEnglishcrownmore Vikings fled and his men celebrated around him.
burdensome than the one Alfred inherited in 871, But young Alfred made a crucial mistake. He had
aged just 22. With the Viking army ploughing its failed to take advantage of his victory by pressing
way through Wessex and drawing dangerously the retreat. The Vikings regrouped and swarmed
the field. They rumbled towards the unsuspecting
foe and in a moment victory turned to slaughter
and it was the Wessex men, not the Vikings, who
fled for their lives.
For Alfred, this defeat was the worst one yet. His
army, or what remained of it, was in tatters. He had
watched all the other kingdoms fall and it seemed
inevitable that his own would follow. However,
little did he know that the Vikings’ patience too
was wearing thin. No other kingdom had put up as
much of a fight as Wessex and even though they
had won many battles, it had come at a great loss to
their numbers.
With both forces spent, Alfred made ‘peace’
with the Vikings. He most likely paid them
a huge amount to withdraw, and for a

Accounts liken Alfred’s
ferocity during battle
to that of a ‘wild boar’

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