Guthrum (died c. 890), christened Aethelstan, known in Danish as Gorm den Gamle or Gorm den Barnløse (Gorm the Childless) was king of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw. He had the byname "Old" because there was a later king, Guthrum the Younger. Events The sovereignty of prince Svatopluk I in Bohemia is confirmed. ... Vikings were a Norwegian, Icelandic, Danish and Swedish people who lived around the coasts of Scandinavia and raided the coasts of Scandinavia, the British Isles, and other parts of Europe from the late 8th century to the 11th century. ... The Danelaw (from the Old English Dena lagu) was an area of England under the administrative control of the Vikings (or Danes, or Norsemen) from the late 9th century. ...

Guthrum and the Danelaw

Although it is unknown as to how Guthrum consolidated his rule as king over the other Danish chieftains of the Danelaw (Danish ruled territory of England), what is known, is that by 854 he was able to wage an extensive war against Wessex and its kings, most notably King Alfred the Great. According to the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, Guthrum had been able to acquire various parts of the kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria, and would have also succeeded in conquering Wessex if he had not suffered a defeat at the hands of Alfred the Great at Edington in 878(Canterbury Manuscript F). The Danelaw (from the Old English Dena lagu) was an area of England under the administrative control of the Vikings (or Danes, or Norsemen) from the late 9th century. ... Alfred (849? – 26 October 899) (sometimes spelt Ælfred) was king of England from 871 to 899, though at no time did he rule over the whole of the land. ... The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of (mainly) secondary source documents narrating the history of the Anglo-Saxons and their settlement in Britain. ...

Shortly after his defeat at Edington, Guthrum converted to Christianity in agreement to the Treaty of Wedmore that was a result from his loss at the Battle of Edington. The Anglo Saxon Chronicle recorded the event, “Then the raiding army granted him (Alfred) hostages and great oaths that they woul leave his kingdom and also promised him that their king (Guthrum) would receive baptism;and they fulfilled it. And three weeks later the king Guthrum came to him, one of thirty of the most honourable men who were in the raiding army, at Aller-and that is near Athelney-and the king received him at baptism; and his chrism loosing was at Wedmore” (Canterbury Manuscript F). The Treaty of Wedmore, signed at Wedmore in Somerset, was the result of the Battle of Edington (OE. Ethandun) in 878 AD, in which Alfred the Great defeated the viking forces of the Dane, Guthrum. ...

Conversion

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