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History of England
Prehistoric Britain	(before AD 43)
Roman Britain	(43–410)
Anglo-Saxon England	(ca. 410–1066)
Anglo-Normans	(1066–1154)
House of Plantagenet	(1154–1485)
House of Lancaster	(1399–1471)
House of York	(1461–1485)
House of Tudor	(1485–1603)
House of Stuart	(1603–1714)
United Kingdom	(after 1707)

The Danelaw, also known as the Danelagh, was the name given to that part of Great Britain during the 9th and 10th centuries in which the laws of the "Danes"^[1] predominated over those of the Anglo-Saxons.These laws were enforced in the Kingdoms of Northumbria, East Anglia, and in the lands of the Five Boroughs of Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Stamford and Lincoln. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Merge-arrow. ... Gold: Danelaw The Danelaw, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles also known as the Danelagh, (Old English: Dena lagu; Danish: Danelagen), is a name given to a part of Great Britain, now northern and eastern England, in which the laws of the Danes[1] held predominance over those of the Anglo... England is the largest and most populous of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... Prehistoric Britain was a period in the human occupation of Great Britain that extended throughout prehistory, ending with the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43. ... Events Aulus Plautius, with 4 legions, landed on Britain. ... Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between 43 and 410. ... Events Aulus Plautius, with 4 legions, landed on Britain. ... Events Alaric I deposes Priscus Attalus as Roman Emperor. ... The History of Anglo-Saxon England covers the history of early medieval England from the end of Roman Britain and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Conquest by the Normans in 1066. ... Events Alaric I deposes Priscus Attalus as Roman Emperor. ... Events January 6 - Harold II is crowned September 20 - Battle of Fulford September 25 - Battle of Stamford Bridge September 29 - William of Normandy lands in England at Pevensey. ... The Anglo-Normans were the descendents of the Normans who ruled England following the conquest by William of Normandy in 1066. ... Image File history File links Blason_duche_fr_Normandie. ... Events January 6 - Harold II is crowned September 20 - Battle of Fulford September 25 - Battle of Stamford Bridge September 29 - William of Normandy lands in England at Pevensey. ... King Stephen of England dies at Dover, and is succeeded by his adopted son Henry Plantagenet who becomes King Henry II of England, aged 21. ... The House of Plantagenet (IPA: ), also called the House of Anjou, or Angevin dynasty was originally a noble family from France, which ruled the County of Anjou. ... Image File history File links England_COA.svg‎ Source own work created in Inkscape, based on Image:EnglishcoatofarmsGFDL.png Date 2006-11-21 Author MesserWoland Permission Own work, copyleft: Multi-license with GFDL and Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2. ... King Stephen of England dies at Dover, and is succeeded by his adopted son Henry Plantagenet who becomes King Henry II of England, aged 21. ... Year 1485 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar). ... The House of Lancaster is a dynasty of English kings. ... Image File history File links Lancashire_rose. ... Events September 30 - Accession of Henry IV of England October 13 - Coronation of Henry IV of England November 1 - Accession of John VI, Duke of Brittany Births William Canynge, English merchant (approximate date; died 1474) Zara Yaqob, Emperor of Ethiopia (died 1468) Deaths January 4 - Nicolau Aymerich, Catalan theologian and... This article is about the year 1471, not the BT caller ID service accessible by dialling 1-4-7-1. ... The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three of whom became English kings in the late 15th century. ... Image File history File links Yorkshire_rose. ... Events February 2 - Battle of Mortimers Cross - Yorkist troops led by Edward, Duke of York defeat Lancastrians under Owen Tudor and his son Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke in Wales. ... Year 1485 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar). ... The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor (Welsh Twdwr) is a series of five monarchs of Welsh origin who ruled England from 1485 until 1603. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Tudor_Rose. ... Year 1485 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar). ... Year 1603 (MDCIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Coat of Arms of King James I, the first British monarch of the House of Stuart The House of Stuart or Stewart was a royal house of the Kingdom of Scotland, later also of the Kingdom of England, and finally of the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Year 1603 (MDCIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Battle of Gangut, by Maurice Baquoi, 1724-27. ... Image File history File links UK_Arms_1837. ... Events January 1 - John V is crowned King of Portugal March 26 - The Acts of Union becomes law, making the separate Kingdoms of England and Scotland into one country, the Kingdom of Great Britain. ... Gold: Danelaw The Danelaw, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles also known as the Danelagh, (Old English: Dena lagu; Danish: Danelagen), is a name given to a part of Great Britain, now northern and eastern England, in which the laws of the Danes[1] held predominance over those of the Anglo... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Anglo-Saxon. ... The Five Burghs or more usually The Five Boroughs or The Five Boroughs of the Danelaw were the five main towns of Danish Mercia. ... Leicester city centre, looking towards the Clock Tower Leicester (pronounced ) is the largest city and unitary authority in the English East Midlands. ... For other uses, see Nottingham (disambiguation). ... Derby (pronounced dar-bee ) is a city in the East Midlands of England. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Lincoln (pronounced //) is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England. ...

Ironically the prosperity of the Danelaw especially York led to it itself becoming a target for Viking raiders. The ongoing war with Wessex and Mercia sapped the strength of the Danelaw, the waning of its military power together with the Norse invasions leading to the northern kings' submitting to Edward the Elder in return for protection. For other uses, see Viking (disambiguation). ... For the helicopter, see Westland Wessex. ... The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. ... Edward the Elder (Old English: Ä’adweard se Ieldra) (c. ...

The Danes were never to give up their ambitions on England. From 1016 to 1035 the whole of England was ruled by King Canute as part of a North Sea Danish Empire. In 1066 two rival Viking factions invaded England. One under Harald Hardrada took York but was defeated at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. The other William of Normandy and his Normans would defeat the Anglo-Saxon armies at the Battle of Hastings and accept the submission of the child Edgar last in the line of Wessex kings at Berkhamsted. Canute II, or Canute the Great, in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles also known as Cnut (Old Norse: Knútr inn ríki, Norwegian: Knut den mektige, Swedish: Knut den store, Danish: Knud den Store) (c. ... Harald III Sigurdsson (1015 – September 25, 1066), later surnamed Harald Hardråde (Old Norse: Haraldr harðráði, roughly translated as stern counsel or hard ruler) was the king of Norway from 1047[1] until 1066. ... Combatants Norwegians, Northumbrian rebels, Scots Anglo-Saxon England Commanders Harald Hardråde† Tostig Godwinson† Harold Godwinson Strength Around 7,500 Around 7,000 Casualties Unknown, around 7,000 Unknown, around 2,000 The Battle of Stamford Bridge in England took place on September 25, 1066, shortly after an invading Norwegian... William I of England (c. ... Norman conquests in red. ... Combatants Normans supported by: Bretons (one third of total), Flemings, French Anglo-Saxons Commanders William of Normandy, Odo of Bayeux Harold Godwinson † Strength 7,000-8,000 7,000-8,000 Casualties Unknown, thought to be around 2,000 killed and wounded Unknown, thought to be around 4,000, but... Edgar Ætheling[1], also known as Edgar the Outlaw, (c. ...

The Danelaw appeared as late as the early twelfth century in the "Leges Henrici Primi" being referred to as one of the laws together with those of Wessex and Mercia into which England was divided.

Timeline of the Danelaw

800 AD Waves of Danish assaults on the coastlines of the British Isles were gradually followed by a succession of settlers. Events December 25, Rome, coronation of Charles the Great (Charlemagne) as emperor by Pope Leo III. Celtic monks begin work on the Book of Kells on the Island of Iona. ...

865 AD Danish raiders first began to settle in England. Led by brothers Halfdan and Ivar the Boneless, they wintered in East Anglia, were they demanded and received tribute in exchange for a temporary peace. From there they moved north and attacked Northumbria, which was in the midst of a civil war between the deposed king Osbert and a usurper Aelle. The Danes used the civil turmoil as an opportunity to captured York, which they sacked and burned. Events Ethelred succeeds as king of Wessex (or 866). ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Old Norse persons with the name Halfdan (half dane) (Old Norse sources) or Healfdene (Beowulf) or Haldan (Danish Latin sources) was probably kings. ... Ivar the Boneless (Ivar inn beinlausi) (c. ... Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of a petty kingdom of Angles which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, from two smaller kingdoms of Bernicia and Diera, and... Osbert can refer to: Osberht of Northumbria, d. ...

867 AD Following the loss of York, Osbert and Aelle formed an alliance against the Danes. They launched a counterattack, but the Danes killed both Osbert and Aelle and set up a puppet king on Northumbrian throne. In response, King Ethelred of Wessex, along with his brother Alfred (the future King Alfred of England) marched against the Danes. Who were positioned behind fortifications in Nottingham, but were unable to draw the Danes into battle. In order to establish peace, King Burhred of Mercia ceded Nottingham to the Danes in exchange for leaving the rest of Mercia undisturbed. Events September - Basil I becomes sole ruler of the Byzantine Empire. ...

869 AD Ivar the Boneless returned and demanded tribute from King Edmund of East Anglia. Events Western Emperor Louis II allies with eastern Emperor Basil I against the Saracens. ...

870 AD King Edmund refused, Ivar the Boneless defeated and captured him at Hoxne and brutally sacrificed his heart to Oden through the use of the so-called “Blood Eagle ritual”, in the process adding East Anglia to the area controlled by the invading Danes. King Ethelred and Alfred attacked the Danes at Reading, but were repulsed with heavy losses. The Danes pursued them. Events February 28 - End of the Fourth Council of Constantinople. ...

871 AD On January 7, they made their stand at Ashdown (in what is now East Sussex). Ethelred could not be found at the start of battle, as he was busy praying in his tent, so Alfred led the army into battle. Ethelred and Alfred defeated the Danes, who counted among their losses five jarls (nobles). The Danes retreated and set up fortifications at Basing in Hampshire, a mere 14 miles from Reading. Ethelred attacked the Danish fortifications and was routed. Danes followed up victory with another victory in March at Meretum (now Marton, Wiltshire). Events Nine battles are fought between the Danes and Wessex. ...

King Ethelred died on April 23, 871 and Alfred took the throne of Wessex, but not before he seriously considering abdicating the throne in light of the desperate circumstances, which were further worsened by the arrival of a second Danish army from Europe arriving in Reading. For the rest of the year Alfred concentrated on attacking with small bands against isolated groups of Danes. He was moderately successful in this endeavor and was able to score minor victories against the Danes, but his army was on the verge of collapse. Alfred responded by paying off the Danes in order for a promise of peace. During the peace the Danes turned north and attacked Mercia, which they finished off in short order, and captured London in the process. King Burhred of Mercia fought in vain against the Ivar the Boneless and his Danish invaders for three years until 874, when he fled to Europe. During Ivar’s campaign against Mercia he died and was succeeded by Guthrum the Old as the main protagonist in the Danes’ drive to conquer England. Guthrum quickly defeated Burhred and placed a puppet on the throne of Mercia. The Danes now controlled East Anglia, Northumbria and Mercia, with only Wessex continuing to resist.

875 AD The Danes settled in Dorsetshire, well inside of Alfred’s Kingdom of Wessex, but Alfred quickly made peace with them. Events December 29 - Charles the Bald, king of west Danes capture Lindisfarne and arrive in Cambridge. ...

876 AD The Danes broke the peace when they captured the fortress of Wareham, followed by a similar capture of Exeter in 877. Events Seiwa is succeeded by Yozei as emperor of Japan. ...

887 AD Alfred laid siege, while the Danes waited for reinforcements from Scandinavia. Unfortunately for the Danes, the fleet of reinforcements encountered a storm and lost more than 100 ships, and the Danes were forced to return to East Mercia in the north. Events Emperor Uda ascends to the throne of Japan Births Deaths September 18 - Pietro I Candiano, Doge of Venice (killed in battle) Emperor Koko of Japan Categories: 887 ...

878 AD In January Guthrum led an attack against Wessex that sought to capture Alfred while he wintered in Chippenham, Wiltshire. Another Danish army landed in south Wales and moved south with the intent of intercepting Alfred should he flee from Guthrum’s forces. However, they stopped during their march to capture a small fortress at Countisbury Hill, held by a Wessex ealdorman name Odda. The Saxons, led by Odda, attacked the Danes while they slept and defeated the superior Danish forces, saving Alfred from being trapped between the two armies. Alfred was forced to go into hiding for the rest of the winter and spring of 878 in the Somerset marshes in order to avoid the superior Danish forces. In the spring Alfred was able to gather an army and attacked the Guthrum and the Danes at Edington. The Danes were defeated and retreated to Chippenham, where the English pursued and laid siege to Guthrum’s forces. The Danes were unable to hold out without relief and soon surrendered. Alfred demanded as a term of the surrender that Guthrum become baptized as a Christian, which Guthrum agreed to do, with Alfred acting as his Godfather. Guthrum was true to his word and settled in East Anglia, at least for a while. Events The Danes force king Alfred the Great of Wessex to retreat to a fort in Athelney, Somerset. ...

884 AD Guthrum attacked Kent, but was defeated by the English. This led to the Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum, which established the boundaries of the Danelaw and allowed for Danish self-rule in the region. Events May 15 - Pope Marinus I dies. ...

902 AD Essex submits to Aethelwald. Events Births Deaths Categories: 902 ... The Kingdom of the East Seaxe (one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy) was founded around 500 AD and covered the territory currently occupied by the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire and Middlesex. ...

903 AD Aethelwald incites East Anglian Danes into breaking the peace, they ravage Mercia before winning a pyrrhic victory that saw the death of Aethelwald and the Danish King Eohric, this allows Edward the Elder to consolidate power. Events Vikings invade England. ... The Kingdom of the East Angles (one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy) was founded in the 6th century. ... The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint. ... A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with devastating cost to the victor. ... Edward the Elder (Old English: Ä’adweard se Ieldra) (c. ...

911 AD The English defeat the Danes at the Battle of Tettenhall. The Northumbrians ravage Mercia but are trapped by Edward and forced to fight. This article is about the year 911 A.D.. For the emergency telephone number, see 9-1-1. ... The Battle of Tettenhall was a major battle of 5th August 910, near the end of the Anglo-Saxon period of English history. ...

917 AD In return for peace and protection The Kingdoms of Essex and East Anglia accept Edward the Elder as their suzerain overlord. Events August 20 - Battle of Anchialus: Tsar Simeon I of Bulgaria invades Thrace and drives the Byzantines out. ... Edward the Elder (Old English: Ä’adweard se Ieldra) (c. ... Suzerainty (pronounced or ) is a situation in which a region or people is a tributary to a more powerful entity which allows the tributary some limited domestic autonomy to control its foreign affairs. ...

Æthelflæd (also known as Ethelfleda) Lady of the Mercians, takes the borough (fortified town) of Derby. Ethelfleda (alternative spelling Aethelfled, Æthelfleda or Æthelflæd) (872/879?-918) was the eldest daughter of King Alfred the Great of Wessex and his wife Ealhswith. ... Look up Borg in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Derby (pronounced dar-bee ) is a city in the East Midlands of England. ...

918 AD The borough of Leicester submits peaceably to Æthelflæd's rule. The people of York promise to accept her as their overlord, but she dies before this could come to fruition. She is succeeded by her brother, the Kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex united in the person of King Edward. Events Taebong has been overthrown and Goryeo established in Korean peninsula. ... Jorvik was the Viking name for the English city of York and the kingdom centered there. ... Edward the Elder (Old English: Ä’adweard se Ieldra) (c. ...

919 AD Norwegian Vikings under King Raegnold of Dublin take York. Events King Edward I of England conquers Bedford. ...

920 AD Edward is accepted as father and lord by the King of the Scots, by Raegnold (Ragnald son of Sygtrygg) King of York), the sons of Eadulf, the English, Norse, Danes and others all of whom dwell in Northumbria, and the King and people of the Strathclyde Welsh. Events The golden age of the Empire of Ghana began in Africa. ... Strathclyde (Welsh: Ystrad Clud) was one of the kingdoms of ancient Scotland in the post-Roman period. ...

954 AD Eric Bloodaxe driven out of Northumbria, his death marking the end of the prospect of a Northern Viking Kingdom stretching from York to Dublin and the Isles. Events King Malcolm I of Scotland is killed in battle against Highlanders. ... Erik Bloodaxe (Old Norse: Eiríkr blóðøx, Norwegian: Eirik Blodøks), (circa 885–954), was the second king of Norway (930-934) and the eldest son of his father Harald Fairhair. ... For other uses, see Dublin (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Anglo-Saxon Chronicles

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of (mainly) secondary source documents narrating the history of the Anglo-Saxons and their settlement in Britain. ...

Sources

• The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, Tiger Books International version translated and collated by Anne Savage,1995.

References

1. ^ "The Old English word Dene ‘Danes’ usually refers to Scandinavians of any kind; most of the invaders were indeed Danish (East Norse speakers), but there were Norwegians (West Norse [speakers]) among them as well." —Lass, Roger, Old English: A Historical Linguistic Companion, p.187, n.12. Cambridge University Press, 1994.