Battle of York (867)

The Battle of York was fought between the Vikings of the Great Heathen Army and the Kingdom of Northumbria. The Viking victory would allow them to found the Kingdom of Jórvík.

Battle of York
Part of the Viking invasions of England
Date867
Location
York
Result Viking victory
Belligerents
Great Heathen Army Kingdom of Northumbria
Commanders and leaders
Ivar (possibly Ímar)
Ubba		 Ælla of Northumbria †
Osberht of Northumbria †

Background

York

Known as Eoferwic, York was taken over by the Anglo-Saxons after the Roman Empire left in the 5th century.[1] The city would become the capital of the Kingdom of Northumbria, serving the needs of both the king and the Archbishop of York.[2] By 867 the ancient Roman walls still stood, but were crumbling and in disrepair, proving to be little defence against the attacking Northumbrians.[3]

Viking invasion

Viking raids against Britain had been occurring since the 8th century, but it was not until the 860s that Viking armies were formed with the intention of conquering lands.[4] In 865 the Great Heathen Army landed in East Anglia and started the invasion which would lead to the creation of Danelaw.[5]

Led by Ubba and Ivar (who is often considered to be the same historical figure as Ímar) the Vikings first took York on the 1st November 866,[3] while the Kingdom of Northumbria was in the middle of a civil war after Ælla had driven out the previous king Osberht by force.[6] The vikings had little trouble taking York, but failed to capture Ælla.[6]

Battle

In the spring of 867 Ælla and Osberht put aside their differences and united in an attempt to push the invaders out of Northumbria, leading to the battle of York.[3]

The battle started well for the Northumbrian forces, who were able to break through the city's defences.[6] It was at this point that the experience of the Viking warriors was able to show through, as the narrow streets nullified any advantage of numbers the Northumbrians may have had.[3] The battle ended with a slaughter of the Northumbrian army, and the death of both Ælla and Osberht.[6]

Norse tradition holds that the victorious Ivar and Ubba were brothers and that they captured Ælla and subsequently blood eagled him.[7][8]

Aftermath

In York, Viking leaders established a puppet king named Ecgberht.[9] This situation would remain until 872, when a revolt drove Ecgberht into exile in Mercia. Halfdan Ragnarsson of the Vikings ended the revolt in 876 and directly-occupied York and the rest of Deira (south-east Northumbria), partitioning it among his followers.[9] In time, this would lead to the creation of the Kingdom of Jórvík, which existed under Viking control until 910, when it was taken by the Anglo-Saxons.[10] The kingdom would be reoccupied by the Vikings on several occasions until 954, from when it was subjected to the rule of Wessex.[10]

During this time, the surviving Anglo-Saxon lords would rule Northumberland north of the river Tees from Bamburgh.[9]

The following is a list of books and other media which include portrayals of the battle of York.

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References
  1. "Eoferwic: Anglo-Saxon York". City of York Council - York's History. 21 December 2006. Archived from the original on 4 February 2008.
  2. "York history timeline". YorkHistory.com. 2007. Archived from the original on 14 March 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  3. Bessell, Craig (10 October 2018). "3 Key Battles of the Viking Invasions of England". History Hit. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  4. Edward, James (29 March 2011). "Overview: The Vikings, 800 to 1066". BBC - History. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  5. Johnson, Ben. "Invaders! Angles, Saxons and Vikings". Historic UK. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  6. Hall, Richard. "The Viking Capture of York" (pdf). Jorvik Viking Centre. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  7. Whitelock, Dorothy. "Fact and Fiction in the legend of St. Edmund". wmich.edu. pp. 225–227. Archived from the original on 4 September 2006. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  8. Frank, Roberta (1984). "Viking atrocity and Skaldic verse: The Rite of the Blood-Eagle" (PDF). English Heritage Review. Longman Group Limited London: 332–343. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  9. Arnold-Baker, Charles (2001). "Northumbria, Anglian Kingdom". The Companion to British History, Routledge (2nd ed.). Routledge. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  10. "York, Kingdom of". Dictionary of British History (1st ed.). Market House Books Ltd. 2002. Retrieved 7 August 2020.


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