The Battle of RyButtonClicks and Saxon versus Viking Conflicts in Northumbria
The ninth century marked a significant period in the history of England, particularly for the region of Northumbria. The Viking invasions brought a wave of conflict that reshaped the political and social landscape of the area. The tension between the Saxon Northumbrians and the Viking invaders was intense, leading to numerous battles and the establishment of a new polity known as the Danelaw.
The Early Viking Raids
The annals of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, particularly the D and E recensions, provide a detailed account of the early conflicts between the Saxons and Vikings in Northumbria. The first significant raid occurred in 793, when a band of Vikings attacked Lindisfarne, a monastic settlement located on the island of Holy Island off the coast of Northumbria. This event is often considered the beginning of the Viking invasions of England.
For much of the early 9th century, the Viking raids were sporadic and mostly focused on coastal areas or communities that were vulnerable due to their location. However, the situation took a turn in 865 when the notorious 'Great Heathen Army' landed in East Anglia. This larger, more organized force began a sustained campaign of conquest, which included attacks on Northern regions, most notably Northumbria.
The Battle of York
The Great Heathen Army fought in Northumbria between 866 and 867, with two major campaigns of conquest. In these raids, the Vikings managed to recapture York twice within less than a year. During the second raid, the Northumbrian kings Ecgberht and Osberht were killed, and York was recaptured. This series of events left Northumbria in a vulnerable state, as the Northumbrians were also engaged in internal strife, at times deposing their own kings.
The Formation of the Danelaw
After the reign of King Alfred the Great in southern England, the Norse invaders settled into the territories that came to be known as the Danelaw. In Northumbria, these invaders established the Kingdom of York, which had boundaries roughly the same as the ancient Kingdom of Deira. This kingdom, while contesting with the West-Saxon expansionists, survived until 954, when the last Scandinavian king, Eric Bloodaxe, was expelled and subsequently killed.
North of the Tees: A Different Scenario
The Great Heathen Army was less successful in conquering territory north of the River Tees. There were occasional raids into that area, but there is no mention of lasting Norse occupation in the northern regions of Northumbria. The northern landscape during the Viking conquest included the Community of St. Cuthbert, who sought refuge from Halfdan Ragnarsson's attack on their original home, Lindisfarne, in 875. By the year 878, the Community of St. Cuthbert had settled temporarily at Chester-le-Street, on land granted to them by the Viking King of York, Guthred.
Between the years 875 and 883, this land, extending from the River Tees to the River Tyne, offered sanctuary to those fleeing the Norse, indicating some degree of legal autonomy and possibly acting as a buffer zone between the Norse in southern Northumbria and the remaining Anglo-Saxon population in the north.
Political Control in Northumbria North of the Tyne
North of the River Tyne, Northumbrians maintained partial political control in Bamburgh. The rule of kings continued in that area, with Ecgberht I acting as regent around 867, followed by kings Ricsige and Ecgberht II. According to the twelfth-century historian Symeon of Durham, Ecgberht I was a client-king for the Norse, and although he faced a revolt in 872, the Northumbrians maintained a presence in the region.