Anglo Saxon Britain
Around the end of the 8th century, Anglo-Saxon history tells of many Viking raids. These marked the start of a long struggle between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings for control of Britain. The Anglo-Saxons and Vikings became neighbours in Britain, but they didn’t always get along peacefully....
Over time the Vikings took control of several Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Eventually the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings made a peace agreement, but the fighting continued for many years. The Vikings and Anglo-Saxons divided up Britain with the Anglo-Saxons living mainly in the west and the Vikings in an area to the east, known as the Danelaw.
Anglo Saxon Kings
We focus on two of the famous Anglo Saxon Kings Alfred and Athelstan...
Who was Alfred the Great?
There were many famous Anglo Saxon kings, but the most famous of all was Alfred, one of the only kings in British history to be called great.
His father was king of Wessex, but by the end of Alfred's reign his coins referred to him as 'king of the English'. He fought the Vikings and then made peace so that English and Vikings settled down to live together. He encouraged people to learn and he tried to govern well and fairly.
Who was Athelstan?
Athestlan was Alfred the Great’s grandson. He reigned between AD925 and AD939 and was the very first ‘king of all England’.
Athelstan was a successful soldier. In AD920 he took York from the Vikings and pushed the boundaries of England.
One of Athelstan’s most famous victories was at the Battle of Brunanburh. He defeated an invasion by the king of Scotland, who attacked with help from the Welsh and the Danes from Dublin.
Athelstan wasn’t just a soldier though: he worked hard to make his kingdom strong by writing laws and encouraging trade.
Punishments in Anglo Saxon/Viking Britain
Wergild was a payment system used in Anglo-Saxon times to settle disputes between the criminal and the victim or the victim’s family.
Wergild would be paid if someone was killed and the amount depended on how important the victim was
Different parts of the body even had a wergild value. So if you lost a finger in a fight, your attacker would have to pay you compensation.
