The History Group

Leader:  Ronald (Yogi) Godwin - history@ashbyu3a.co.uk - phone 01530 467840

Yogi is ably assisted by Jane Barnett, Barbara Ball, Colin Ellis, Jane Harris and Isobel Salt

Contrary to what you may have heard, the Group is NOT closing but is continuing for at least next year.

All Ashby u3a members are welcome at our meetings.

All meetings with speakers will be held at Packington Memorial Hall on the 4th Thursday of the month.
Doors open for Packington meetings at 2.15pm. Admission £2

Details of visits will be advised closer to the time.
The following dates have been arranged, but may be subject to changes which will be announced as and when they are known.

Thursday 28th November. ‘From the Fury of the Norsemen deliver us’ by Sandy Leong

Sandy presented a most instructive canter through the Viking incursions of the 8th to 11th centuries, and their part in the development of the English royalty and nation leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

These started with small raids in the late 8th century on the Isle of Portland and Lindisfarne which were quickly followed up by raids on other sites, mainly monasteries. These can only have been hit and run raids for goods and slaves, as the raiders did not stay. The slaves were often sold on to the Moorish nations

Over the next 350 years these raids developed into beachheads and eventually firm control of large areas of the country.

It is very likely there had been others earlier but not recorded, except obliquely in documents referring to protection against pirates and such, as the Vikings were in fact raiding and trading all around the North European coasts and islands and even into the Mediterranean. The Vikings sometimes formed colonies and settlements, and sometimes merely applied an overlay of governance. It all seems to stem from their underlying free format way of life.

Sally showed us several maps, the first which made clear how there were waves of raids, with the first ones originating from Norway, and the second ones from Denmark.

During the 9th century they increasingly concentrated on the south and east coasts, then moved back north as more serious incursions to take land. This evolved into the formation of what we know as Northumbria then Mercia. Mention is made of The Great Heathen Host or Army, which forced the kingdom of East Anglia to make peace and render tribute.

The growing conflict between the Anglo Saxons and the Vikings moved to and fro across the land, becoming more organised under King Alfred. Initially Alfred was driven back into Somerset, onto Athelney island, but somehow turned the tide and made peace with Guthrum, the Viking Leader of East Anglia, in 878. The effect was to separate England into the Danelaw in the north and East and Alfred’s kingdoms which included Wessex and Kent. It seems London remained under English control although on the boundary.

The position was maintained by Alfred’s daughter, Aethelflaed, her brother Edward and his son, Aethelstan. The latter, eventually, conquered the lasts remaining Viking kingdom of York, uniting England under one Anglo Saxon king in 927.

But this was not the end of the Saga. After a deal of to-ing and fro-ing there was a second wave of invasions between 980 and 1042.

Under Aethelred the Unready (the epithet seems to refer to his bad counsel) the Vikings came back. After paying more and more Danegeld, a sort of very expensive protection racket, in which large sums of gold were handed over to preserve the peace, the English turned on the Danes and Aethelred ordered all the Danes massacred. Which brought down the fury of Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark. More massacres and looting followed until Sweyn returned to Denmark in 1004. He came back several times until he invaded in 1013 with a large army and took over the throne. However, when he died in 1016, Aethelred returned, only to be ousted yet again by Cnut, Sweyn’s son. After he died the two kingdoms of England and Denmark separated, and Edward the Confessor took the English throne.

Eventually, for one last time (phew!) in 1066, the King of Norway Harald Hardrada invaded. He had early success in the North but was then soundly beaten by Harold Godwinson at Stamford Bridge.

Harold’s victory was short lived, because William of Normandy (descendant of yet another Viking, Rollo) landed on the south coast. And the rest is History.

Thank you, Sandy for a most interesting presentation, giving us a clear sight of a most confusing era of our history.

A reminder that, for our next meeting on January 23rd , we should all try to bring a memorable relic from home.

Earlier history meeting