The Mammoth Book of British Kings and Queens by Mike Ashley

Author:Mike Ashley
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781472101136
Publisher: Constable & Robinson
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

NC. JORVIK (YORK)

Jorvik, the Danish kingdom of York, was essentially the same as the old Saxon kingdom of Deira in Northumbria (see page 269). From 910 the kingdom was taken over by the Danish kings of Dublin.

Map 12 Danish and Saxon England

[NC1;U3] IVARR the BONELESS Jorvik, 866–73; Dublin, 871–3.

Ivarr was purportedly the son of the Danish hero Ragnar Lodbrok and brother of HALFDAN. The two brothers had allied with OLAF THE WHITE, the Norwegian king of Dublin as early as 857, using Dublin as a base for plundering the coasts of Ireland and Britain. From 864 Ivarr and Halfdan began campaigning across Britain. They had brought together what became known as the “Great Army” or “the Host”, which was a formidable and almost invincible fighting machine. They invaded East Anglia in 865, and used it as their base. In 866, following the death of their father in a raid on York, Ivarr and Halfdan invaded Deira. Their victory was immediate and the last English kings of Deira were killed. Ivarr set up EGBERT (I) as his client king in Bernicia, but with his army now partly based in York, Ivarr was regarded as the power (if not the king) in that region. Over the next five years Ivarr and Halfdan continually harried the east coast of England. In the winter of 869 EDMUND of East Anglia attempted to stop them and was killed. In 871 Olaf the White returned to Norway and Ivarr took the opportunity to return to Dublin and claim the kingship. By the time he left Britain most of eastern England, from the Tees to the Thames was under Danish control. He left Halfdan in charge of the Great Army. On his death in 873 Ivarr was remembered as king of all the Scandinavians in Britain and Ireland. He also founded a dynasty that ruled Dublin (and for a period York) for the next two hundred years.

[NC2;U5] HALFDAN RAGNARSON Jorvik, 873–7.

Halfdan, the brother of IVARR THE BONELESS, took control of the “Great Army” in 871 and was effectively ruler of the Northumbrian Danes from that time. He returned to York in 872 to quell a revolt led by RICSIG, who had taken control in Bernicia. From that time the “Great Army” remained based in York. In 875, Halfdan combined his force with the “Summer Army” under GUTHRUM, and invaded Mercia, overthrowing king BURGRED at Repton and installing a client ruler CEOLWULF. Halfdan now controlled almost all the eastern half of England from the Tees to the Thames. However, in Halfdan’s eyes the real jewel was the control of Dublin. Later in 875, he crossed Scotland, inflicting what damage he could upon the Picts, and upon reaching Dublin slew Eystein, the son of OLAF THE WHITE, who had been installed as king. Although Halfdan proclaimed himself king of Dublin, he was soon ejected by the Norse and he made his way back to York. It is at that time that the real kingdom of Jorvik may be said to commence, as Halfdan parcelled out land to his supporters who settled down to farm.

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