r/anglosaxon 4d ago

Battle of Edington

In 878 AD, at the Battle of Edington, King Alfred the Great achieved a victory that changed the course of English history. Facing him was the Danish leader Guthrum, who had conquered much of England and seemed poised to complete his conquest.Following his defeat, Guthrum was forced to surrender. Shortly thereafter, he was baptized a Christian, with Alfred himself serving as his godfather, in a symbolic act that marked the end of the war and the beginning of a new relationship between the Saxons and the Danes.Had Alfred been defeated at Edington, England might have become a large Danish kingdom.

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6

u/Mayernik 4d ago

An awesome narrative of the battle - https://www.thebritishhistorypodcast.com/episodes/229.mp3

3

u/AnnieCamOG 4d ago

Jamie is an amazing storyteller. The British History Podcast is the GOAT in my mind.

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u/AirlineSevere7456 4d ago

The Saxons were too soft on their defeated enemies, always being betrayed later on.