Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Scandinavian Britain - II. The Danelaw - 1. The Age of Ælfred
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loss of one king and nine jarls. But at last Halfdan
abandoned the struggle, and retired to London. As
the Vikings in 879 had a camp at Fulham, perhaps
the earthworks which enclose the Bishop’s palace and
the mound within the ramparts (described by Mr. G.
M. Atkinson in a paper read to the Viking Club,
1907) may have been Halfdan’s camp. Ælfred kept
his men in the field, but Burhred paid an enormous
Danegeld and induced the Vikings to spare London.
They marched to Torksey on the Trent, and then
wintered at Repton. Burhred left his kingdom in
despair, and died at Rome. In his place the Danes
set up Ceolwulf, an Englishman, another instance of
their not unenlightened policy. One would expect
that there were many adventurers who would have
been pleased to sit on the throne of Mercia, but in
that case an army of occupation would have been
needed, and the forces at Halfdan’s disposal would
have been weakened. As it was, the Danes had
now to occupy East Anglia and Deira with numbers
diminished by a long and unsuccessful campaign.
Early in 875 the army divided. One part under
Halfdan took up winter quarters on the Tyne, and
raided the shrines of Bernicia, marched through
Cumberland, and attacked the Picts (of Galloway) ;
under that date the Ulster Annals also mention "a
great slaughter of Picts by Dubhgalls." It is assumed
by J. R. Green (Conquest of England, p. 107) that
Halfdan went further north, to attack King Constantine,
who, according to a chronology which is hardly
tenable (see pp. 225, 248), is represented as fighting
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