Wed, 06 May 2020 19:48:48 -0700WeeblyWed, 30 Apr 2014 10:01:10 GMThttp://temesvikings.weebly.com/warfare/battles-of-the-vikings-in-anglo-saxon-chroniclesThe Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is not a complete listing of fracases involving the Vikings, but it does list a passel of field battles, sieges and naval battles, the majority of them named. I found the results interesting because it shows that Viking armies were not superior in battle compared to the Anglo-Saxons. In fact, in defending and assaulting fortifications, and at sea, the Anglo-Saxons seem to have been superior.

836 Carhampton: king Ecgbryht vs the Danes (25 ship crews): Vikings won.

838 Hingston Down: king Ecgbryht vs the Danes and Cornishmen: Anglo-Saxons won.

840 Southhampton: earl Wulfheard vs crews from 37 ships; Anglo-Saxons won.
840 Portland: earl Aethelhun vs the Danes: Vikings won.

841 Romney Marsh: earl Herebryht vs the Danes: Vikings won.

843 Carhampton: king Aethelwulf vs "heathens": Vikings won.

845 Mouth of the Parret: earl Eanulf, earl Osric and bishop Ealhstan vs the Danes: Anglo-Saxons won.

851 Wicgeanbeourg: earl Ceorl vs the "heathens": Anglo-Saxons won.
851 ?: king Brihtwulf of Mercia vs the "heathens" (crews of 350 ships): Vikings won.
851 Acled: king Aethelwulf and son Athelbald of Wessex vs Vikings: Vikings won.
851 Sandwich (a naval battle): earl Aethelstan and earl Ealhere vs Vikings: Anglo-Saxons won.

853 Thanet: earls Ealhere and Hutha vs Vikings: both earls dead: a drawn battle.

860 ?: earls Osric and Aethelwulf vs Vikings: Anglo-Saxons won.

867 York (a civil war between rival kings): king Osbriht vs king Aelle and his allies the "force" (Vikings) at York: Aelle and Vikings assault the "fort" and break in; many Northumbrian casualties: both kings killed: remaining Northumbrians make peace with Vikings: Vikings won.

870 Thetford: king (St) Edmund vs "force": Vikings won.

871 Englefield: earl Aethelwulf vs "force": Anglo-Saxons won.
871 Reading: king Aethelred and his brother Alfred (of Wessex), and earl Aethelwulf (killed) vs "force": Vikings won.
871 Ashdown: king Aethelred vs two Viking kings (Basceg and Halfdane): Alfred the atheling vs the earls (at least two): drawn battle.
871 Basing: king Aethelred and Alfred the atheling vs the "force": Vikings won.
871 Maeredun: two battles fought in one day between king Aethelred and Alfred atheling vs the Danes: Anglo-Saxons won first; Vikings won second.
871 Wilton: king Alfred of Wessex (w/small company) vs the "whole force": Vikings won.
871 2 other battles: result unknown: but Wessex "made peace with the force": Vikings won.

875 ?: king Alfred vs 7 ships at sea: Anglo-Saxons won.

878 Edington: king Alfred vs the "whole Force": Anglo-Saxons won.

881 ?: Franks vs the "force": Vikings won.

882 ?: king Alfred at sea vs 4 ships: Anglo-Saxons won.

885 Rochester: a siege; king Alfred raised it: Anglo-Saxons won.
885 at mouth of the Stour: naval battle vs 16 Viking ships: Anglo-Saxons won.
885 naval battle at sea (same Anglo-Saxon fleet): Vikings won.
885 2 battles: "old Saxons" (Vikings) allied with Frisians (Vikings) vs the Franks: Vikings won.

890 St Lo: Bretons vs the "force": Bretons won.

891 ?: The "East Franks, Saxons and Bavarians" fought under king Earnulf ("king of the Franks") against "the force" (vikings), with "the mounted troops" (an army of cavalry, in other words), and "put [the force] to flight".

893 Farnham: Anglo-Saxons cut off Vikings with mounted troops: Anglo-Saxons won.
893 Benfleet: fieldbattle, then the Anglo-Saxons broke into the fort: Anglo-Saxons won.
893 Buttington: (Vikings breaking out of a siege): Anglo-Saxons won.

894 Chichester: "town-dwellers" vs the "force": Anglo-Saxons won.

895 "fort on the Lea": Londoners ("city-dwellers") and "other people" vs Vikings: Vikings won.

903 "northern fens": kentish vs the "force": Vikings won.
903 "The Holme": kentish vs the Danes: English casualties mentioned: inconclusive.

909 campaign in Northumbria: troops from Wessex and Mercia vs the northern "force": Anglo-Saxons won.

910 Tettenhall (6 August): English vs the Danes: Anglo-Saxons won.
910 ?: Wessex and Mercia vs the "force" from Northumbria; attacked Vikings from behind on their way home from a raid: heavy casualties mentioned: Anglo-Saxons won.

913 "Luton": "force" from Northampton and Leicester vs the "people of those parts": Anglo-Saxons won.

914 "Archenfield": the men of Gloucester, Hereford and the "nearest boroughs" vs the "great force": Anglo-Saxons won.

917 Towchester: the borough vs the "force": Vikings could not break in and left: Anglo-Saxons won.
917 Bedford: townsmen of Bedford vs the "force"; townsmen came outside: Anglo-Saxons won.
917 Wigingamere: "force" vs the boroughmen inside; Vikings left off but took the cattle: Anglo-Saxons won.
917 Tempsford: king Edward's men vs the "force" inside the town: Anglo-Saxons broke in, killed a Danish king, his brother and two earls: Anglo-Saxons won.
917 Colchester: men from Kent, Surrey, Essex and the "nearest boroughs" vs the Vikings in the town: Anglo-Saxons won.
917 Maldon: "great force" from East Anglia allied with "vikings": besieged the town until outside forces came to relieve it: gave up siege: townsmen and "those outside" pursued and attacked: Anglo-Saxons won.

937 Brunnanburh: king Athelstan and Edmund the atheling vs the Scots ("men of the ships" i.e. vikings) of king Olaf (greatest battle since the Saxons and Angles first came "seeking Britain"): Anglo-Saxons won.

943 Tamworth: king Olaf vs townsmen: Vikings won.
943 Leicester: king Edmund besieges king Olaf and archbishop Wulfstan; they escape; Olaf "obtained king Edmund's friendship" and was baptised: also king Raegnald is baptised. Then....

944 campaign in Northumbria: "King Edmund overcame all Northumbrian lands in his power, and drove out the two kings Olaf and Raegnald": Anglo-Saxons won.

945 campaign in Cumberland: "King Edmund ravaged all Cumberland": Anglo-Saxons won.

948 Castleford: a siege (?); the "force" at York "overcame the king's troops left behind" there: Vikings won.

980 Southhampton: the "force" killed and enslaved the town-dwellers "for the most part": Vikings won.

982 London was burnt: Vikings won.

991 Maldon: earl Byrhtnoth vs Olaf (Tryggvason ?) with 93 ship crews (= c. 3,720 men): Vikings won.

992 ?: naval battle: ships of London and East Anglia vs the "force"; Vikings won.

993 Bamburgh: destroyed: Vikings won.

994 Siege of London: king Aethelred vs Olaf and king Swein of Denmark; Anglo-Saxons won.

998 campaign in Dorset: the "force" wins all the fieldbattles.

999 Rochester: kentish vs the "force"; Vikings won.

1001 Dean: Hampshire vs Danes: Vikings won (though they took heavier casualties).
1001 Pinhoe: "Kola the high-reeve" and "Eadsige the reeve" vs the "force": Vikings won.

1004 Thetford: earl Ulfcytel vs the "force": Anglo-Saxons won.

1006 Wallingford: town burnt down; Vikings won.
1006 Kennet: "the army" vs the "force": Vikings won.

1009 London besieged (often): Anglo-Saxons won.
1009 Oxford burnt down: Vikings won.

1010 Ipswich (first day of Ascension): earl Ulfcytel and east Anglians vs the "force": Vikings won.
1010 in Cambridgeshire: killed: Athelstan (king Aethelred's son-in-law), his son Oswi, et al "and many other good thanes, countless folk": Vikings won.
1010 Thetford: assault: town burnt down: Vikings won.
1010 Cambridge: assault: town burnt down: Vikings won.

1011 Canterbury: siege: betrayed through treachery; archbishop Aelfheah captured (later martyred): Vikings won.

1013 siege of London: king Aethelred vs king Swein of Denmark: Anglo-Saxons won (but later submitted, and Aethelred fled to Normandy).

1016 siege of London: "force" dug a ditch and dike around town and attacked repeatedly: Anglo-Saxons won.
1016 Penselwood: king Edmund vs king Canute: drawn battle.
1016 Sherston: king Edmund vs king Canute: drawn battle.
1016 London: king Edmund lifts siege "and put the force to flight to the ships": Anglo-Saxons won.
1016 Brentford: king Edmund vs "force": Anglo-Saxons won.
1016 siege of London: "force" attacks powerfully by land and water: Anglo-Saxons won.
1016 Ashingdon hill: earl Eadric betrays king Edmund by fleeing the field (all the oldest retainers in England perished): Vikings won.]]>