Great Heathen Army

Viking army

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July 21, 2026

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The Great Heathen Army was a large Viking force that arrived in East Anglia in 865 with the intent to conquer, rather than just plunder. This marked a significant escalation of Viking attacks on Britain. The army, composed of Vikings from across Scandinavia, successfully conquered the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria, East Anglia, and Mercia.

Only the kingdom of Wessex, led by King Alfred the Great, resisted. After a period of Danish attacks and Alfred's strategic retreat to the Somerset marshes, he rallied his forces. In 878, Alfred achieved a decisive victory at the Battle of Edington, forcing the Danish leader Guthrum to withdraw from Wessex. This victory ultimately saved Anglo-Saxon independence and led to the division of England into Wessex and the Viking-controlled Danelaw.12

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Aella of Northumbria
…referred to as the “Great Heathen Army.” In 867 the invading Danes captured York, and Aella and the deposed Osbert joined forces and assaulted the city. Both Aella and Osbert were slain in combat, and Northumbria would remain in Scandinavian hands until the mid-10th century.
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…referred to as the “Great Heathen Army.” In 867 the invading Danes captured York, and Aella and the deposed Osbert joined forces and assaulted the city. Both Aella and Osbert were slain in combat, and Northumbria would remain in Scandinavian hands until the mid-10th century.
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Repton
…destroyed by the Vikings’ “Great Heathen Army,” which wintered in Repton in 873–874. Beneath St. Wystan’s Church is a crypt (rediscovered in 1779) that was likely built in the first half of the 8th century, possibly initially as a baptistery. Later converted to a mausoleum, it became the final…
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…destroyed by the Vikings’ “Great Heathen Army,” which wintered in Repton in 873–874. Beneath St. Wystan’s Church is a crypt (rediscovered in 1779) that was likely built in the first half of the 8th century, possibly initially as a baptistery. Later converted to a mausoleum, it became the final…
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Ivar the Boneless
…fearful Christians as the “Great Heathen Army.” The brothers’ motivation was to avenge their father, who had died after being captured while raiding the kingdom of Northumbria. Ragnar supposedly had been cast into a pit full of venomous snakes by order of the Northumbrian king Aella. Ivar’s forces landed…
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…fearful Christians as the “Great Heathen Army.” The brothers’ motivation was to avenge their father, who had died after being captured while raiding the kingdom of Northumbria. Ragnar supposedly had been cast into a pit full of venomous snakes by order of the Northumbrian king Aella. Ivar’s forces landed…
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