King Alfred defeats the Danes at Edington; Peace of Wedmore concluded

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)
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In 878 a surprise Danish attack pushes Alfred west into the Somerset marshes. This is the lowest ebb of the English cause, the nearest that the Danes come to conquering Wessex and establishing their rule over the whole of England. However, within a few months Alfred is strong enough to move east again and defeat the Danes at Edington in Wiltshire. The Danes retreat to Chippenham, where King Alfred lays siege and soon forced them to surrender. Guthrum, the Danish king of East Anglia, promises to leave Wessex and agrees to be baptized a Christian.

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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "King Alfred defeats the Danes at Edington; Peace of Wedmore concluded". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 May 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=6986, accessed 19 March 2024.]

6986 King Alfred defeats the Danes at Edington; Peace of Wedmore concluded 2 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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