The A to Z of the Vikings 2 pot

819 Harald Klak and Horik became joint rulers of Denmark following truce negotiated by Louis the Pious.. 854 Horik I, king of Denmark, killed in battle; Horik II succeeded him.. 865 Grea

(Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) and the places they visited, as it were,

in modules on the Vikings at home and abroad, and especially in the British Isles Aside from this, she has undertaken several research proj-ects dealing mainly with runic inscriptions Dr Holman has also pub-lished a number of articles, again largely on runes, but also on other as-pects of the Vikings and Viking Age Her specialization requires method and precision, something perhaps a bit remote from adventure, but for-tunately providing a stronger foundation for any interpretation or con-clusions

Jon Woronoff Series Editor

x • EDITOR’S FOREWORD

Reader’s Note

A dictionary is, of course, organized alphabetically, but when it comes

to the Vikings, this is not as easy a task as it may sound: there are a num-ber of additional characters in the Scandinavian and Icelandic

languages, å, æ, ä, ö, ø, ð, þ, which have to be included As this dic-tionary is primarily designed for an English-language audience, which may include people unfamiliar with the conventions of the Scandina-vian and Icelandic languages, I have chosen to anglicize these

charac-ters Thus, å and ä, are treated simply as the letter a; æ as the letters ae;

ö and ø as the letter o; sometimes I have replaced ðand þwith the

let-ters th, which corresponds to the sound represented by ðand þ; how-ever, where a spelling with the Icelandic characters is very well known,

I have kept the original letters but treated them as th for the purposes of

alphabetizing The length markers over vowels (´) have been retained in spellings where there is no generally accepted anglicized form but

ig-nored in the alphabetical ordering of entries Hooked o has been nor-malized as ö and hooked or nasal a as ã.

The forms of personal and place-names are a further source of headaches for the person seeking to provide a work of reference such as

the The A to Z of the Vikings In this book, I have used anglicized

spellings of place names where these exist and are presently well known (e.g., Copenhagen not Danish København; Reykjavik not Icelandic Reykjavík), but otherwise I have used the form found in the relevant country of origin (e.g., Swedish Skåne not archaic anglicized form Sca-nia; Danish Sjælland not archaic anglicized form Zealand) Personal names are tricky because all original forms are, to some extent, nor-malized, sometimes according to different conventions; and many also exist in different, more modern forms, as well as in a variety of angli-cized forms It is hard to be consistent, but I have generally used anglicized or modernized English and Scandinavian forms where these

exist and are well known in English-language historiography; otherwise

I have used the standardized Old Norse forms The names of people from other areas—particularly Arabic and Byzantine figures—are given

in the form most commonly found in modern works on the Vikings

In order to help the reader, I have also cross-referenced entries with

a number of different forms For example, the entry for King Cnut the Great is found under CNUT, but people who look under CANUTE or KNUT will be redirected to CNUT Where names are given in their an-glicized form, I have tried to include their original form in brackets to assist the reader in further research Readers should also note that, as is the convention, historical figures are listed under their first names not their surnames (if indeed any surname is known) Thus Snorri Sturluson appears under SNORRI rather than STURLUSON

The titles of written works are generally listed in both their original language and in English, when a well-known translation of the title ex-ists Where two or more versions of a title are in common usage, the full entry is normally given under the English title, as befits a dictionary de-signed for an English-speaking audience (e.g., The entry for the

Ice-landic work Íslendingabók is given under Book of the Icelanders, but those who look up Íslendingabók will be referred to the correct place in

the dictionary) All entries are provided with either a translation of the title into English or the original form of the title as is appropriate Some standard acronyms are used in the text of the dictionary: OE for Old English and ON for Old Norse When referring to runic in-scriptions, I have supplied the reference numbers of the individual inscriptions as found in the published editions For example, DR refers

to the number of the inscription as found in Danmarks Runeindskrifter;

U refers to an inscription published in Upplands Runinskrifter; and N refers to Norges Innskrifter med de Yngre Runer (see Bibliography:

Scandinavian Sources)

xii • READER’S NOTE

Chronology

c 705 Foundation of Ribe, Denmark

c 710 Willibrord’s mission to Denmark

737 Earliest sections of Danevirke constructed in Denmark.

c 750 Foundation of Birka, Sweden, and Staraja Ladoga, Russia

786–802 Reign of King Beorhtric of Wessex; Anglo-Saxon Chroni-cle recorded attack on Portland, Dorset, England, by men from

Hordaland, Norway

793 Monastery of St Cuthbert on Lindisfarne, Northumbria, England, attacked by Vikings on 8 June

795 Viking attacks on Rechru (=Rathlin Island off northern Irish coast?) and Scottish Hebridean island of Skye recorded by Annals of Ulster.

799 Vikings attacked monastery of St-Philibert on Noirmoutier, off Brittany coast, Frankia

800 Coastal defenses against Vikings organized by Charlemagne

802 Monastery on Hebridean island of Iona attacked by Vikings

806 Another Viking attack on Iona left 68 monks dead

c 808 Danish king, Godfred, destroyed Abodrite market at Reric and

established trading town at Hedeby

Danevirke extended to protect new trading center.

810 Danish attack on Frisia.

King Godfred of Denmark killed and succeeded by nephew, Hemming New king made peace with Charlemagne

812 Death of Hemming of Denmark

Hemming’s kinsmen, Harald Klak and Reginfred, became joint kings

of Denmark after battle for power

813 Harald Klak and Reginfred forced into exile by rivals, sons of Godfred

814 Death of Charlemagne Succeeded by son, Louis the Pious Reginfred killed in unsuccessful bid to regain Danish throne

819 Harald Klak and Horik became joint rulers of Denmark following truce negotiated by Louis the Pious

823 Archbishop Ebo of Rheims led mission to Denmark

Appeal from Harald Klak for Frankish support against sons of Godfred

825 Vikings attack Hebridean island of Iona again, killing its prior, Blathmac

826 Harald Klak, his family, and his followers baptized at Mainz, with Louis the Pious standing as sponsor

Missionary priest, Ansgar, accompanied Harald to Denmark

827 Harald Klak of Denmark forced into exile

829–831 Ansgar visited Birka in Sweden

832 Ansgar appointed as bishop of new see of Hamburg

833 Louis the Pious driven out of power by sons

834 Oseberg ship burial in Vestfold, Norway

Louis the Pious restored

xiv • CHRONOLOGY

835 Dorestad attacked by Vikings.

Isle of Sheppey in Thames estuary, southeast England, attacked by Vikings

836 Monks of St-Philibert abandoned island of Noirmoutier

Dorestad attacked by Vikings

837 Dorestad attacked by Vikings

839 Byzantine diplomatic mission to court of Louis the Pious in-cluded men called “Rus.”

840 Death of Louis the Pious followed by civil war in Frankia First overwintering of Vikings in Ireland, on Lough Neagh

841 Vikings established settlement (longphort) in Dublin, Ireland.

Island of Walcharen given to Viking leader, Harald, by Lothar

843 Treaty of Verdun divided Carolingian empire into three: Charles the Bald received western kingdom, Lothar received central kingdom, and Louis the German received eastern kingdom

844 Viking attack on Seville, southern Spain

845 Paris ransomed for 7,000 pounds of silver

Hamburg sacked by Danish fleet

Pagan backlash against Christian mission in Birka

848–849 See of Hamburg amalgamated with Bremen, under Ansgar

849 New Viking fleet arrived in Ireland

c 850 Ansgar built churches in Hedeby and Ribe

851 First overwintering of Vikings in England, on Isle of Thanet, Essex

Clash between incoming “dark” (= Danes?) and established “fair” (= Norwegians?) Vikings in Dublin

CHRONOLOGY • xv

852 Ansgar returned to Birka to revive the mission there.

853 All Vikings in Ireland submitted to Olaf the White

854 Horik I, king of Denmark, killed in battle; Horik II succeeded him

859 Varangians first exacted tribute from people of northwest Russia Björn Ironside and Hastein led Viking fleet into Mediterranean

860 Rus attack on Constantinople

862 Rurik and brothers invited to rule over people of northwest Russia

865 Great Army arrived in East Anglia, England, commencing long campaign that resulted in first Scandinavian settlements of England

866 English town of York captured by Great Army

867 Kings Ælla and Osberht of Northumbria killed during attempt to recapture York from Vikings

870 Traditional date for first Scandinavian settlement of Iceland Edmund, king of English East Anglia, is killed by Vikings

871 Alfred became king of English kingdom of Wessex

Death of Olaf the White of Dublin Succeeded by kinsman, Ivar

873 Death of King Ivar of Dublin

Great Army winters in Repton, England

874 Ceolwulf established as puppet ruler of Mercia

Split in Great Army

876 Part of Great Army, led by Halfdan, settled in English kingdom xvi • CHRONOLOGY

877 Eastern half of Mercia settled by Scandinavians.

878 Following surprise Viking attack on Chippenham, Alfred the Great

of Wessex forced to take refuge in marshes of Athelney, Somerset Vikings defeated by English under Alfred of Wessex at Edington Treaty of Wedmore established border between Wessex and Scandina-vian army in East Anglia; treaty included conversion of Viking leader, Guthrum

First overwintering of Vikings in Wales

879 English kingdom of East Anglia settled by Great Army under Guthrum

Death of Rurik of Russia Succeeded by Oleg

885–886 Siege of Paris

886 Terms of Treaty of Wedmore reconfirmed by King Alfred and Guthrum

c 890 Harald Fine-Hair defeated alliance of chieftains at Hafrsfjörd

in southwest Norway

Death of Guthrum of East Anglia

899 Death of King Alfred of Wessex Succeeded by son, Edward the Elder

c 900 Olaf dynasty established in Denmark

902 Vikings expelled from Dublin by Irish

911 Viking leader, Rollo, given French province of Neustria (later Normandy) by Charles the Simple

912–920 English reconquest of Danelaw

917 Norse settlement of Dublin is re-established by Sigtrygg Cáech

919 Ragnald recognized as king of York

CHRONOLOGY • xvii

c 922 Ibn Fadlan recorded encounter with Rus on River Volga in Russia

924 Death of Edward the Elder Succeeded by Athelstan

William Longsword succeeded Rollo of Normandy

927 Athelstan reconquered York from Guthfrith, brother of Sigtrygg Cáech

930 Traditional date for end of colonization of Iceland

Icelandic assembly, the Althing, is established at Thingvellir

Hardegon ousted the Olaf dynasty in Denmark.

c 935 Hákon the Good conquered Norway and deposed his half-brother, Erik Blood-Ax

937 Battle of Brunanburh fought by English king, Athelstan, against

Hiberno-Norse alliance

English victory recorded in poem in Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

954 Erik Blood-Ax, last Viking king of York, killed at Stainmore in Yorkshire, England

958–959 Death of Gorm the Old Succeeded by his son, Harald Blue-Tooth

960 Hákon the Good killed in Battle of Fitjar by sons of Erik Blood-Ax

965 Harald Blue-Tooth, king of Denmark, converted to Christianity

by missionary Poppo

974 Otto II of Germany invaded and occupied southern Denmark

978 Æthelred II crowned king of England

980 Vikings of Dublin defeated in Battle of Tara in Ireland

xviii • CHRONOLOGY

c 987 Death of Harald Blue-Tooth of Denmark Succeeded by son, Svein Forkbeard

988 Vladimir of Russia converted to Christianity

989 Sigtrygg Silk-Beard became king of Dublin

991 Battle of Maldon in Essex, England

First Danegeld paid after Olaf Tryggvason’s Viking army defeated English under Ealdorman Byrthnoth

995 Olaf Tryggvason returned to Norway and claimed throne Death of Erik the Victorious of Sweden Succeeded by son, Olof Skötkonung

1000 Olaf Tryggvason killed by a Dano-Swedish alliance in Battle of Svöld

Iceland accepted Christianity as official religion at Althing

Discovery of Vinland

1002 King Æthelred II of England ordered massacre of all Danes in England on St Brice’s Day

1009–1012 Viking army of Thorkell the Tall harried southern Eng-land

1013 Svein Forkbeard of Denmark received submission of English

1014 Death of Svein Forkbeard

Æthelred II returned from exile in Normandy, and Cnut left for Denmark Battle of Clontarf fought near Dublin, Ireland, on Good Friday Irish high king, Brian Boru, killed

1015 Olaf Haraldsson returned to Norway and declared king Began campaign to convert Norway to Christianity

Cnut returned with army to England

CHRONOLOGY • xix