How Not to Fight the Vikings: The Invasion of Maldon, 991 AD
When thousands of Vikings raided the British coast in 991 AD, they were expecting to dominate its badly organised inhabitants. However, a poorly chosen landing point stranded them on a small island while the British gathered on the opposing shore. Defeat looked certain, that is, until the local Anglo-Saxon leader made a fatal decision.
This battle remained as an important part of history due to an Old English poem. This poem’s purpose was to be a warning about the viciousness of the Viking threat and, also, a moral tale about the destructive nature of pride.
The Viking threat
At the end of the tenth century, Viking raids from Denmark were a curse on the British eastern coast. The raiders utilised the area as a hunting ground, subduing local opposition and ripping the heart out of villages and towns along the way.
Britain, which was a patchwork of Anglo-Saxon territories led by King Æthelred the Unready, could not put together any kind of organised defence. Coastal residents lived in constant fear, as their masters quarrelled about how to deal with the threat. When the Vikings came, some paid them off and some ordered their servants and armies to fight to the death. The chosen method depended on the landowner and its success depended on the mercy of the…
