Guthorm's Invation of Wessex:
"The Vikings are coming! God save us from the fury of the northmen!"

Written for The Viking Network by Dana Metheny

Can you imagine the sight, as shiploads of Vikings landed in England to pillage its churches and seize its land? The cries of terror and despair rang over and over again through England for centuries. Many Viking armies came to England, some only to raid for gold; some others stayed to farm the land and make homes for their families. Today, there are still parts of England where the heritage of the vikings is still present.

This story is about one particular army led by a Danish Viking named Guthorm. (The English called him Guthrum.) Guthorm and his army came from an even bigger Viking army, called "The Great Army", which was led by Ivar the Boneless and his brother, Halfdan. These two men were sons of Ragnar Lodbrok, who was slain by the English in Northumbria.

After Ivar left England to go to Ireland, Halfdan continued to conquer English land and eventually settled down. But Guthorm had his eye on the only part of England left that was unconquered: the kingdom of Wessex. The Great Army then split: many men settled with Halfdan and many went with Guthorm. And so Guthorm began a series of attacks against Wessex and its king, a young man named Alfred.