Viking Magazine - March 2012 - 17

Maldon
Maldon
Northey Island
forces had completely crossed
over, no retreat would be possible.
This was his best hope of
eliminating the Viking force.
Engaging the Vikings in
battle was a calculated risk,
according to Gareth Williams,
a Viking expert at the
British Museum. " It has to do
with overall strategy, rather
than just thinking about that
battle. " Byrhtnoth knew that
avoiding the fi ght would allow
the Vikings to raid elsewhere
in England. Since he was a
loyal follower of King Æthelred
II, who reigned from 978
to 1016, " he had a responsibility
to stop that from happening, "
says Williams. " He
could only do that by bringing
them to battle. "
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arly morning, August
10th, 991 A.D.: The
inhabitants along the
shore along the Blackwater
River in Essex were roused by
the thunderous sound of hoof
beats. Awakening with fear
in their hearts, they poured
out of their huts. To the
inhabitants' surprise, it was
Byrhtnoth, the Ealdorman of
Essex. He had come to defend
his subjects from an attack by
Vikings who had set up camp
on nearby Northey Island
after waging a series of raids
along the Essex coast.
The Viking leader Olaf Tryggvasson
demanded payment
to withdraw, but Byrhtnoth
rejected the idea of paying
E
Danegeld. His voice rang out,
promising not gold, but spears.
The Viking force, possibly
greater than 3,000 men, had
only one small causeway to
cross over to the mainland.
Covered by water at high tide,
the link between the island and
the mainland was only several
feet wide at low tide. As the tide
receded, the Vikings, eager for
battle, began to cross, but three
of Byrhtnoth's warriors were
able to keep them at bay, killing
any that attempted to cross the
narrow land bridge.
Finally, Byrhtnoth gave the
Vikings permission to cross to
the mainland so that the fi ght
could be held on equal terms.
He knew that after the Viking
What is known about the
Battle of Maldon comes from
an Anglo-Saxon poem, likely
written at the end of the 11th
century. Although much of the
poem was destroyed in a fi re
in 1731, a 325-line fragment
survives. " There are very few
encounters with the Vikings
that are described in any sort
of detail, " says Williams.
" It's one of the most detailed
descriptions of a [Viking] battle
that we've got. "
According to the poem, the
English assumed a defensive
formation and the battle
began. The Vikings, called
" slaughter-wolves, " advanced.
First in action were the archers,
fi ring their arrows at the Englishmen.
Next came the Viking
infantry, hurling spears as the
two enemies closed in on each
other. Finally, the hand-tohand
combat began.
Byrhtnoth urged his men on,
ordering each fi ghter to fi x his
mind on combat to prove their
valor to the Vikings, according
to the poem. But the Vikings
were focused on eliminating
Byrhtnoth. One appeared
swiftly, striking Byrhtnoth and
wounding his arm. No longer
able to wield his sword, the
English leader was soon slain.
The poem continues to tell of
Godric, an English soldier, who
mounted Byrhtnoth's horse
and abandoned the battlefi eld.
Godric not only fl ed the fi ght,
but, by stealing Byrhtnoth's
horse, violated his obligations
both to his lord and to his comrades.
Byrhtonth's death threw
the English ranks into disarray,
giving the Vikings the opening
they needed to complete
their victory. But those who
were loyal to their fallen leader
fought on to avenge his death,
slaying large numbers of the
enemy before they were killed.
While the battled ended
in defeat for the English,
Byrhtnoth and his men are
remembered heroically. " [Byrhtnoth]
didn't fl ee, even when
the battle was turning against
him. He was loyal and dutiful, "
says Williams.
Despite their bravery, the
English suffered a severe military
and psychological setback
at Maldon. " A major AngloSaxon
lord took the Vikings
on and was comprehensively
defeated, " says Williams. " This
probably had an impact on the
willingness of others to do so,
and that may be why paying
[the Vikings] off then became
seen as an easier option. "
To read a modern English
translation of the Battle of Maldon,
visit: battleofmaldon.org.
uk/poem_1.htm. Find the Old
English version at tinyurl.com/
maldon-OE
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Blackwater River
Southey Creek
VIKINGS
SAXONS
http://www.battleofmaldon.org http://www.tinyurl.com/
Viking Magazine - March 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - March 2012
