The Lives of Ss. Edmund and Fremund: Introduction

The Canon of John Lydgate Project

The Lives of Ss. Edmund and Fremund: Introduction

The Vikings and King Edmund in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (the "Parker" version, as found in Cambridge, Corpus Christi College MS 173), for the year 866 (865, by our reckoning):

In this year Aethered, brother of Aethelbryht, succeeded to the kingdom of the West-Saxons; and in the same year came the Great Army into the land of the Angles and established winter-quarters in East Anglia, and there they took horses, and with them they made peace.
[Her feng Æþered Æþelbryhtes broþur to Þesseaxna rice; & þy ilcan geare cuom micel here on Angelcynnes lond & wintersetl namon on East-Englum & þær gehorsude wurdon & hie wiþ him friþ namon.]

The Chronicle, for the year 870 (869 by our reckoning):

In this year the host [the Viking army under Ivar] went across Mercia into East Anglia and established winter-quarters at Thetford; and the same winter St. Edmund the king fought against them and the Danes won the victory, and they slew the king and overran the entire kingdom.
[Her rad se here ofer Mierce innan Eastengle & wintersetl namon æt Þeodforda. & þy wintra Eadmund cyning him wiþ feaht, & þa Deniscan sige namon & þone cyning ofslogen & þæt lond all geeodon.]

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