The Battle of Maldon, Ad 991 (English, Old English and Old English Edition)

The Battle of Maldon took place by the estuary of the Blackwater river in Essex in 991. An army drawn from Essex and the surrounding areas under the leadership of the local ealdorman, Byrhtnoth, was defeated by a party of marauding vikings, ushering in a period of some 25 years when the English were forced to appease viking attackers with large amounts of coin, known as the Danegeld, and which culminated in the accession of Cnut to the English throne. This book, published to mark the 1000th anniversary of the battle, aims to provide a comprehensive guide to the background, events and consequences. It also considers the 325-line fragment of the epic poem that celebrated the bravery of Byrhtnoth and his men, and lamented their defeat and deaths.