Battle of Maldon

Battle of Maldon
Part of the Viking invasions of England
A statue of Byrhtnoth in Maldon, by John Doubleday
Date 10 (possibly 11) August 991 Location Maldon, Essex, England Result Viking victory
Belligerents
Anglo-Saxons	Norwegian Vikings
Commanders and leaders
Byrhtnoth †	Olaf, possibly Olaf Tryggvason
Strength
Unknown	2,000–4,000 men
Casualties and losses
unknown	unknown

Coordinates: 51°42′55″N 0°42′3″E / 51.71528°N 0.70083°E / 51.71528; 0.70083

The Battle of Maldon took place three weeks before Whitsun on 10 (possibly 11) August 991 CE near Maldon beside the River Blackwater in Essex, England, during the reign of Æthelred the Unready. Earl Byrhtnoth and his thegns led the English against a Viking invasion. The battle ended in an Anglo-Saxon defeat. After the battle Archbishop Sigeric of Canterbury and the aldermen of the south-western provinces advised King Æthelred to buy off the Vikings rather than continue the armed struggle. The result was a payment of 10,000 Roman pounds (3,300 kg) of silver, the first example of Danegeld in England.

An account of the battle, embellished with many speeches attributed to the warriors and with other details, is related in an Old English poem which is usually named The Battle of Maldon. A modern embroidery created for the millennium celebration in 1991 and, in part, depicting the battle, can be seen at the Maeldune Centre in Maldon.

...
Wikipedia