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The first Viking raid on England is reported to have started in 793 at the Lindisfarne monastery. In the subsequent 250 years the Danes (as the Vikings who invaded England are generally called),continued their raids but at the same time ,step by step turned from rampaging pirates to fellow Christians and citizens.Some wrought only destruction,but others,like the Saxons before them settled down and became civilized. The worst of the Viking depredations were undoubtedly during the ninth century and Alfred the Great is the central character during this crisis.At the beginning of his reign,the Saxon kingdom had nearly collapsed due to the destruction and dislocations of Danish raiders.Yet within a single generation, he had won a critical victory over the Danes and persuaded a number of them to become Christian and settle down peaceably along side the Saxons. These Danes, who often inhabited coastal regions, provided a buffer against further attacks, and helped restore some tranquility to the Saxon kingdom. Depredations continued during the tenth century, and there were several important battles including Brunanburh and Maldon, but by this time the Danes were no longer merely lawless marauders, but agents of somewhat more unified Viking Kingdoms, sent forth as armies to do battle for their kings rather than simply to loot and plunder. By the eleventh century, there was a long established Danish region in Northern England, and largely due to misrule by the Saxon King, a Danish King assumed the crown of England. The years of Danish rule lasted only twenty years, and then the throne was returned to the Saxons, but the reign of the Saxons was not destined to last much longer. In 1066 the last Danish invasion of England occurred, and almost immediately afterward, the Saxon kingdom fell permanently into the hands of the Normans, who were themselves, of Viking blood.
Lindisfarne monastery
Battle of Burnanburh
When the fortunes of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex began to fall, it was largely due to the misfortune of having a series of young and inexperienced kings on the throne. Aethelred the Unready had a particularly unfortunate reign, beginning with the battle of Maldon, which went against the Saxons and resulted in the payment of Danegeld or tribute to the Danish pirates. After several more years of misrule, Aethelred was driven from England by Sweyn, a vengeful Danish sea-king. A few years later, Canute, the son of Sweyn, and Edmund Ironside, the son of Aethelred fought a number of battles without resolution, and agreed to co-rule the kingdom. Edmund died shortly thereafter, leaving Canute the Dane to be sole-ruler of Wessex for a generation. Eventually the throne returned to the Saxon kings, but in 1066 the Danes again attacked and demanded more territory. They were soundly defeated by Harold Goodwinson, but he himself was shortly thereafter deposed by the William the Conqueror and his Normans, who were themselves of Viking stock.
Battle of Hastings
What-did-William-do-after-he-became-king-of-England
In 1067 William went on a tour of England where he confiscated lands and also built castles and organised law and order. In 1069 King Sweyn of Denmark lead raids on the north of the country. Then Sweyns fleet sailed to York and burnt it. Williams army forced him to retreat. Then he burnt property, houses and crops between York and Durham. Some people said that the area was turned into a desert because the people died of starvation. The rebellion finished when Williams army captured him. William reorganised churches. Lanfranc became archbishop of Canterbury. Another rebellion force opposed him lead by Hereward. He had captured the isle of Ely William lead the Norman army against him. William punished the rebels with a life of imprisonment then William built a castle at Ely. William went back to Normandy in 1073 and later that year conquered Maine. While he was away Waltheof and Ralph, earl of Norfolk began to plan ideas to defeat William but Geoffrey of Coutances, a good friend of William led a fight against Waltheof and Ralph and ordered that all rebels had to have their right foot cut off. When William came back to England in 1076 Waltheof was executed. Ralph, Earl of Norfolk escaped to Brittany. In 1077 Williams oldest son, Robert Curthose, said to William that William should let him be the ruler of Normandy and Maine. But William refused. Robert curthose rebelled and tried to siege the town of Rouen. But Robert failed and fled to Gerberoi. In 1080 William sieged Gerberoi and caught him but Williams wife persuaded them to stop their arguments. William went back to Normandy soon after and he had left Odo of Bayeux but in 1082 William heard complaints about Odo. When William returned Odo was arrested for misgoverning and stay in there for Five years. In 1083 William had defeated a rebellion lead by Hubert de Beaumont in Maine. Then in 1084 William returned to England to defeat an invasion by King Cnut of Denmark while waiting for the invasion William ordered a survey of his kingdom. There where a couple of reason for this. One to find out how much he could charge them in taxes. Two, to find out the population of the kingdom to find out the soldiers he would need to defend and Three, to find out the amount of land he owned so he could give it to people who where fighting over it. Officials where sent to each town to ask each family now much land they owned, have much farm equipment they had and how many animals they owned. The information was collected in seven months and was sent to Winchester and then it was written into a book called the Domesday book (mentioned above in what were Williams greatest achievements).