The Anglo-Saxon Resistance: Kings Who Fought Ragnar's Sons

While Ragnar Lothbrok's sons are famous for conquering much of England, the kings who opposed them were formidable leaders in their own right. This episode examines the Anglo-Saxon resistance, focusing on King Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred the Great, who faced the Great Heathen Army after its initial victories. We explore the Battle of Ashdown (871), where Æthelred delayed his charge to finish mass—a decision that could have cost him the battle but instead led to a crucial victory. We also discuss King Burgred of Mercia, who was driven from his kingdom, and the mysterious 'King Edmund the Martyr' of East Anglia, whose death at Viking hands spawned legends of martyrdom. The episode challenges the narrative of inevitable Viking conquest by highlighting moments of fierce Anglo-Saxon defiance and the political fragmentation that made the Danelaw possible. With insights from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Asser's Life of King Alfred, and recent archaeological finds, we reveal a more nuanced picture of the Viking Age in England—one where resistance was as defining as invasion.

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