October 18th, 1016 - The Battle of Assandun

Conflict: Viking Invasion of England

Combatants: Danes v. English

Location: England

Outcome: Danish victory

Following the death of his father, Aethelred the Unready, Edmund Ironside became King of the Saxons and took up the opposition to the Danish invasion of England by Canute. Edmund defeated the Danes in Somersetshire and forced Canute to withdraw from the area of London. But, October 18th of 1016, Canute defeated Edmund near Essex in the Battle of Assandun. Edmund afterwards agreed to divide England with the Danes. Edmund took the south and Canute took the north.

Battle of Assandun, showing Edmund Ironside (left) and Cnut the Great from the Chronica Majora

Points of Interest:

• Edmund died shortly after the division of the kingdom, leaving the entire country to Canute.

• Canute's reign lasted until his death in 1035 whereupon his empire of England, Denmark, and Norway was divided between his three sons.

Edmond Ironside by an unknown artist

Canute and His Courtiers by Joseph Martin Kronheim

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Sources:

Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).

Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.

Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.