Battle of Maldon facts for kids

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

Location in the United Kingdom

The Battle of Maldon was an important fight that happened on August 11, 991 AD. It took place near the town of Maldon in Essex, England, right by the River Blackwater. This battle happened when King Æthelred the Unready ruled England.

During the battle, Earl Byrhtnoth and his loyal warriors, called thegns, led the English army. They were fighting against Viking invaders. Sadly, the English lost this battle. After the defeat, important leaders like Archbishop Sigeric of Canterbury told King Æthelred to pay the Vikings to leave. This payment was 10,000 Roman pounds of silver, which is about 3,300 kilograms. This was the first time England paid a large sum of money to Vikings, a payment later known as Danegeld.

We know about this battle from an old poem called "The Battle of Maldon". This poem tells the story of the fight, adding many speeches and details from the warriors. You can also see a special embroidery made in 1991 that shows parts of the battle. It is displayed at the Maeldune Centre in Maldon.

One old book, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, says that a Viking leader named Olaf led the Viking forces. He might have been Olaf Tryggvason from Norway. His army was thought to be between 2,000 and 4,000 fighters. Another old book from the 12th century, Liber Eliensis, says that Byrhtnoth had only a few men. However, not all old writings agree on how many soldiers each side had.

The Poem "The Battle of Maldon"

"The Battle of Maldon" is a famous poem from old England. Only about 325 lines of it still exist today. Experts believe the poem was first told by people, then written down. The original written copy was lost in a fire in 1731. Luckily, someone had copied the poem down in 1724. However, the beginning and end of the poem were already missing from that copy. This means we don't know everything about why the poem was written or exactly when.

At the time of the battle, English leaders had different ideas about how to deal with Viking attacks. Some thought it was best to pay the Vikings to leave. Others believed they should fight them until the very end. The poem suggests that Byrhtnoth believed in fighting. This is why he gives powerful speeches about being brave and loyal to his country.

The Vikings sailed their ships up the River Blackwater. Byrhtnoth gathered his local army, called the Fyrd. These were mostly farmers and villagers from Essex. The poem starts with Byrhtnoth telling his men to get ready and hold their weapons. His soldiers arrived on horses but fought on foot.

The Vikings sailed to a small island in the river. When the tide was low, a narrow land bridge appeared between the island and the shore. This bridge is thought to be the Northey Island causeway, about two miles southeast of Maldon. The Viking leader, Olaf, offered to leave if the English paid him with gold and armour. Byrhtnoth bravely replied, "We will pay you with spear tips and sword blades!"

As the tide went out, Olaf's army began to cross the land bridge. Three brave Anglo-Saxon warriors, Wulfstan, Ælfhere, and Maccus, blocked the bridge. They fought off the Vikings who tried to cross. The Viking commander then asked Byrhtnoth to let his troops come onto the shore for a proper battle. Byrhtnoth, because of his ofermōd, allowed the Vikings to cross to the mainland.

The battle began, but an Englishman named Godrīc ran away on Byrhtnoth's horse. Godrīc's brothers, Godwine and Godwīg, followed him. Many other English soldiers also fled. They saw the horse and thought it was Byrhtnoth running away. This made Godric look like a coward and a traitor, which was a terrible insult back then. The Vikings eventually defeated the Saxons, even though they lost many men. Byrhtnoth was killed in the fight. After the battle, his body was found without its head, but his gold-hilted sword was still with him.

There is some debate about what the word "ofermōd" means. It literally means "over-heart" or "having too much heart." It could mean "pride" or "too much courage." Some people think the poem was written to praise Byrhtnoth and encourage others to be heroes. They believe his choice to let the Vikings cross was a brave, heroic act.

However, others, like the famous writer J. R. R. Tolkien, think the poem is about a sad loss. They believe the writer, likely a monk, saw Byrhtnoth's decision as a sin of pride. This idea is supported because "ofermōd" was often used to describe Satan's pride in other writings. There is a special window in St Mary's church in Maldon that shows Byrhtnoth's last prayer.

Many experts believe that while the poem is based on real events, its main goal was not just to be a history lesson. Instead, it was meant to honor the brave men who fought and died protecting their homeland. Especially Byrhtnoth, who is often compared to the legendary hero Beowulf. He showed many of the good qualities that were important in the Anglo-Saxon world.

Viking invaders and Viking raiders had different goals. The Vikings at Maldon were raiders, meaning they wanted to steal loot, not take over land to live on. If Byrhtnoth's army had kept the Vikings from crossing the causeway, or if they had paid them, Olaf would likely have just sailed somewhere else to raid. Some think Byrhtnoth might have let them cross to protect other areas from being attacked. The poem might show the views of those in King Æthelred's court who believed in fighting the Vikings, not paying them.

In Modern Stories

The Battle of Maldon has inspired many modern writers and artists:

• The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son is a play by J. R. R. Tolkien. It's based on the old poem and tells a story through dialogue after the battle.
• At Maldon by J. O. Morgan is a long poem that retells the story of the battle in modern English.
• K. V. Johansen wrote a short story called "Anno Domini Nine Hundred and Ninety-One" about the battle.
• In the science fiction book Perelandra by C. S. Lewis, a character finds himself shouting a line from "The Battle of Maldon" during a fight.
• The Swedish historical novel The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson includes a fictional story about the Battle of Maldon from the Viking side.
• The English black metal band Winterfylleth has two songs about the Battle of Maldon on their album The Ghost of Heritage.
• The Norwegian/German symphonic metal band Leaves' Eyes has a song called The Battle of Maldon on their 2009 EP, My Destiny.

Images for kids

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  Battle of Maldon plains

See also

In Spanish: Batalla de Maldon para niños