Eowils and Halfdan facts for kids

Eowils and Halfdan were important Viking kings who ruled a part of England called Northumbria around the early 900s. Northumbria was an area in northern England that was controlled by Vikings (also known as Danes) during this time. These kings played a role in the conflicts that shaped England in the years after the famous King Alfred the Great died.

A Time of Change in England

After King Alfred the Great passed away in 899, there was a big question about who would rule England next. His son, Edward the Elder, wanted to be king. But Alfred's nephew, Æthelwold, also believed he should be the ruler.

Æthelwold didn't get much support in the southern part of England, known as Wessex. So, he traveled north to Northumbria, where the Vikings accepted him as their king. However, Æthelwold was later killed in a battle called the Battle of the Holme in 902 by King Edward's soldiers. After this, it seems Northumbria didn't have a strong, clear leader for a few years. We know this because no kings' names appeared on coins made during that time.

The Big Battle at Tettenhall

In 909, King Edward sent his army to attack Northumbria. The Northumbrians decided to fight back the very next year. They sent their own army to raid across Wessex and another area called Mercia.

On their way back home, the Northumbrian army was stopped near a place called Tettenhall. An army made up of soldiers from Wessex and Mercia attacked them. The Northumbrians suffered a very heavy defeat in this battle, known as the Battle of Tettenhall.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which is an old historical record, tells us that two kings among the Danish dead were Eowils and Halfdan. Another old book, Chronicon by Æthelweard, also mentions a third king, Ingwær, who was killed at Tettenhall.

This big defeat was very important. It stopped the threat from the Northumbrian Vikings for about 30 years, giving the English kingdoms a chance to grow stronger.