Chapter 11 - A New Normandy?
Hjalmar and his men landing in the Isle of Wight, 873 AD
The arrival of Ubbe at Bordeaux and his swift conquest of Aquitaine reverberated across Western Europe like a thunderclap. Unlike his contemporaries, Rorik of Frisia and Haesteinn of Cherbourg, who had established their realms on the peripheries of Christendom, Ubbe's domain penetrated deep into the heartlands. This incursion posed a dire threat to the neighboring polities, now emancipated from Carolingian suzerainty, casting a long shadow of potential Viking expansion over the region.
The vassals of King Charles the Bald, particularly those whose lands bordered Ubbe's burgeoning kingdom, clamored for swift and decisive action. However, the armies of West Francia were still licking their wounds from their ignominious defeat at Blamont. Charles' betrayal of East Frankish King Ludwig II had not only cost him his claim to the Kingdom of Lotharingia but had also decimated his forces. Fearing reprisals from his triumphant relative in Lotharingia and potential incursions from Normandy or Frisia, King Charles remained ensconced in Paris, focused on recuperating his strength and safeguarding the remnants of his kingdom.
To broker a tenuous peace, King Charles levied yet another tax upon his malcontented subjects, amassing a substantial sum to be paid as Danegeld to the various Viking "kingdoms" encircling him. This decision ignited a storm of outrage among his vassals. Foremost among the dissenters was Count Raoul of Berry, who withheld his taxes and threatened open rebellion. Charles, however, responded with studied indifference, fully aware that Raoul’s defiance would make him the most vulnerable to an invasion by Ubbe. With his bluff called, Count Raoul journeyed to Rome to seek the aid of Pope Honorius II.
Meanwhile, across the waters on the Isle of Britain, the fires of conflict burned ever brighter. The once-formidable alliance between the Kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex, which had stood firm against Danish-controlled Northumbria, had all but crumbled. King Alfred of Wessex, mired in dynastic strife, found himself unable to assist King Burghred of Mercia as the Vikings swept through Derby and Nottingham. In a desperate bid for power, King Burghred launched a campaign against his former ally, seeking to wrest the prosperous trading city of London from the West Saxons.
Britain in 872 at the advent of the Mercian-West Saxon War for London
Both kings, evenly matched and seeking a decisive edge, turned their eyes to King Eadmund of East Anglia, hoping his warriors could tip the scales in their favor. However, East Anglia, still reeling from Hjalmar the Red's devastating raids and a subsequent plague, chose the path of wisdom and neutrality. This strategic abstention ensured that Mercia and Wessex would continue to exhaust themselves, unable to deliver a conclusive victory, while keeping East Anglia safe from reprisals.
News of this escalating conflict reached the ears of the Normans. Incensed by Hjalmar’s recent triumphs in East Anglia, they pressed Haesteinn to exploit the Anglo-Saxon vulnerability and expand Normandy’s borders. Typically cautious of leaving his flank exposed to the potential machinations of West Francia’s King Charles, Haesteinn found himself in an unprecedented position. The latest danegeld from Charles had renewed peace, compelling Haesteinn to appease his restless warriors.
Yet, even as Haesteinn reluctantly set aside his vision of peace, he refused to fully yield to Hjalmar’s ambitions. With his son Ragnarr nearing adulthood, Haesteinn perceived a looming threat to his succession, embodied in Hjalmar's fiery reputation. To subtly diminish Hjalmar's influence while ostensibly honoring him, Haesteinn granted him command of a smaller force. Hjalmar’s mission: to capture the Isle of Wight off the West Saxon coast, a strategic position menacing Winchester, the capital of Wessex. The tantalizing prospect of sacking Winchester blinded Hjalmar to Haesteinn's deeper ploy.
As the West Saxons grappled with the dual threats of Mercian aggression and Hjalmar’s southern assault, Haesteinn enacted his own cunning plan. He convinced Hjalmar that he would flank Alfred’s reinforcements by sailing up the Thames. In reality, Haesteinn steered his fleet east around Wessex, bypassing the Thames entirely, and set course northward toward his true objective: the Kingdom of East Anglia.
Hjalmar's Conquest of Wight, 873 AD
The once mighty Kingdom of East Anglia lay weakened and ripe for the taking. King Eadmund's valiant efforts had succeeded in repelling the Ragnarrsson brothers from seizing his kingdom, defeating Ivar "the Boneless" in a pitched battle amidst the Fenns, the renowned swamplands that cloak the western parts of East Anglia. Yet even as the Ragnarrssons reeled from their defeat, the Viking onslaught did not cease. Hjalmar the Red continued his relentless raids over the following years, only to be halted by a devastating plague from Flanders. This pestilence spared neither peasant nor prince, claiming the life of King Eadmund's beloved son, Godwin.
In East Anglia, Haesteinn envisioned the peace that had eluded him in Normandy. The perpetual threat of Frankish aggression loomed over his Norman settlements, rendering true tranquility unattainable. By contrast, the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms appeared feeble, and the marshlands of East Anglia offered a natural fortress, an unassailable barrier against any incursions from Wessex or Mercia. Haesteinn did not see a land ravaged by sickness but rather a foundation upon which to construct his dream. East Anglia was a kingdom awaiting its King.
Believing himself shrouded by the cloak of night and the dense canopy of trees, Haesteinn maneuvered his fleet swiftly up the River Wensum. His destination: the gates of Norwich, the largest settlement in Norfolk, the northern half of East Anglia, which lay especially vulnerable to an amphibious assault. Haesteinn envisioned establishing his base there, a strategic stronghold from which he would radiate his conquests across the land.
However, before he could reach the city and lay siege to its walls, King Eadmund received word of the Norse approach. Rallying his meager forces, Eadmund prepared to defend his kingdom. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the king’s resolve remained unyielding. Even if his warriors could each vanquish three of Haesteinn's men, East Anglia’s forces would still be depleted long before they could exhaust the enemy. Refusing to surrender, Eadmund orchestrated an ambush along the river, striking Haesteinn’s fleet. Though the Vikings were caught off guard and suffered initial losses, their seasoned fighters quickly regained composure and repelled the attackers, continuing their advance.
As the longships appeared on the horizon, the city of Norwich descended into pandemonium. The inhabitants, driven by fear and desperation, clashed among themselves, seeking to unbar the gates and flee the impending Norse wrath. By the time Haesteinn and his warriors disembarked, the gates lay wide open, and they encountered little opposition upon entering the city. Haesteinn spent the ensuing months fortifying Norwich’s defenses, preparing for the next phase of his campaign: the prosperous city of Ipswich, the richest and largest settlement in East Anglia, and the seat of King Eadmund’s power.
If Haesteinn could seize both Norwich and Ipswich, East Anglia would fall completely under his dominion. Seeing the writing on the wall and unwilling to subject his people to the agonies of a prolonged siege, King Eadmund emerged from the safety of Ipswich’s walls with the remnants of his army. In a final act of defiance, he confronted the approaching Vikings outside the city gates. The ensuing battle was swift and brutal. The East Anglian forces were utterly decimated, their ranks cut down with merciless efficiency. Only the king and a handful of his noble vassals were spared the sword, instead being given an offer they could not refuse.
The Conquest of East Anglia, 874 AD
The grim bargain was laid bare: their lives spared in exchange for their lands, titles, and the crown itself. King Eadmund, his voice heavy with sorrow, implored his people to submit to their new ruler, lest they face the wrath of his vengeance. With a heavy heart, he urged them to accept this harsh reality for the sake of their survival. Weary from years of war and disease, most submitted, and life went on in the Kingdom of East Anglia.
Stripped of their dignity and honor, Eadmund and his noble vassals were escorted back to the continent. Their journey took them to the court of King Lothaire II, where they would find refuge. Exiled from their homeland, they would never again set eyes upon the swamps and forests of East Anglia. The kingdom they had fought so valiantly to protect was now a distant memory, a chapter closed by the hand of fate.
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