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[1]"How the little piglets would grunt if they knew how the old boar suffered"----
Ragnar Lodbrok (Old Norse: Ragnarr Loðbrók), legendary Norse hero, is dying. Gradually the snakes wrap around his body, and he dies a slow death, his last words escaping with his dying breath. Ælla of Northumbria watches, having slain his foe and condemned him to a painful death. The Norseman shall never again plague his shores. Little does Ælla know however of the retaliation that will follow, the wrath of Ragnar's sons. So ends the tale of Ragnar Lodbrok, but it is only beginning of the Ragnarssona þáttr the Tale of Ragnar's Sons, as they seek out their ultimate revenge. War would be brought to the British Isles, with a Great Heathen Army upon its door. Years of devastation plague Britain, leading to the Norse carving their own nations out of the fragile British kingdoms. The fate of the British Isles and Scandinavia, and later the world, is greatly changed.
This timeline uses many legends and Norse sagas as sources for its foundation. Since records and accurate sources are hard to acquire for this time, many things are based on speculation or local folklore, and may not be completely correct. Despite this, this timeline sets out to create an interesting scenario, using as many records as possible to create what the time period of this timeline's point of divergence may have looked like.
This timeline was born out of the 2014 Pre-1066 Britain Competition, a friendly rivalry between several timeline writers, who sought to create timelines about this topic, or about pre-1066 Britain in general. In addition, in 2015 this timeline elected to merge with elements of Régime de l'Aigle, a timeline that could possibly emerge from elements in this timeline.
Point of DivergenceEdit[]
- Main article: Battle of Edington (The Old Boar Suffered)
In May of 878 the West Saxons under the command of King Alfred and the Vikings under the command of Guthrum the Old engage at the Battle of Edington. The West Saxons are defeated and Alfred is killed. This is due to a number of factors:
- An estimated 120 ships carrying Viking reinforcements are wrecked off the coast of Swanage. In this timeline the storm dissipates and they manage to land, bringing a large amount of reinforcements to support the Viking advance.
- The main Viking army under the command of Guthrum the Old advances slowly, taking time to organize instead of chasing Alfred throughout the Wessex countryside.
- With the reinforcement army cornering him, Alfred is forced to move quickly, spending little time to muster soldiers in Somerset, Wiltshire, and Hampshire.
As a result of this change, the history of the British Isles, and later the world is greatly altered. The defeat and eventual subjugation of the West Saxons places all of England under Norse control, leading to a diverse shaping of the country politically and socially from Norse influences.
Major DifferencesEdit[]
Additional differences between OTL and ATL, based on the original point of divergence.
- Following the death of Alfred in 878, the Great Heathen Army successfully conquers the Kingdom of Wessex over the course of the next few years. The conquered territories would be divided among the conquering Danish through a series of agreements between the Sons of Ragnar Lodbrok and other influential commanders and nobles. The Jarldom of East Anglia was granted to Guthrum the Old, who swore allegiance to Ivar the Boneless. The Petty Kingdom of Suðreyjar under Ivar the Boneless received the northern sections of Northumbria directly. The majority of England is granted to the Kingdom of Jórvík, under Halfdan Ragnarsson.
- The Danelaw is expanded to include all of modern England, spreading Norse customs and law further than OTL. This pre existing structure allows Cnut the Great to create a more stable realm following theDanish Conquest of England.
- In 987 Hugh Capet is elected King of the Franks at Noyon and crowned by the prelate of Reims. Immediately following his coronation he asks for the coronation of his son Robert, claiming that he plans a campaign against the Moorish armies targeting Borrel II, Count of Barcelona. His request is denied by the Archbishop of Reims, who claims that there cannot be two kings at one time. Hugh Capet's attempts to seize the Carolingian Charles of Lorraine and Arnulf, Archbishop of Reims fails, and Charles goes on to overpower the Capetian Dynasty. The Carolingian-Capetian rivalry continues for years to come, with the Carolingian Otto I and the Capetian king Robert continuing bloodshed after the short reign of Charles of Lorraine. As a result the subsequent nation of Francia remains heavily decentralized.
- A stronger Norse presence in the Irish Sea and surrounding area leads to the strengthening of Suðreyjar as a major power, as well as a stronger kingdom in Dublin, the Isle of Man, and Orkney. As a result the Norse coalition under the command of Sigtrygg Silkbeard is victorious at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, solidifying the Norse presence in Ireland, and temporarily shattering the power of the High Kingship once more.
- Scotland loses several territories during the ninth and tenth centuries to Jórvík, Suðreyjar, and Orkney. As a result of the Strathclyde War Scotland ends its de facto vassalage of Strathclyde, and also cedes theJarldom of Suðrland under Eirik Bloodaxe, deposed King of Norway.
- The New World sees light colonization during the eleventh century, leading to the creation of Vinland. Norse settlers from Greenland, Iceland, and the British Isles settle this new land, after an expedition in 1009 led by Thorfinn Karlsefni brings the first settlers to the region, following the path of earlier explorers, such as Leif Erikson. An age of settlement begins under religious leader and explorer Snorri Thorfinnsson, whose settlements give rise to minor chiefdoms across Vinland by the middle of the eleventh century. Snorri's son, the chieftain Thorgeir Snorrason, pioneered the first assembly in 1084, leading to the creation of the Vinlander Althing.
- Additional support for the crusades leads to a greater presence in the Near East. Following the Second Crusade Christian states are established in Aleppo and Damascus, and the County of Edessa and other territories are restored to the crusader states.
TimelineEdit[]
- Main article: Timeline (The Old Boar Suffered)
The timeline for The Old Boar Suffered is broken into sections by century, beginning in the Ninth Century, following the successful Norse invasion of the British Isles, and the defeat of Alfred of Wessex at the Battle of Edington. An overview of the entire timeline, including important dates and milestones from the detailed version of the timeline, can be found on the timeline page.