England was invaded by the Great Heathen Army
In 865 AD, England was invaded by the Great Heathen Army. The viking army was made up of a coalition of Scandinavian warriors mainly from Denmark and, legend has it, four of the five sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, including Halfdan Ragnarsson, Ivar the Boneless, Bjorn Ironeside and Ubba.
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This was an army that would change Britain forever. It would lay siege to towns, attack monasteries and kill kings – the most famous of course being St Edmund, who was brutally beheaded by the Norse warriors in 869 AD.
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Dan Snow was recently joined by bioarchaeologist and Viking specialist Cat Jarman on a road trip across England to retrace the path of this conquering Viking Army.
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In this clip from documentary, Dan and Cat visit Repton in Derbyshire, which was one a royal and religious centre in the kingdom of Mercia. But several high profile viking burials on the site suggest it was almost extremely important to the invading northmen.
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Credit to : History Hit