There is no direct evidence for the existence of Viking settlements in Birmingham, but it is known that the area was on the route of the Great Viking Army in 893 and 895 when it passed through the region. According to historians, the Vikings were present in what is now the West Midlands, although not in the settlement that later became Birmingham. But this is not the only version, read about other explanations for the presence of Scandinavian sailors in these parts at birminghamyes.com.
The history of the Vikings
The Vikings were great pagan warriors who were one of the most famous and fierce armies in medieval England. They were a coalition of Scandinavian warriors who invaded England in 865 AD. The purpose of this “visit” was simple and clear: to conquer and occupy four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
These were East Anglia, Northumbria, Mercia, and Wessex. This Viking army was led by the sons of the semi-legendary Ragnar Lothbrok. It is known that Lodbrok had five sons, three of whom, namely Halfdan Ragnarsson, Ivar Beckiston and Ubbu, led the campaign.
It is also known that the ninth century in English history was quite eventful, when chaotic Scandinavian raids eventually turned into an organised, planned invasion with the aim of seizing Anglo-Saxon lands and their subsequent settlement by the Vikings. It was in the ninth century that the Vikings already had an organised army, or more correctly, the Great Pagan Army, which was a strikingly more powerful and organised force than any previous Viking army that had raided the lands of the English.
The great pagan army
The name Great Pagan Army is known from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a collection of chronicles describing the events of a certain period of history. True, these sources do not answer the question of the size of this army, but they describe this armada as one of the largest forces of its time. The invaders first landed in East Anglia, where the king provided them with horses for the campaign in exchange for peace. They spent the winter of 865-866 in Thetford, before moving north to capture York in November 866.
During the following year (867), the army moved deep into Mercia and spent the winter in Nottingham. The Mercians agreed to the terms of the Viking armada, which returned to York to winter from 868 to 869. In the same year, 869, this great army returned to East Anglia, this time having conquered it, after which the formidable warriors moved to winter quarters in Thetford.
Despite the fact that the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, as a source, have certain inaccuracies and shortcomings, this chronicle allows us to trace a road map of the places where the Vikings stopped for the winter. These winter camps, called wintersetl, provide a clear picture for understanding the history of the Vikings’ movements during their military campaigns in England.36 Two of the winter camps mentioned in the Chronicle are Repton and Torquay in the East Midlands.
The siege of Tamworth by the Vikings
Read more about the conquest of Mercia. In the 870s, Tamworth, the historic capital of Mercia, was a key city for the invaders. The city was defended by Burgred, the king of these territories. However, it took the Great Pagan Army a long three years to finally bring down the city.
This was despite the fact that the Vikings used a number of different tactics. They repeatedly tried to break through the city’s defences. Special siege machines were built, battering rams and siege towers were used. With the help of all these units, the walls and gates of the city were destroyed.
In addition, the Vikings were skilful archers, so they used archers and sling throwers to direct a shower of arrows and stones at the defenders of the city. But that was not all. The invaders’ arsenal included undermining the walls, digging tunnels under them and trying to blow them up afterwards. But the defenders of the medieval city fought like lions. They fought back with spears and swords, shot with their bows, and poured boiling water and water on the Vikings from the walls.
But despite all the efforts of the defenders, the Vikings eventually broke through the city’s defences and began to clear it. The city battle was fierce and merciless on both sides. Both sides suffered heavy casualties, but in the end the attackers won. Tamworth was sacked and King Burgred fled. Later, the Vikings captured him and expelled him, leaving the kingdom of Mercia without power.
From a strategic point of view, the siege, and fall of Tamworth was a key moment in the Viking invasion of England. During this period, the Viking army demonstrated an absolutely brutal and effective way of warfare. They continued to conquer and occupy other parts of England.
As a result, one region of the country was created, governed by the laws and customs of the Vikings. It was called Danelaw. As for Tamworth, it is a small town today, but it has a heroic history that will always remind us that England was in very turbulent times.
At present, there is no known, and most importantly, no convincing evidence that the Vikings were in Birmingham, at least not in the village that preceded the city’s foundation. However, it is known for certain that twice the Great Viking Army passed near Birmingham. This happened when it moved from Shubberyness in Essex to Buttington in 893. That was the first time.
The second occurred when the army marched from the River Lee northwards from London to Bridgnorth in Shropshire as early as 895. Their route, by all accounts, most likely ran along Watling Street, the modern A5, which passes through Fazeley near Tamworth.
Were there Vikings in Birmingham?
But despite the fact that the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells us very little about the presence of Vikings in the West Midlands in the 9th century, in recent years, Viking scholars have become increasingly frequent visitors to Birmingham. They have made it a habit to appear in the city on a regular basis.
For example, in 2014, the Midland Viking Symposium made its third visit to Birmingham. Why that particular symposium comes to mind is because it was by far the largest of the ten symposia held so far. Moreover, the University of Birmingham hosted more than 70 attendees and seven researchers who gave presentations.
The Midland Viking Symposium is a joint event between the Universities of Nottingham, Birmingham, and Leicester with the aim of providing new research to the interested public in a one-day event. This year’s symposium was organised by Dr. Chris Callow in the Department of History at the University of Birmingham. Speakers included Dr. Callow himself and one of his PhD students, Bernadette McKuie.
The morning session of the symposium focused on aspects of the Viking connections with England. Philip Shaw from the University of Leicester discussed the oral traditions linking the Old English poem Beowulf with the Old Norse saga of Hrolf Kraki. Kat Jarman, from Bristol, presented the first results of her doctoral thesis on the people buried in the Viking cemetery in Repton. This complex archaeological site probably contains burials of Scandinavian migrants. There were other interesting reports.
So, as you can see, the Vikings did come to Birmingham, to the very center of the city, which is true, but they have a completely different purpose for their visit now than they did then, more than 1,000 years ago.
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