Kingship and Maritime Power in 10th‐Century England

Abstract

Ships and seafaring were intrinsic to early English cultures, identifiable in the origin story of the adventus Saxonum, in the material cultures of 6th‐ to 10th‐century England, and in later portrayals of good kingship. However, effective control of the sea only became critical to Anglo‐Saxon kings in the 10th century, serving to legitimate their authority and demonstrate both power and prestige. Using a combination of historical texts and archaeological evidence, this article examines the intersection of kingship and sea‐power in 10th‐century England, both as practical necessity and cultural symbol of legitimate kingly authority.

Key words:

• Viking Age
• Anglo‐Saxon England
• Medieval
• North Sea
• English Kingship
• boat burial

Notes

1 The Anglo‐Saxon Chronicles survive in six main manuscripts, A‐F, each with its own variants, particularly after the reign of Alfred. Of the 851 skirmish, B and C manuscripts note only eight ships captured, A agrees with nine ships as does Asser in his Life of Alfred (1904), though these both omit the phrase gefuhton on scipum (fought on ships), or Latin equivalent. Citations throughout this article refer to the Chronicles as ASC with manuscript(s) and year (except where year is noted in‐text).

2 It is of note that the 875 entry in the Chronicles uses the word scip‐here to describe the English fleet. A scip‐here can be defined as a group of ships engaged in hostile action and, for simplicity, it is frequently translated as ‘navy’. In usage, however, the term lacks the specificity implied by ‘navy’, and is not used to describe Alfred's assemblage of ships in 896.

3 Diplomas are cited throughout by their Sawyer, or ‘S’ number, as per Sawyer, 2010.

4 Author translation of: Eadgarus Anglorum basileus omniumque regum insularum oceani que Britanniam circumiacent cunctarumque nationum que infra eam includuntur imperator et dominus.