King Aethelred the Unready
After the first King of England, Aethelstan (c.894-939), there ruled four successive kings who valiantly managed to hold the unrelenting Danish enemy at bay. Then came King Aethelred the Unready (966-1016). Unlike his brave forefathers, he did not usually lead his men into battle and “Unready” refers to him not having the best advisers, one of whom told him that the end of the world was nigh.
It was because of the Viking and Danish incursions that taxes were instituted, both to fund a standing army and to help pay bribes, or “tributes”, to our Scandinavian neighbours to quell their lust for booty, slaves and territory. It did not work. In 991, a large Norwegian force won the Battle of Maldon and were paid £10,000 to go away. This generosity only brought more of them.
By 1002, many Danes had settled in England but Aethelred decided that finally, under personal threat, it was time to fight back — not in battle but in what is called the St. Brice’s Day Massacre (which may be an exaggeration). Enraged, King Sweyn Forkbeard invaded in 1003 to wreak revenge.
King Aethelred fled to France, returning briefly in 1013, but some have dubbed his reign as the worst in our history.
(Images: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain)