
Guthred (844-24 August 895) was the Jarl of Holland and king of Northumbria from 883 to 24 August 895, succeeding Halfdan Whiteshirt of Jorvik and preceding Siefredus of Northumbria. A former slave, he became a Christian Danish ruler after Abbot Eadred Lulisc allegedly had a vision of Saint Cuthbert identifying Guthred as the man who would restore Christian rule to Northymbre.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Guthred was born in 844, the son of Harthacnut and the brother of Gisela Harthacnutsdottir. In 876, he accompanied his father on his campaign against the raiding Britons of Strat Clut, but King Eochaid ambushed and destroyed the Danish army, slew Harthacnut, and took Guthred as a slave. Guthred would go on to be held as a slave for two years.
Rise to power[]
In 878, Abbot Eadred Lulisc claimed to have had a vision of Saint Cuthbert which identified Guthred as the future Christian savior of Northumbria. Father Beocca, a fellow priest, recruited the West Saxon ealdorman Uhtred of Bebbanburg to rescue Guthred from the slavers, and Uhtred scared off the slavers by pretending to be an undead warrior. He then freed Guthred, who was brought back home to Cumberland, returning to his family. Eadred then had Guthred crowned King of Cumberland after making him hold the hand of Saint Cuthbert's corpse and swear an oath. In order to legitimize Guthred's claim, Eadred had him baptized as a Christian. Guthred proceeded to lead a "holy army" into York to depose King Ecgberht II of Northumbria, convincing his reluctant jarls to agree with his plan in exchange for great wealth; many of them were concerned that, during their absence from Cumberland, the Britons of Strat Clut and the Vikings of Ireland would attack Northymbre's vulnerable lands. Guthred succeeded in his goal of being crowned King of Northymbre, and even the powerful warlord Ivar Ivarsson submitted to him after his defeat in Scotland. Uhtred, serving as the commander of Guthred's army, used Guthred as a pawn in his fight against Earl Kjartan the Cruel of Dunholm, leading to Eadred convincing Guthred enslave Uhtred and ally with Uhtred's uncle and rival, Aelfric. Guthred agreed after coming to believe that Uhtred had grown too powerful, as his soldiers were more loyal to Uhtred than to him. However, the alliance with Aelfric collapsed due to Guthred's failure to kill Uhtred, and Uhtred and Ragnar Ragnarsson later gained Guthred's support in killing Kjartan at his castle at Dunholm. Guthred continued to rule over Northumbria until his death in 895.