Jórvík was a Viking kingdom in northern England which existed from 867 to 954. In 865, the Great Heathen Army invaded Northumbria to avenge the murder of Ragnarr Lodbrok at the hands of King Aella of Northumbria, and the Vikings under Ragnarr's son Halfdan Whiteshirt captured the Northumbrian capital of York in 867 and had Aella brutally executed. The Vikings established a new kingdom at "Jórvík", the capital of "Northymbre". In 876, Halfdan would found the larger kingdom of Northymbre after killing Ricsige of Northumbria in battle and deciding to personally rule over the Danish-occupied southern part of Northumbria (the Saxons continued to rule Northumbria north of the Tyne). In 927, King Aethelstan of Wessex conquered Jorvik and drove the Vikings out of the Danelaw, creating the Kingdom of England. However, his death in 939 allowed for the Vikings to return to York. In 942, Aethelstan's brother Edmund I of England counterattacked and reconquered the Midlands and Jórvík. In 946, Eric Bloodaxe took possession of York, so King Eadred of England led a destructive campaign into Northumbria and forced the Northumbrian earls to desert the foreign king and take over. Eric died in 954, permanently restoring Jórvík to England.
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