Jarlskona Soma (died 878) was the Jarlskona of East Engle and the Lady of Grantebru (Cambridge) from 872 to 878 AD as the wife of Guthrum. She was slain at the Battle of Chippenham in 878 AD.
Biography[]
Soma was born in Finland to a Sami family, and she became a renowned Viking warrior and married the fearsome jarl Guthrum. She accompanied Guthrum to England during the Great Heathen Army's invasion during the 9th century AD, and her husband made her the ruler of Grantebru (Cambridge) after capturing the city from the Anglo-Saxons of Mercia; both Guthrum and Ubbe Ragnarrsson respected her martial and trade capabilities. However, Ealdorman Wigmund of Cambridge led a rebellion against Soma in 873, ousting her Danish army from the city and forcing her to take refuge in the fenlands near Middleton, Norfolk. She was later joined by the Viking warrior Eivor from Ravensthorpe (deeper in Cambridgeshire), who volunteered to help her rally her scattered forces and retake Cambridge. He helped her rescue her advisors Birna, Galinn, and Lif before assembling her army for an assault on the city. Soma went on to lead a successful assault on the city with Eivor's help, but Wigmund escaped through a secret tunnel known only to Soma and her advisors; she deduced that he had also used the tunnel to infiltrate and capture the city in the first place, and that there was a traitor in her ranks. Soma privately spoke with Eivor and tasked him to find the traitor among her three lieutenants, having him help them finish off Wigmund's forces in Cambridgeshire while collecting evidence about the traitor. Eventually, Eivor discovered that Galinn was the traitor, revealing this to Soma; Soma then slit Galinn's throat in front of her other lieutenants and had them dispose of Galinn's body. Soma went on to lead the final assault against Wigmund, slaying him at the Isle of Ely and restoring peace to the region. She then granted Eivor an arm-ring as a token of her trust and friendship, and she invited him to return to Cambridge; she also gave permission for Birna to join Eivor's crew.
Invasions of Wessex and death[]
In 874 AD, Soma negotiated a trade deal with the city of Oxford, and her city soon returned to its prewar prosperity. In 875, she honored her oath to Eivor by joining him for the Siege of Portchester, helping him burn down the Saxon supply base at Crawley before taking part in the storming of Portchester and the rescue of Eivor's brother Sigurd Styrbjornson.
Soma's death
In 878, she accompanied Guthrum on his final invasion of Wessex, and she persuaded Eivor to accompany her to the peace talks with Alfred at Wareham. After Alfred told them of Ubbe Ragnarrsson's death at the Battle of Cynwit before departing, Soma, Eivor, and Guthrum decided to betray Alfred, burning Wareham and then attacking Alfred's army at Chippenham during the feast of the Epiphany on 6 January 878. During the ensuing battle, Soma was run through the chest by a Saxon soldier, whom she proceeded to kill before she was impaled through the back by another Saxon, killing her. She, Ealdorman Hunwald of Lincolnshire, and Hjorr Halfsson were cremated next to each other atop a hill overlooking Chippenham the next evening.
