Wessex

Kingdom of Wessex (519-927) was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in southern England. It was founded by Cerdic and the Saxons when they invaded England, and its capital was Winchester. Wessex was the strongest English kingdom after the 9th century, during which it led the fight against the Vikings.

History[]

Creation 495-519[]

Wessex, coming from the Anglo-Saxon word for "Kingdom of the West Saxons", was founded in 519 by Cerdic(died 534 ish) coming from Saxony.According to the English Chroncicles, Cerdic arrived in England around 495 AD and in 519, having conquered enough Brittonic Tribes, he became King of The West Saxons.His successors, Cynric(died 560 ish)and Ceawlin(died 593 ish) slowly expanded Wessex.

Mercian Troubles and Baptism 628-688[]

In 636, King Cynegils of Wessex(died 642) was baptized along with his probable son and Co-Ruler, Cwichelm(died 636), bringing Christianity to Wessex and in 643, King Cenwalh of Wessex(died 672) converted to Christianity and Christianity was spread.Wessex would fight numerous conflicts against Mercia(628-648,661,710s,750-752,778,802,825-829).Cenwalh was a bad king and lost his throne in 645 to Penda of Mercia(c.606-655), and had his land ravaged in 661, but did conquer Dumnonians in 648.

The Rule of 3 676-725[]

After he died in 672, a bloody crisis ensued(West Saxon Crisis 672-682), he having no sons and losing his heir in 661, however this ended when his brother, Centwine(died 686) restored Wessex to stability after defeating a Briton Army in 682.After he abdicated without a son, his distant cousin from Cynric, Cædwalla (c.659-689) ensued, he conquered Sussex,Surrey, Kent, and the Isle of Wight, beginning the 1st West Saxon Golden Age(685/686-726) after the West Saxon Resurgence(676-685).He abdicated in 688, being succeeded to his much more close cousin, Ine of Wessex(c.670-726) who issued several laws and expended to the West in 710.Ine ruled for 36 years, abdicating in 725, this ended the period which spanned 3 Kings in 50 years,whilst 6 rulers had passed in 60 years.

The West Saxon Dark Age(725-802) lasted for 70 years, where 5 kings went and died.Until King Ecgberht of Wessex took the throne and initiated the West Saxon Supremacy(802-865) and started the Ecgberhting House.

Wessex was also a power house that conquered Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Essex, Mercia, and Devon under the rule of King Egbert of Wessex, and Northumbria became a vassal of Egbert. However, trouble came to the British Isles in 865 when the Great Heathen Army of Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes under Halfdan Whiteshirt of Jorvik, Ivar the Boneless of Sudreyjar, and Bjorn Ironside of Svibjod landed in England to avenge the execution of their father Ragnarr Lodbrok by Aella of Northumbria. The Vikings conquered York, which became Jorvik, and expanded their kingdoms, which became known as "Danelaw". The Vikings pushed south, conquering Northumbria and East Anglia, while also decreasing the size of Mercia. Aethelred and his brother Earl Alfred of Somerset fought the Vikings and defeated them in the Battle of Ashdown, but lost at the Battle of Basing in 871 and the Battle of Marton later that year. When Aethelred died, Alfred succeeded him.

Wessex troops — Wessex levies mobilized in 867 AD

Alfred mobilized the fyrd armies of Wessex and fought against the Viking invaders in guerrilla warfare before defeating them at the Battle of Edington in 878, a decisive victory that ended the Viking threat to his rule. Alfred was not safe from the Danes, but not as troubled as he was before his victory. Wessex held out against the Danes into the 10th century.

In 927, king Aethelstan led the armies of Wessex to conquer Jorvik, the last remaining Viking kingdom. This conquest made him the first Anglo-Saxon ruler of all of England, and despite a Viking reconquest of Jorvik (now known as York) in 939, in 954 it was reconquered after his death. Wessex became a part of the Kingdom of England, an Anglo-Saxon kingdom that united all of the previous ones.