Wihtgar of Bebbanburg (died 918) was a Northumbrian nobleman who reigned as Lord of Bebbanburg from 911 to 918, succeeding Aelfric of Bebbanburg and preceding Uhtred of Bebbanburg. He seized power after killing his estranged father and repelling his cousin Uhtred's first attempt to reclaim the city, but Uhtred had his revenge on his cousin during a third attack on the city amid a Scottish and Viking siege. Uhtred captured his cousin, who cowered and refused to fight him, and Uhtred hacked him to death and took Bebbanburg for himself.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Wihtgar was born in Bebbanburg, Northumbria, the son of Lord Aelfric of Bebbanburg. He later fell from grace with his father and was sent into exile, and Wihtgar joined a band of mercenaries who took to the high seas. It was rumored that he had died on the Southern Sea in 909 AD, but he instead travelled to the far corners of the earth and recruited men into his company. In 910 AD, he returned to Bebbanburg to avenge his exile and seize the lordship for himself, but he pretended to have returned to help his father defend Bebbanburg against the invading Scots. His men came to make up the majority of the garrison, which had previously consisted of only 40 Northumbrian guards. He helped his father with thwarting Wihtgar's cousin Uhtred of Bebbanburg's attack on the fortress, as Uhtred and his men had counted on the garrison being much smaller. Wihtgar shot his own father in the eye with a crossbow as Uhtred held him hostage, and his father's steward Aidan and all of the fortress' defenders recognized him as the new lord. He then rejected Father Beocca's suggestion that Aelfric's death could allow for Uhtred and Wihtgar to start over and ally against the Scots, with Wihtgar saying that the North did not desire peace. He then aimed his crossbow at Uhtred's son and decided to deprive Uhtred of his heir before shooting Uhtred as well, but Beocca stood in the path of the bolt, sacrificing himself. Uhtred and the rest of his band then retreated, leaving Wihtgar in control of Bebbanburg.
Downfall[]
Wihtgar and his marshal Waldhere fortified Bebbanburg over the following years, as they were faced with several Scottish cattle raids from the north. In 918, King Constantine II of Scotland himself led an 800-strong army to besiege Bebbanburg, forcing Wihtgar to hire Einar Egilsson's Viking mercenaries to help defend the city. However, he forced them to quarter in the village instead of the fortress, understanding that they could seize the fortress for themselves if allowed the opportunity. Constantine's siege thwarted Uhtred's second attempt to take Bebbanburg, forcing Uhtred to flee south to Wessex. Constantine later ambushed and defeated Egil's men, and he convinced them to defect in exchange for more gold. A desperate Wihtgar then received an offer of aid from the West Saxon ealdorman Aethelhelm of Wiltshire, whose plan to create a war between Wessex and Northymbre had been thwarted by Uhtred. Aethelhelm offered to bring 300 troops to Wihtgar's aid and have his daughter Aelhswith marry Wihtgar in exchange for being allowed to use the fortress as a base for a future attack on Northumbria, as well as getting revenge on Uhtred. Aethelhelm planned to come to the fortress by sea, but Uhtred and his ships set sail from Grimsby and came to Bebbanburg disguised as Aethelhelm's ships, leading to Wihtgar's men welcoming them into the city. They then attacked the fortress as Aethelhelm's men fought Einar's men and the Scots on the beach, and, after a great slaughter which nearly ended in defeat for the attackers, Uhtred cornered and captured an unhorsed Wihtgar. Wihtgar twice refused his cousin's offer to fight him, so Uhtred hacked Wihtgar to death with his sword and had his mangled head displayed on the ramparts to scare off the Scots.