865–878 CEReputable sourceWell documented
The Great Heathen Army and the Danelaw
On the timeline · around 865–878 CE ·
What happened
In 865 a coalition of Norse warlords — the 'Great Heathen Army' — landed in England to conquer, not just raid. They overran three of the four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms; the survivors' lands became the Danelaw, ruled under Danish law.
Why it matters
The Great Heathen Army nearly extinguished Anglo-Saxon England and left a deep Norse imprint on English land, law and language.
Sources
- World History Encyclopedia. Viking Raids in Britain · Reputable source
Related timelines
- The Middle Ages → — The Norse remaking of early medieval England