Vikings were NOT unconquerable supermen?
They were expert warriors but for those watching the show with little knowledge of actual history, the show's bias is obvious. Far from winning most of their battles in England, it was probably more a 30-40% success rate, unlike the show. Viking losses in Britain-
Raid at Jarrow (794)
Battle of Carhampton (836)
Battle of Hingston Down (838) Cornwall between a combined force of Cornish and Vikings on the one side, and West Saxons led by Egbert, King of Wessex on the other
Battle of Southampton (840) Earldorman Wulfheard fought “37 ships” of Danes and “made great slaughter” and defeated them, but died soon after (of wounds?)
Battle of Parret (845) Earldorman Eanulf’s men of Somerset unite with Bishop Ealstan and earldorman Osric’s Dorsetmen fought the Danes at the Thames rivermouth. Amidst great slaughter, the English win.
Battle of Aclea (851) King Athelwulf and aethling Athelbald led the W.Saxons against the Danes. In a fierce battle the English “made the greatest slaughter of a heathen host ever heard of”
Battle of Sandwich (a naval battle) 851 earl Aethelstan and earl Ealhere vs Vikings
Battle of Wicgeanbeourg 851 earl Ceorl vs the "heathens":
Battle of Winchester (860) A vast Danish fleet landed (where?) and ravaged inland. This vital burh, Anglo-Saxon capital of England – is attacked and “destroyed”, but Athelwulf and earldorman Osric- with the men of Berkshire and Hampshire respectively- engage the pagan army and after a fierce battle outside the town, put them to flight and the Saxons “held the field”
Battle of ?: 860 earls Osric and Aethelwulf vs Vikings
Battle of Englefield (871) Halfdan sent out a raiding party “two jarls with a great part of their force”. As they marched along the north bank of the Kennet reaching here (12m from their base) they were ambushed by the fyrd of Berkshire under Mercian earldorman Athelwulf. A fierce battle raged at first, but the Danes were broken and one of their jarls killed.
Battle of Ashdown (871) King Athelred I and brother Alfred (later, ‘Great’) win a massive victory over Halfdan
Battle of Countisbury Hill/Cynwit (878) Earl Odda of Devon defeated and killed Ubba Ragnarsson at a fort in Devon which Asser calls Cynwit;
Battle of Edington (878) King Alfred and the fyrds of Somerset, Wiltshire and part of Hampshire win a crushing victory over Guthrum.
Battle of Farnham (893) Prince Edward (later ‘the Elder’) defeated the Vikings under Haesten
Battle of Benfleet (893) Edward and brother-in-law Ethelred of Mercia (in command?) marched out of London at the head of a combined force of Wessex, west country fyrdsmen, London militia and Mercians.
Battle of Buttingdon (893) Ethelred of Mercia, surrounded the entrenched Danes in the fort here on three sides- Here they besieged the Danes for several weeks, content to let their beleaguered enemies fester and weaken until they reached the point where they were starving and ate their own horses.
Finally, unable to take any more, the desperate Danes broke out eastwards through the Saxon lines in a desperate attempt to make for their base at Essex. But few escaped, as most were slaughtered by the waiting allies.
Battle of Chichester: 894 "town-dwellers" vs the "force"
Battle of Strathcarron. (904). Constantine caught up with Ivar at Strathcarron in 904 AD, and, in a bitter struggle, Ivar and his Viking army were massacred.
Battle of Tettenhall (910) A fierce battle ensued and King Edward the Elder killed a great many of them, according to the Chronicle, "many thousands of men". Also fell brother co-Kings of York Eowils and Healfden (905-10); Earls Ohter and Scurf; Governors Agmund, Othulf, and Benesing; Anlaf the Swarthy, and Governor Thunferth; Osferth the collector, and Governor Guthferth.
Battle of ? 914: Wessex and Mercia vs the "force" from Northumbria; attacked Vikings from behind on their way home from a raid: heavy casualties mentioned
Battle of Archenfield (914) After a fierce battle, the Danes broke and were routed, having lost two chiefs and a huge number of men.
Battle of Tempsford (917) Edward and Aethelflaed sustained their fierce Wessex/Mercian assault upon the Danish/Norse armies. The English army, led by the king, stormed the Viking-held town here and in vicious fighting killing the last Danish king of East Anglia, Guthrum II, was killed along with many commanders (incl the Jarls Toglos and Manna).
Towchester: 917 the borough vs the "force": Vikings could not break in and left:
Bedford: 917 townsmen of Bedford vs the "force"; townsmen came outside:
Wigingamere: 917 "force" vs the boroughmen inside; Vikings left off but took the cattle:
Maldon: 917 "great force" from East Anglia allied with "vikings": besieged the town until outside forces came to relieve it: gave up siege: townsmen and "those outside" pursued and attacked:
Battle of Stamford (918). King Edward the Elder assaulted Stamford in late May 918. It soon fell to his army of Wessex.
Battle of Brunanburh (937) King Athelstan, with the army of Wessex