Guthrum (died c. 890) was a Viking warlord and king of the Danelaw, best known for his battles against Alfred the Great and his eventual conversion to Christianity. He played a key role in the Viking invasions of England during the late 9th century.
Guthrum’s Viking Raids & Conflicts
Leader of the Great Heathen Army – Guthrum was one of the commanders of the Viking force that invaded Anglo-Saxon England in 865.
Conflict with Alfred the Great – Between 871 and 878, he led several attacks on Wessex, trying to conquer the kingdom.
Battle of Edington (878) – Alfred defeated Guthrum’s forces, forcing him to surrender.
Conversion & Rule in the Danelaw
After his defeat, Guthrum agreed to a peace treaty known as the Treaty of Wedmore.
He was baptized as Æthelstan, with Alfred the Great as his godfather.
Despite converting, he remained a Viking ruler and governed the Danelaw, the Viking-controlled part of England, until his death around 890.
Legacy
Guthrum was one of the few Viking leaders who successfully transitioned from a raider to a king, ruling over a large Scandinavian population in England. His treaty with Alfred shaped England’s future by defining boundaries between Saxon and Viking lands.
