Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age : And the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age

This book traces the history of relations between the kingdom of Strathclyde and Anglo-Saxon England in the Viking period of the ninth to eleventh centuries AD. It puts the spotlight on the North Britons or "Cumbrians", an ancient people whose kings ruled from a power-base at Govan on the outskirts of present-day Glasgow. In the tenth century, these kings extended their rule southward from Clydesdale to the southern shore of the Solway Firth, bringing their language and culture to a region that had been in English hands for more than two hundred years. They played a key role in many of the great political events of the time, whether leading their armies in battle or forging treaties to preserve a fragile peace. Their extensive realm, which was also known as "Cumbria", was eventually conquered by the Scots, but is still remembered today in the name of an English county. How this county acquired the name of a long-vanished kingdom centred on the River Clyde is one of the topics covered in this book. It is part of a wider history that forms an important chapter in the story of how England and Scotland emerged from the early medieval period or "Dark Ages" as the countries we know today. With a geographical focus on what are now south-west Scotland and north-west England, 'The Cumbrian Wars' traces the history of political relations between the kingdom of Strathclyde and its English neighbours in the Viking Age. At the centre of the narrative are the Cumbri, or North Britons, an ancient people whose kings ruled from a power base in the lower valley of the River Clyde.This book traces the history of relations between the kingdom of Strathclyde and Anglo-Saxon England in the Viking period of the ninth to eleventh centuries AD. It puts the spotlight on the North Britons or 'Cumbrians', an ancient people whose kings ruled from a power-base at Govan on the western side of present-day Glasgow. In the tenth century, these kings extended their rule southward from Clydesdale to the southern shore of the Solway Firth, bringing their language and culture to a region that had been in English hands for more than two hundred years. They played a key role in many of the great political events of the time, whether leading their armies in battle or forging treaties to preserve a fragile peace. Their extensive realm, which was also known as 'Cumbria', was eventually conquered by the Scots, but is still remembered today in the name of an English county. How this county acquired the name of a long-vanished kingdom centred on the River Clyde is one of the topics covered in this book.It is part of a wider history that forms an important chapter in the story of how England and Scotland emerged from the early medieval period or 'Dark Ages' as the countries we know today

The acclaimed medievalist examines the rise and fall of the last kingdom of the North Britons and their influence on the Anglo-Saxons. During the Viking period, the Kingdom of Strathclyde stretched across what is now southern Scotland and northern England. Also known as Cumbria, its kings ruled from Govan on the outskirts of present-day Glasgow. Shining a spotlight on these North Britons, or "Cumbrians, " this volume chronicles their relations with Anglo-Saxon England from the ninth to eleventh centuries AD. In the tenth century, Strathclyde extended its rule southward from Clydesdale to the Solway Firth, bringing their language and culture to a region that had been in English hands for more than two hundred years. They played a key role in the political events of the time, from leading their armies in battle to forging treaties and preserve a fragile peace. The extensive Cumbrian realm was eventually conquered by the Scots, but is still memorialized today by the English county of Cumbria. How this county acquired the name of a long-vanished kingdom centered on the River Clyde is one of the mysteries explored in this book. The story of Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons is an important chapter in the saga of England and Scotland as they emerged from the Dark Ages as the countries we know today.

This book traces the history of relations between the kingdom of Strathclyde and Anglo-Saxon England in the Viking period of the ninth to eleventh centuries AD. It puts the spotlight on the North Britons or 'Cumbrians', an ancient people whose kings ruled from a power-base at Govan on the western side of present-day Glasgow. In the tenth century, these kings extended their rule southward from Clydesdale to the southern shore of the Solway Firth, bringing their language and culture to a region that had been in English hands for more than two hundred years. They played a key role in many of the great political events of the time, whether leading their armies in battle or forging treaties to preserve a fragile peace. Their extensive realm, which was also known as 'Cumbria', was eventually conquered by the Scots, but is still remembered today in the name of an English county. How this county acquired the name of a long-vanished kingdom centred on the River Clyde is one of the topics covered in this book. It is part of a wider history that forms an important chapter in the story of how England and Scotland emerged from the early medieval period or 'Dark Ages' as the countries we know today Why do we find so many Welsh-sounding place names in the lands around the head of the Solway Firth? What is the origin of the term Cumbria? How did the English county of Cumberland come into being? An answer to each of these questions will be found in this book. With a geographical focus on what are now south-west Scotland and north-west England, Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age traces the history of political relations between the kingdom of Strathclyde and its English neighbours in the Viking Age. At the centre of the narrative are the Cumbri, or North Britons, an ancient people whose kings ruled from a power base in the lower valley of the River Clyde. In the tenth century, these kings extended their rule southward to the Solway Firth and beyond, bringing their language and culture to districts that had been in English hands for more than two hundred years. Their kingdom, known as Strathclyde or Cumbria, became one of the great powers of the time. Its history is an important chapter in the tale of how England and Scotland emerged from the early medieval period or Dark Ages as the countries we know today. Analyses the political relationships between the Clyde Britons and their Anglo-Saxon neighbours; explains how the kingdom of Strathclyde, or Cumbria, became one of the great powers of the time; describes the origins of the English county of Cumberland and the western section of the English-Scottish border.