St Brice's Day massacre, 13 November 1002. A cardinal blunder committed by King Æthelred, who is said to have ordered the killing of all Danes in England on that day. This is scarcely credible, considering the numbers involved. Yet some action was taken, probably provoked by Pallig, the Dane who, after taking Æthelred's gifts, broke his pledge of loyalty. The murder of Pallig's wife Gunnhild, sister of the Danish king Sweyn, may well have provoked Sweyn's invasion in 1003, which was followed by continual onslaught, until in 1017 a Danish king was on the English throne.
St. Brice's Day massacre
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The St. Brice's Day massacre was the killing of Danes in the Kingdom of England on St Brice's day (13 November) in 1002 AD, as ordered by the English king Ethelred the Unready.
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Background
England had been attacked by Vikings every year from 997 to 1001 and it seems that the system of national defence had broken down altogether. Ethelred was advised that the raiders were receiving support from the many Scandinavians living in England, and in a desperate attempt to get rid of his enemies once and for all, orders were issued commanding the slaughter on St Brice's day (13 November) 1002 of "all the Danish men (women and children) who were in England".
The name St. Brice apparently refers to bishop Bricius of Tours, whose memorial day is November 13.
The Massacre(s)
Historians believe there was significant loss of life in some towns, including Oxford, Winchester and London, although it is unlikely that all the Danes were killed across England.
The massacre in Oxford is described in the chronicle of John of Wallingford where it is recorded that the Danish inhabitants claimed sanctuary in St Frideswide's Church (now Christ Church Cathedral) to no avail, since it was burnt down by the mob. The events are described in a royal charter of 1004 issued to rebuild the church:
| “ | For it is fully agreed that to all dwelling in this country it will be well known that, since a decree was sent out by me with the counsel of my leading men and magnates, to the effect that all the Danes who had sprung up in this island, sprouting like cockle amongst the wheat, were to be destroyed by a most just extermination, and thus this decree was to be put into effect even as far as death, those Danes who dwelt in the afore-mentioned town, striving to escape death, entered this sanctuary of Christ, having broken by force the doors and bolts, and resolved to make refuge and defence for themselves therein against the people of the town and the suburbs; but when all the people in pursuit strove, forced by necessity, to drive them out, and could not, they set fire to the planks and burnt, as it seems, this church with its ornaments and its books. Afterwards, with God's aid, it was renewed by me. | ” |
Amongst those killed at Oxford were Gunhilde, the sister of King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark, her husband Pallig and their child.
Consequences
Sweyn's desire for revenge on the English led to the invasion of 1003–04, and his persecution of the country eventually saw Ethelred flee to Normandy, with Forkbeard's final invasion of 1013–14. Sweyn was crowned King of England at this point (see House of Denmark), although he died within months, and, despite the efforts of both Ethelred and Edmund Ironside, England was reinvaded and ruled by Sweyn's son, King Canute.
External links
- Aethelred II – states (erroneously?) that the 2nd of December is St Brice's day
- A Brief History Of The Anglo-Danes
- The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
- The 13th of November 1002 AD, St Brice's Day Massacre
- A Dictionary of British History
- Massacre at St Frideswide's
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Learn More
 | Pallig |
| Gunhilde |
| 1000s in England |
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