The anglo-saxon chronicle

The extracts printed below are taken from the Peterborough Chronicle.

Brittene igland is ehta hund mila lang and twa hund

Britain island is eight hundred miles long and two hundred

brad, and her sind on þis iglande fif geþeode: Englisc and

broad, and here are in this island five languages: English and

Brytwylsc and Scyttisc and Pyhtisc and Bocleden. Ærest wæron

British-Welsh and Scotish and Pictish and book-Latin. First were

bugend þises landes Brittes; þa coman of Armenia and gesætan

inhabitants of this land Britons; they came from Armenia and settled

suðewearde Bryttene ærost…

southern Britain first.

Her Martianus and Ualentinus onfengon rice and

An.449 Here Marcian and Valentinian received the kingdom and

rixadon VII winter, and on heora dagum gelaðode Wyrtgeorn

ruled 7 years, and in their days invited Vortigern

Angelcin hider, and hi þa comon on þrim ceolum hider to

English people hither, and they then came in three ships hither to

Brytene…

Britain.

Her Gregorius papa sende to Brytene Augustinum mid

An.596 Here Gregory the Pope sent to Britain Augustine with

wel manegum munucum, þe Godes word Engla þeoda

very many monks, who God’s word to English people

godspellodon.

preached.

Her… comon ærest III scipu Norðmanna of Hereðalande,

An.787 Here came first 3 ships of Northmen from Hörthaland,

and þa se gerefa þær to rad, and hi wolde drifan to þes

and then the reeve there to rode, and them wished to force to the

cininges tune, þy he nyste hwæt hi wæron, and hine man ofsloh

king’s manor, for he knew not what they were, and him one slew

þa. Ðæt wæron þa ærestan scipu Deniscra manna þe

then. Those were the first ships of Danish men that

Angelcynnes land gesohton.

English people’s land sought.

Her wæron reðe forebecna cumene ofer Norðanhymbra

An.793 Here were terrible foresigns come over Northumbrians’

land, and þæt folc earmlice bregdon; þæt wæron ormete ligræscas,

land, and the people wretchedly terrified; they were intense lightnings

and wæron geseowene fyrene dracan on þam lyfte fleogende. Ðam

and were seen fiery dragons in the air flying. On the

tacnum sona fyligde mycel hunger, and litel æfter þam þæs

tokens immediately followed great hunger, and a little after that in the

ilcan geares on VI Id. Ianr. earmlice heþenra manna hergung

same year on January 8 wretchedly the heathen men’s harring

adiligode Godes cyrican in Lindisfarena ee þurh reaflac and

destroyed God’s church in Lindisfarne island through plunder and

mansleht…

manslaughter.

Her… þa hæðenan on Norðhymbrum hergodon, and

An.794 Here the heathens among the Northumbrians harried, and

Ecgferðes mynster æt Donemuðe berefodon…

Ecgferth’s monastery at Donmouth [Jarrow] plundered.

Her sæt se hæþene here on Tenet and genam frið

An.865 Here camped the heathen army in Thanet and made peace

wið Cantwarum, and Cantware heom feoh beheton wið þam friðe,

with Kentmen, and Kentmen them money promised for the peace,

and on þam feohbehate se here hine on niht up bestæl, and

and for the money-promise the army itself at night up stole, and

oferhergode ealle Cent eastewarde.

overran all Kent eastward.

Her … feng Ælfred Æþelwulfing… to West

An.871 Here succeeded Alfred Ethelwulf’s to the West

Seaxana rice, and þæs ymb I monað gefeaht Ælfred cining wið

Saxons’ kingdom, and after that 1 month fought Alfred the king against

ealne þone here litle werede æt Wiltune, and hine lange on

all the army with a little force at Wilton, and it far into

dæg geflymde, and þa Deniscan ahton wælstowe

the day put to flight, and the Danish owned the slaughter-place’s

geweald…

control.

Her … Ælfred cyning … gefeaht wið ealne here, and

An.878 Here Alfred the king fought with the whole army, and

hine gelymde, and him æfter rad oð þet geweorc, and þær sæt

it put to flight, and after it rode to the fortress, and there camped

XIIII niht, and þa sealde se here him gislas and myccle aðas, þet

14 nights, and then gave the army him hostages and great oaths, that

hi of his rice woldon, and him eac geheton þet

they from his kingdom would [go], and him also they promissed that

heora cyng fulwihte onfon wolde, and hi þæt gelaston…

their king baptism receive would, and they that did.

Her gefor Ælfred cyning, VII K1. Nouembris, and

An.901 Here passed away Alfred the king, October 26, and

he heold þet rice XXVIII wintra and healf gear…

he held the kingdom 28 winters and a half year.

Her wæs Gypeswic gehergod, and æfter þam swyðe raðe

An.991 Here was Ipswich harried, and after that very quickly

wæs Brihtnoð ealdorman ofslægen æt Mældune, and on þam geare

was Byrhtnoth the ealdorman slain at Maldon, and in this year

man gerædde þæt man geald ærest galof Deniscum mannum for þam

one decided that one yieded first tribute to Danish men for the

mycclan brogan þe hi worhton be þam særiman; þæt wæs ærest

great terror that they caused along the sea coast; it was first

X þusend punda…

10 thousand pounds.

Her on þisum geare com Anlaf and Swegen to Lundenbyrig

An.994 Here in this year came Olaf and Svein to London town

on Natiuitas Sancte Marie mid IIII and hundnigontigum scipum, and

on the Nativity of St. Mary with 4 and ninety ships, and

hi þa on þa burh festlice feohtende wæron…

they then the town continuously attacking were.

Her on þisum geare feng Cnut cyning to eall

An. 1017 Here in this year succeeded Cnut the king to all

Angelcynnes rice… and þa toforan K1.Aug. het

the English people’s kingdom and then before August 1 commanded

se cyng feccan him Æðelredes lafe þes oðres cynges him

the king to be brought him Ethelred’s widow (this other king’s) for him

to cwene, Ricardes dohtor.

as queen (Richard’s daughter).

Her forðferde Hardacnut cyng æt Lambhyðe on

An.1041 Here passed away Harthacnut the king at Lambeth on

VI.Idus Iun. and he wæs cyng ofer eall Englaland twa gear buton

June 8 and he was king over all England two years less

X. nihtum, and he is bebyrged on ealdan mynstre on Winceastre mid

10 nights, and he is buried in the old minster at Winchester with

Cnute cynge his fæder; and ær þan þe he bebyrged wære, eall folc

Cnut the king his father; and before he buried was, all the people

geceas Eadward to cynge on Lundene, healde þa hwile þe him God

chose Edward as king at London, may he rule the while that him God

unne…

grants.

Her wæs Æðward gehalgod to cyng on Winceastre on

An.1042 Here was Edward consecrated as king at Winchester on

Æster dæg mid mycclum wurðscipe… and raðe þæs se cyng

Easter day with great honor and quickly after that the king

let geridan ealle þa land þe his modor ahte him to

caused to be seized all the lands that his mother owned into

handa, and nam of hire eall þæt heo ahte on golde and on

his own hands, and took from her all that she owned in gold and in

seolfre and on unasecgendlicum þingum forþan heo hit heold to feste

silver and in indescribable things because she it held too firmly

wið hine.

from him.

On þissum geare man halgode þet mynster æt

An.1066 In this year they consecrated the monastery at

Westmynstre on Cyldamæsse dæg, and se cyng Eadward forðferde

Westminster on Childermas day, and the king Edward passed away

on Twelfta mæsse æfen, and hine mann bebyrgede on Twelftan

on Epiphany eve, and him they buried on Epiphany

mæssedæg innan þære niwa halgodre circean on Westmynstre, and

day within the newly consecrated church at Westminster, and

Harold eorl feng to Englalandes cynerice swa swa se cyng hit

Harold the earl succeeded to England’s realm as the king it

him geuðe, and eac men hine þærto gecuron… and þa hwile com

him promised, and also men him thereto chose and meanwhile came

Willelm eorl upp æt Hestingan, on Sancte Michaeles mæssedæg, and

William the earl up at Hastings on St. Michael’s massday, and

Harold com norðan, and him wið gefeaht ær þan þe his here

Harold came from the north, and with him fought before his army

come eall, and þær he feoll, and his twægen gebroðra, Cyrð and

came entirely, and there he fell, and his two brothers Gurth and

Leofwine, and Willelm þis land geeode and com to Westmynstre, and

Leofwine, and William this land occupied and came to Westminster, and

Ealdred arcebiscop hine to cynge gehalgode…

Ealdred the Archbishop him as king consecrated.