BattlefieldsDanish Raid on Lindisfarne (875)
Early Medieval

Danish Raid on Lindisfarne (875)

875
Northumberland, England
Also known as: Second Lindisfarne attack 875
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Northumberland, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Northumbrian monks
Forces
Northumbrian monks & defenders c. 50–150.
VS
Victor
Vikings (Halfdan)
Forces
Halfdan's army c. 500–1,200
Outcome
Lindisfarne community fled with St Cuthbert's relics; began 120-year wandering
The Battle

History & Significance

Halfdan's army ravaged Northumbria and attacked Lindisfarne again, forcing the monastic community to flee with the remains of St Cuthbert. The monks wandered for over a century before settling at Chester-le-Street, then eventually Durham. Cuthbert's relics became a rallying point for Northumbrian Christian identity under Norse rule, and his cult shaped the medieval north. The wanderings of the Lindisfarne community are one of the most poignant stories of the Viking Age.

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