BattlefieldsKilling of Æthelred I of Northumbria 796
Early Medieval

Killing of Æthelred I of Northumbria 796

796
Northumberland, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Northumberland, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Æthelred I of Northumbria
Forces
king Æthelred and his household
VS
Victor
Not recorded in historical accounts
Forces
Northumbrian noble conspirators
Outcome
Northumbrian king murdered; political instability continues; another claimant seizes throne
The Battle

History & Significance

Æthelred I of Northumbria, who had been restored to the throne, was killed at Corbridge in 796 in a conspiracy by his own nobles. This was one of a series of Northumbrian royal murders that shocked Alcuin and the Carolingian court. Alcuin wrote letter after letter urging the Northumbrians to stop killing their kings, attributing the Viking raids partly to their sins.

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