Eadwig's Charter to Abingdon Abbey c.957 facts for kids
In a charter of c.957 AD, King Eadwig ( r.955-959 ) granted twenty hides of land to Abingdon Abbey.
aet Hengestesige , and aet Seofecanwyrthe , and aet Wihtham
Interpretation of place names :
- " Hengestesige " ; Hinksey near the City of Oxford.
- " Seofecanwyrthe " ; The deserted medieval village of Seacourt near the City of Oxford.
- " Wihtham " ; Wytham near the City of Oxford.
Contents
Background
Abingdon Abbey
The abbey had previously been destroyed by Danes of Viking origin at the beginning of the reign of Alfred the Great (r.871-899). In about 954 King Eadred appointed Æthelwold as its abbot.
Danes in Oxford
It is known that there had been a population of Danes who had lived in the Oxford area prior to the St. Brice's Day massacre ( AD 1002 ). Many of those had become integrated with the native population and spoke a mix of Old English and Old Danish. Place name evidence suggests that some of the land granted in the charter had previously been occupied by Danes of Viking origin. The charter suggests anti Danish sentiment and a sense of purpose of retribution for the previous destruction of the abbey.
Anglicisation of Old Norse
Many Old Norse words became absorbed into the English language during the Viking Age.
The local dialect word ' seave ' is an anglicisation of Old Norse ' sef ' : ( " sedge or rush " ).
The local dialect word ' saeter ' is borrowed from Old Norse ' sætr ' : ( " Upland summer pasture, a shieling or farmstead " ).
Place name examples (seave)
Place name examples in the English Lake District :
- Seathwaite, Borrowdale , Cumbria.
- Seathwaite, Duddon Valley, Cumbria.
- Seavy Side, Mosedale, near Haweswater Reservoir, Cumbria.
- Candleseaves Bog, Skiddaw Forest.
Place name examples in England :
- Seamore Tarn, near High Cup Nick, Cumbria.
- Seavy Rigg, Swindale Beck near Brough, Cumbria.
- Candleseaves Sike near Rogan's Seat, Swaledale, North Yorkshire.
- Seavy Sike near Tan Hill, North Yorkshire.
Place name examples (saeter)
The local dialect word saeter is borrowed from Old Norse sætr.
Place name examples in the English Lake District :
- Seat Sandal : " Sandulfr’s sætr " or " Sandal’s summer pasture or shieling "
- Seatoller ( 'Seat..oller' ) : " Olafr’s sætr "
- Seatallan ( 'Seat..allan' ) : " Aleyn's sætr "
The name element ' seat ' is common in North Yorkshire ( for fell summits ), especially in the sheep-farming area's of the Yorkshire Dales, and especially in Swaledale :
- Hugh Seat, Mallerstang, on the border between Cumbria and North Yorkshire.
- Ravenseat Farm, Whitsun Dale at the head of Swaledale.
- Robert's Seat ( near Ravenseat Farm ).
- Alderson Seat ( near Ravenseat Farm ).
- Satron ( sætr..tûn ) (village, side, moor, tarn) near Gunnerside, Swaledale.
- Rogan's Seat, Northern Dales, Stainmore Gap to Swaledale
- Great Pinseat near Reeth, Northern Dales, Stainmore Gap to Swaledale
- Lovely Seat ( Lunasett ) Northern Dales, Swaledale to Wensleydale
Chronology
Oxford in the Viking age
Timeline for Oxford and Abingdon Abbey in the Viking Age, in the context of other events.
8th century
Date | Event |
---|---|
700 - 750 | Start of the Viking Age. |
793 | Lindisfarne Priory is destroyed during a Viking raid. |
9th century
Date | Event |
---|---|
865 | The Great Heathen Army of Viking invaders lands in East Anglia |
865 - 871 | The reign of Æthelred I. |
866 - 871 | Abingdon Abbey is destroyed by Danes of Viking origin. |
871 - 899 | The reign of Alfred the Great. |
871 - 886 | The reign of Alfred the Great –– King of Wessex. |
878 - 890 | Peace talks between Alfred the Great and the Danish king Guthrum. |
879 | Guthrum moves his large army across Oxfordshire en route from Cirencester to East Anglia. |
c.879-880 | The Watlington Viking Hoard is buried in Oxfordshire. |
886 - 899 | The reign of Alfred the Great –– King of the Anglo-Saxons. |
899 - 924 | The reign of Edward the Elder –– King of the Anglo-Saxons. |
10th century
Date | Event |
---|---|
924 - 939 | The reign of Æthelstan (disputed) –– King of the Anglo-Saxons. |
927 | Æthelstan becomes the first King of the English. |
939 - 946 | The reign of Edmund I –– King of the English. |
946 - 955 | The reign of Eadred –– King of the English. |
954 | The Northumbrians drive out their Norwegian Viking king Eric Bloodaxe and submit to Eadred. |
King Eadred appoints Æthelwold abbot of Abingdon Abbey. | |
955 - 959 | The reign of Eadwig –– King of the English. |
c. 957 | Eadwig's Charter to Abingdon Abbey. |
959 - 975 | The reign of Edgar the Peaceful –– King of the English. |
975 - 978 | The reign of Edward the Martyr –– King of the English. |
978 - 1013 | The first reign of Æthelred the Unready –– King of the English. |
11th century
Date | Event |
---|---|
1002 | Æthelred the Unready orders the massacre of Danes in England ( St. Brice's Day massacre ). |
The massacre of Danes in Oxford | |
1002 - 1012 | Sweyn Forkbeard raids against England to avenge the massacre of Danes in England. |
1009 | Oxford is put to the torch in a revenge attack. |
1013 | Æthelred the Unready escapes to Normandy and Sweyn Forkbeard becomes the first Danish King of the English. |
1014 | Sweyn Forkbeard dies and Æthelred the Unready regains tenure as King of the English. |
1016 | Æthelred the Unready dies and is succeeded by Edmund Ironside –– King of the English. |
1017 - 1035 | The reign of Cnut the Great –– King of the English. |
1018 | Cnut the Great is crowned at Oxford. |
1035 - 1040 | The reign of Harold Harefoot –– King of the English. |
1040 - 1042 | The reign of Harthacnut –– King of the English. |
1042 - 1066 | The reign of Edward the Confessor –– King of the English. |
1066 | The reign of Harold Godwinson –– King of the English. |
Battle of Stamford Bridge, Gefeoht æt Stanfordbrycge |