creeks).
23
But before 855 the Danes only came to England in summer, and for winter they
returned home, to the North. Only in 855 they remained on the island for winter and
wanted to settle for living there. The reason of their decision to make here their
homes was because strong kings in the North left no room for independent chiefs.
The Danes conquered Mercia and East Anglia, and after that they attacked
Wessex.
In the midst of all this, by the end of the ninth century, there uprose one of the
noblest English kings, Alfred the Great. He offered the invaders a stubborn resistance.
In 878 King Alfred made peace with the invaders (the so-called Wedmore peace). As
a result of that England was divided by a line formed by the river Thames: the
country north of this line was given over to the Danes and called the Danelaw
(Danela
ʒ
)
; the territory to the south fell to Alfred, who became the recognized
champion of the English against the Danes.
In the late 10
th
century war was resumed, and in 1016 England became part of a
vast Scandinavian Empire in Northern Europe under the Danish king Knut (or
Canute). Scandinvian power in England lasted until 1042, when it was overthrown,
and the power of the English nobility was restored under king Edward the Confessor.
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