The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great

by Benjamin R. Merkle

  terror from berserker bands, ♣

  Thames river, ♣, ♦, ♥

  as border between English and Viking territory, ♣

  travel on, ♣

  Thanet, ♣

  thegns, ♣, ♦

  education, ♣–♦

  vengeance,♣

  Thor, holy ring, ♣

  thorn tree, ♣

  and Ashdown battle location, ♣

  Thorney island, ♣

  throwing spear, ♣

  thrusting spear, ♣ time, candles for tracking,

  time, candles for tracking, ♣–♦

  tithe, by Æthelwulf, ♣

  Tone river, ♣

  Torksey, ♣–♦

  towns in Mercia, reorganization for defense, ♣–♦

  Trent, canal to river Witham from, ♣ tun, ♦

  Twelfth Night, Guthrum’s attack timed for, ♣

  Ubbe, ♣, ♦, ♥

  death, ♣

  failed siege of Countisbury, ♣

  flag of, ♣–♦

  in Nottingham, ♣, ♦

  Ubbe Ragnarsson, ♣ Uffington Castle, ♦

  underground French resistance, ♣

  United States, common law foundation, ♣

  Uther Pendragon, ♣

  vellum, ♣

  via francigena, ♣

  Viking army

  advance on East Anglia, ♣

  advantage of avoiding combat, ♣

  delight in cruelties, ♣n

  division into two units, ♣

  howls and jeers at beginning of battle, ♣

  raid in AD 885, ♣–♦

  strategy, ♣–♦

  treatment of captured Saxon king, ♣

  weapons, ♣–♦, ♥

  Viking berserkers, ♣–♦

  Viking families

  capture by Edward, ♣

  reported arrival in England, ♣–♦

  Viking kings, frustration in Wessex, ♣

  Viking ships, ♣, ♦–♥

  Saxon use, ♣

  storm impact, ♣–♦

  threat of, ♣

  travel on Thames, ♣

  Vikings, ♣–♦n, ♥–♠

  in AD 878, ♣

  Alfred’s concerns about return,♣

  arrival of new, and Æthelstan, ♣–♦

  communication with Danish settlers,♣

  control of British coasts, ♣

  cunning and logistic effectiveness, ♣

  deal with Alfred to end Wessex occupation, ♣–♦

  death of earls, ♣

  efforts at English conquest, ♣

  hopelessness of campaign against Alfred, ♣

  as pagan enemies of God, ♣–♦

  peace terms broken by, ♣

  raids on travelers, ♣ retreat, ♦–♥

  Saxon life under rule of, ♣

  strength of, ♣

  village, ♣

  vows. See also oath for peace

  by Guthrum, ♣, ♦–♥

  Viking practice of breaking, ♣

  Wales,♣

  Wallingford, royal estate, ♣, ♦

  The Wanderer (poem), ♣n

  Wantage (estate), ♣, ♦

  Wareham

  Alfred’s siege of,♣

  Guthrum seizure of, ♣

  wassail, ♣

  Wayland (Norse god of blacksmithing), ♣

  wealth, soldier’s burial of, ♣

  weapons of Vikings, ♣–♦, ♥

  weapons of Vikings, Wedmore, ♣

  Werferth, ♣

  wergild, ♣–♦

  impact, ♣

  Werwulf, ♣

  Wessex, ♣n, ♦. See also domboc (law code) AD 871 progress in Viking conquest, ♥

  attack on all sides, ♣

  Danes at borders, ♣

  Danish growing threat to, ♣

  Danish longboat attacks, ♣–♦

  defense reorganization, ♣

  defense weaknesses, ♣

  ealdormen, ♣–♦

  freed from Vikings, ♣

  invitation for Christian scholars, ♣–♦

  map, ♣

  naval force of, ♣

  need to formalize crown succession, ♣

  standing army, ♣

  Viking deal with Alfred to end occupation,♣–♦

  Wessex crown, ♣

  as Viking destination, ♣

  Wessex navy, ♣, ♦

  Alfred’s attention to, ♣

  ship design, evaluation of impact, ♣–♦

  Wessex troops, weakness of,♣

  Wessex troops, weakness West Francia, ♣

  Ragnar’s raid, ♣

  Viking attack, ♣

  Westbury White Horse, ♣–♦

  Western Mercia, ♣

  white horse

  chalk outline in hill, ♣, ♦–♥

  in Westbury hill, ♣–♦

  white robes after baptism, ♣

  Whitehorse Hill, Ashdown and, ♣–♦ Whitsunday, ♥

  William of Malmesburg, ♣–♦

  Wilton royal estate, ♣

  battlefield, ♣–♦

  Easter feast, ♣

  Wiltshire, ♣, ♦, ♥

  and Alfred’s army, ♣

  Wimbourne Minster, ♣

  Winchester, ♣, ♦

  Alfred’s burial, ♣

  Alfred’s return to, ♣

  defense for, ♣

  hanging of Vikings in, ♣

  school, ♣

  Viking army march toward, ♣

  wall measurement, ♣–♦ witan, ♥–♠

  Witham river, canal from Trent to, ♣

  Wulfhere (ealdorman of Wiltshire), ♣

  betrayal of Alfred, ♣

  Wycliffe, John, ♣

  York,♣

  attack on All Saints’ Day, ♣, ♦

  efforts to end Danish rule, ♣–♦