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Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age
Why do we find so many Welsh-sounding place names in the lands around the head of the Solway Firth? What is the origin of the term Cumbria? How did the English county of Cumberland come into being? An answer to each of these questions will be found in this book.
With a geographical focus on what are now south-west Scotland and north-west England, Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age traces the history of political relations between the kingdom of Strathclyde and its English neighbours in the Viking Age. At the centre of the narrative are the Cumbri, or North Britons, an ancient people whose kings ruled from a power base in the lower valley of the River Clyde. In the tenth century, these kings extended their rule southward to the Solway Firth and beyond, bringing their language and culture to districts that had been in English hands for more than two hundred years. Their kingdom, known as Strathclyde or Cumbria, became one of the great powers of the time. Its history is an important chapter in the tale of how England and Scotland emerged from the early medieval period or ‘Dark Ages’ as the countries we know today.
With a geographical focus on what are now south-west Scotland and north-west England, Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age traces the history of political relations between the kingdom of Strathclyde and its English neighbours in the Viking Age. At the centre of the narrative are the Cumbri, or North Britons, an ancient people whose kings ruled from a power base in the lower valley of the River Clyde. In the tenth century, these kings extended their rule southward to the Solway Firth and beyond, bringing their language and culture to districts that had been in English hands for more than two hundred years. Their kingdom, known as Strathclyde or Cumbria, became one of the great powers of the time. Its history is an important chapter in the tale of how England and Scotland emerged from the early medieval period or ‘Dark Ages’ as the countries we know today.
224 pages, Paperback
First published October 2, 2014
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About the author
Tim Clarkson
14 books67 followersAn independent historian writing (and blogging) about early medieval Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 21, 2020
Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age, by Tim Clarkson, 2016, 171 pages
This is a book that I didn't particularly enjoy. Whilst I don't know a lot about the history of Strathclyde, I am fairly well read on the history of Anglo-Saxon England and Clarkson made enough questionable comments in this aspect of the book to damage my confidence in the remainder of his work.
Some of these are a question of judgment, such as the location of the battle of Maserfelth. Clarkson sees this as being in North-East Mercia, which is not impossible, but the evidence for elsewhere, such as Makerfield and Oswestry in particular is far, far stronger. Another area is him seeing Ethelred's ravaging of Cumberland in 1000 as not just being what became Cumbria, but also Strathclyde up to Govan, which I'm not convinced of. His argument is based on the chronicle saying nearly all of Cumberland, but this doesn't say Strathclyde. I'm also not too sure about his idea that Danelaw was called such because Scandinavian law codes prevailed there instead of Anglo-Saxon. Laws in Danelaw were not the same as laws in Denmark, instead in Danelaw different procedures were acceptable but not standards of law, justice and order (see Holman in Edward the Elder ed. Higham).
A question of emphasis can be seen in his statement that Aethelflaed led attacks on viking strongholds. The use of 'led' suggests that she was personally involved in war, which I'm not convinced of. This is arguably picky, but I didn't like it. There are also assumptions, such as there being no doubt that the Cumbrians put up a stern defence when Edmund ravaged the area. No battles or defence are recorded, which isn't evidence that no resistance occurred, but it's not something that I'd care to go out on a limb on. I would also question whether Edward the Elder really was taking the war to the Northumbrians in Lincolnshire in 909. I've not seen any evidence that Northumbria owned Lincolnshire at that stage, although in fairness Northumbrian Norse did attack Mercia the year after and there is some numismatic evidence for later Northumbrian influence in Lincolnshire, but again it's not a statement I'd make without maybes. Nor would I go as far as to suggest that the burhs of Edward the Elder were garrisoned by full time soldiers.
This is a book that I didn't particularly enjoy. Whilst I don't know a lot about the history of Strathclyde, I am fairly well read on the history of Anglo-Saxon England and Clarkson made enough questionable comments in this aspect of the book to damage my confidence in the remainder of his work.
Some of these are a question of judgment, such as the location of the battle of Maserfelth. Clarkson sees this as being in North-East Mercia, which is not impossible, but the evidence for elsewhere, such as Makerfield and Oswestry in particular is far, far stronger. Another area is him seeing Ethelred's ravaging of Cumberland in 1000 as not just being what became Cumbria, but also Strathclyde up to Govan, which I'm not convinced of. His argument is based on the chronicle saying nearly all of Cumberland, but this doesn't say Strathclyde. I'm also not too sure about his idea that Danelaw was called such because Scandinavian law codes prevailed there instead of Anglo-Saxon. Laws in Danelaw were not the same as laws in Denmark, instead in Danelaw different procedures were acceptable but not standards of law, justice and order (see Holman in Edward the Elder ed. Higham).
A question of emphasis can be seen in his statement that Aethelflaed led attacks on viking strongholds. The use of 'led' suggests that she was personally involved in war, which I'm not convinced of. This is arguably picky, but I didn't like it. There are also assumptions, such as there being no doubt that the Cumbrians put up a stern defence when Edmund ravaged the area. No battles or defence are recorded, which isn't evidence that no resistance occurred, but it's not something that I'd care to go out on a limb on. I would also question whether Edward the Elder really was taking the war to the Northumbrians in Lincolnshire in 909. I've not seen any evidence that Northumbria owned Lincolnshire at that stage, although in fairness Northumbrian Norse did attack Mercia the year after and there is some numismatic evidence for later Northumbrian influence in Lincolnshire, but again it's not a statement I'd make without maybes. Nor would I go as far as to suggest that the burhs of Edward the Elder were garrisoned by full time soldiers.
September 10, 2018
This is a nice, detailed view of a relatively obscure kingdom and its neighbors throughout the viking age.
At times, with the scant sources available, the author spends a lot time detailing arguments for why say the battle of Carham took place in 1018 instead of 1016, details which may not interest a reader trying to get a more general picture of the viking age Cumbrians. Tim Clarkson also seems relatively cautious in his readings of the often scarce sources, almost always putting forward a number of possibilties and often making a case in favor of one.
I have also read the"The Makers of Scotland: Picts, Romans, Gaels and Vikings" and the books don't overlap very much, so its very much possible to read and enjoy both. I have yet to read the "The Men of the North: The Britons of Southern Scotland" or other books on Scottish history by this author, so there might be more overlap with other titles from this author.
At times, with the scant sources available, the author spends a lot time detailing arguments for why say the battle of Carham took place in 1018 instead of 1016, details which may not interest a reader trying to get a more general picture of the viking age Cumbrians. Tim Clarkson also seems relatively cautious in his readings of the often scarce sources, almost always putting forward a number of possibilties and often making a case in favor of one.
I have also read the"The Makers of Scotland: Picts, Romans, Gaels and Vikings" and the books don't overlap very much, so its very much possible to read and enjoy both. I have yet to read the "The Men of the North: The Britons of Southern Scotland" or other books on Scottish history by this author, so there might be more overlap with other titles from this author.
December 16, 2021
A book that read a little like a textbook for the study of a subject with a lot of endnotes and scholarly debate rather than a narrative exploring the period.
It might have been delivered in a way that a younger me would not have enjoyed but it there was definitely enough of a flow to make it enjoyable.
But as someone from Greenock, not far from Dumbarton, who grew up in the 1980s when the wider regional council was called Strathclyde, the subject was a source of fascination to me.
It was great to learn about Alt Clut, the move to Govan, the shifting borders, relationships with surrounding peoples and battles, and eventual end of Cumbria.
It might have been delivered in a way that a younger me would not have enjoyed but it there was definitely enough of a flow to make it enjoyable.
But as someone from Greenock, not far from Dumbarton, who grew up in the 1980s when the wider regional council was called Strathclyde, the subject was a source of fascination to me.
It was great to learn about Alt Clut, the move to Govan, the shifting borders, relationships with surrounding peoples and battles, and eventual end of Cumbria.
April 25, 2022
A valiant effort to organize and make understandable the convoluted and complex history of the northern UK for a 400-500 year period begining about 700 AD. Interesting to read but hard to follow the many names of people, places and events in this time period. The author tries to compare and help judge the validity of competing accounts of various chroniclers. A number of maps are provided but they would have been more helpful in a larger format with more placenames recognizable today. A hardcover format may be easier to read that the e-reader format. Extensive references are provided for the serious student of this historical era.
August 3, 2023
I have read books on the Anglo-Saxon era, including others by this author, but did not know much about the kingdom of Strathclyde. This author is very thorough with an extensive list of sources and citations. The activity of this small kingdom is naturally part of the larger history of the kingdoms to around it. I learned a lot about this part of the island and enjoyed this history.
November 17, 2018
Whilst I found this book interesting and learnt some new information, there is an awful lot of speculation and much "could", "maybe", "we may assume" etc. The time is not called "The Dark Ages" for nothing and the history of the Kingdom of Strathclyde is murkier than most!
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March 23, 2021An interesting book which, due to the lack of written sources from Strathclyde itself ends up being an exercise in interpreting the negative space left by its absence.
November 24, 2016
Tim Clarkson pieces together the history of the British kingdom of Strathclyde / Cumbria from the fragmentary evidence in Anglo-Saxon, Welsh and Irish chronicles. The fall of Dumbarton Rock to a Norse army in 870 seems to have brought the old British kingdom of Alt Clut to an end. Its successor, the kingdom of Strathclyde, consolidated around a new centre at Govan, further upstream. Clarkson is concerned to lay to rest the notion, first promulgated by John of Fordun, that by the 11th century the Strathclyde Britons had been permanently subjugated by the Scots and that their later kings were princes of the royal dynasty of Alba. He also sets out to establish that, in early medieval times, the term ‘Cumbria’ referred to an extensive kingdom centred on Clydesdale and not just one small part of it lying to the south of the Solway Firth. He argues that the kings of Strathclyde played an important part in the creation of the countries we know today as England and Scotland, a part which has too often been overlooked, minimised or ignored.
At some point in the ninth or tenth century, the kingdom of Strathclyde expanded substantially southwards, far beyond the valley of the River Clyde. By 927, it seems to have reached as far south as the River Eamont. It was from this time that it came to be known as the Kingdom of the Cumbrians. In 1018, a combined force of Scots and Cumbrians led by Máel Coluim of Alba (Malcolm II) and Owen the Bald of Cumbria defeated an English army led by the Earl of Northumbria at Carham on the River Tweed. Teviotdale may have been added to the kingdom of Cumbria at this time.
Later in the eleventh century, the kingdom appears to have gone into rapid decline, losing the lands south of the Solway to the Northumbrian English and Galloway to the Gall-Gáidhil. In 1054, Earl Siward of Northumbria appears to have installed a Máel Coluim “son of the king of the Cumbrians” on the Scottish throne after defeating and temporarily ousting Macbeth. David I, King of Scots, was designated Prince of the Cumbrians prior to his accession to the Scottish throne in 1124.
At some point in the ninth or tenth century, the kingdom of Strathclyde expanded substantially southwards, far beyond the valley of the River Clyde. By 927, it seems to have reached as far south as the River Eamont. It was from this time that it came to be known as the Kingdom of the Cumbrians. In 1018, a combined force of Scots and Cumbrians led by Máel Coluim of Alba (Malcolm II) and Owen the Bald of Cumbria defeated an English army led by the Earl of Northumbria at Carham on the River Tweed. Teviotdale may have been added to the kingdom of Cumbria at this time.
Later in the eleventh century, the kingdom appears to have gone into rapid decline, losing the lands south of the Solway to the Northumbrian English and Galloway to the Gall-Gáidhil. In 1054, Earl Siward of Northumbria appears to have installed a Máel Coluim “son of the king of the Cumbrians” on the Scottish throne after defeating and temporarily ousting Macbeth. David I, King of Scots, was designated Prince of the Cumbrians prior to his accession to the Scottish throne in 1124.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews