Guthrum

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Guthrum (c. 835 – c. 890) was a Danish Viking and one of the leaders of the Great Heathen Army, a coalition of Vikings who invaded England during the 9th century.

Following his defeat by King Aelfred of Wessex at the Battle of Edington, Guthrum was forced to surrender and abide to an agreement, resulting in him converting to Christianity and adopting the baptismal name of Æthelstan as he reigned as King of East Anglia from 879 until his death.

Biography

By 873, Guthrum and his 2nd-in-command, Soma, were based in Grantebridgeshire outside Grantebridge.

In January 878, following the Battle of Chippenham, Guthrum became disillusioned with the cause he was fighting for and looked to his enemies' religion for answers. In May of that year, after being defeated at the Battle of Edington, Guthrum conceded to Alfred and converted to Christianity and taking on the name Æthelstan. Thusly being baptized by Alfred himself, Guthrum became his godson.

Legacy

In 885, Toka Sinricsdottir arrived in Ravensthorpe to convince Eivor to help aid in the siege of Paris. Unaware that Guthrum had changed his name and was comfortably ruling East Anglia as per the terms of his surrender to Alfred the Great, Toka claimed that she sought Guthrum's help, immediately arousing both Eivor and Randvi's suspicions regarding the true purpose for her visit.

Personality and characteristics

Despite being a mighty conqueror, having great strategic abilities as well as being a feared Viking leader, Guthrum had long grown disillusioned with the countless deaths he has come across in his conquests, from allies as well as enemies. Despite this, he still kept his nihilistic feelings to himself in order to remain in strong terms with his people. ^{[citation needed]}

When advising Eivor, Guthrum showed his preference for using strategies which mitigate the lives lost in his conquests on both sides. This may have been inspired by his disillusionment of his conquests. He was deeply affected when his men died by Fulke's men and even expressed grief at Soma's death. ^{[citation needed]}

After the Battle of Chippenham, Guthrum confessed his disillusionment to Eivor, who herself had started to grow disillusioned by the cause she was fighting for as well. He secretly confessed to her that he held great respect for Alfred the Great's inner strength which wad fueled by his strict faith in God. And this in turn was inspiring his interest in Christianity. ^{[citation needed]}

Behind the scenes

Guthrum is a historical character first introduced in the 2020 Echoes of History podcast episodes on Vikings, though his voice actor is uncredited. He later featured in the 2020 video game Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, where he was voiced by Norwegian actor Erik Madsen.

Gallery

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  Guthrum and Soma met with Eivor to discuss the siege of Chippenham
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  Guthrum confiding in Eivor as he questioned the cause he was fighting for

Appearances

• Echoes of History (voice only)
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first appearance)
  • The Siege of Paris (mentioned only)
  • The Last Chapter
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga
• Discovery Tour: Viking Age