Great Heathen Army

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The Great Heathen Army, also known as the Viking Great Army, was a coalition of Vikings, mainly Danes but including Norsemen from Norway and Sweden, who invaded England in 865. It sought to invade and conquer the four remaining kingdoms of the Heptarchy.

The army was formed as a result of a merger between two factions of Vikings: the group led by the Sons of Ragnar who invaded England to seek revenge for the death of their father Ragnar Lothbrok, who was killed by King Ælla of Northumbria, and the Great Summer Army led by Bersi and Guthrum that landed in England in 871.

The invasion and subsequent war with the kingdoms lasted from 865 until 878 with the Battle of Edington and founding of the Danelaw in Eastern England.^[1]

Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]

According to the sagas, the cause of the invasion and war was the killing of legendary Viking Ragnar Lothbrok by Northumbrian King Ælla. This in turn led Ragnar's sons, Ivarr the Boneless, Björn Ironside, Ubba Ragnarsson, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, and Halfdan Ragnarsson to seek revenge.

The Danelaw was granted to the Vikings by Alfred the Great on the condition that Viking commander Guthrum convert to Christianity.

Appearances[edit | edit source]

Echoes of History (first mentioned)
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first appearance)
- Shared History (indirect mention only)
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Blood Brothers
Discovery Tour: Viking Age
The World of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North – Logs and Files of a Hidden One (mentioned only)

References[edit | edit source]

↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

Characters

Assassins	Rebecca Crane • Layla Hassan • Shaun Hastings • Antony Henry • William Miles \| Basim ibn Ishaq • Hytham • Eluric • Rayhan • Roshan • Fuladh • Abbo Cernuus • Alexandre Douce \| Vitus • Eghan • Caius • Anicius • Marcellus • Khloe • Beatha • Maya • Sebastos • Teague • C. C. \| Amunet • Bayek • Hakor • Magas

Order of the Ancients	Alfred the Great • Fulke • Gorm Kjotvesson (Avgos Spearhand • Frideswid • Hunta • Kjotve the Cruel • Leofgifu • Vicelin) • Tatfrid (Gifle • Havelok • Herefrith • Mucel • Patrick • Wigmund) • Derby (Ingeborg • Audun • Eanbhert • Grigorii • Gunilla • Tata) • Blaeswith (Beneseck • Ealhferth • Heika • Hilda • Selwyn • Yohanes Loukas) • Al-Si'la • Zealots (Beorhtsige • Bercthun • Callin • Cola • Cudberct • Eorforwine • Heike • Horsa • Hrothgar • Kendall • Osgar • Redwalda • Wealdmaer • Woden • Wuffa) \| Offa of Mercia • Arthur Pendragon • Charlemagne • Louis II of Italy • Æthelred I, King of Wessex • Æthelwulf, King of Wessex • Ælla of Northumbria • Lerion

Children of Danu	Eogan mac Cartaigh (Aideen • Bécc mac Nath-í • Conlae • Cummascach • Leasleach • Niamh • Ruaidrí • Sétnae • Trian)

Bellatores Dei	Isidore Mercator (Ebels • Engelwin • Euphrasia • Gozlin)

Ravensthorpe Residents	Ake • Alvis • Alwin • Arth • Azar • Bertham • Braun • Brigid • Bronson • Osbert of Lunden • Dandelion Puff • Dwolfg • Eira • Eivor Varinsdottir (Sýnin) • Eluric • Everold • Eydis • Gudmund • Gudrun • Gunnar • Holger • Hildiran • Hunwald • Hytham • Leofric • Mayda • Kari • Knud • Merton • Mundi • Nessa • Norvid • Olsen • Petra • Randvi • Reda • Rowan • Runa • Sigurd Styrbjornsson • Sunniva • Svanhildr • Svend • Swanburrow • Swinda • Sylvi • Tarben • Tekla • Thyra • Tove • Valka • Vagn • Viggo • Wallace • Winfrith • Yanli \| Sea Chariot's crew (Birna • Bjorn Bloodtooth • Bragi • Dag Nithisson • Finnr • Fyl • Hermod • Hrefna • Nali • Skarde • Sten • Revna • Rollo • Valtar • Vili Hemmingson • Yrsa)

Daughters of Lerion	Cordelia • Goneril • Regan

Lost Drengir	Erik Loyalskull • Thor the Fish Monger • Nokkfylla Shine-Eye • Gotafrid Fairrobes • Skegjold Frenzy-Seeker • Orwig Neverdeath \| Hogne Sea-Tossed • Blud the Giant

Frankish Nobles	Amric • Gerswinda • Herbert du Lilibonne

Isu	Ægir • Andhrímnir • Angrboða • Asvid • Baldr • Búri • The Builder • Einar • Eysa • Fafnir • Fenrir • Freyja • Frigg • Heimdall • Glöð • Gunnlöð • Hel • Hyrrokin • Iðunn • Ivaldi • Jörmungandr • Kára • Loki • Lug • Mímir • Mórrígan • Nodens • Njörðr • Odin • Saklas • Samael • Sif • Sigyn • Sinmara • Skaði • Suttungr • Surtr • Thor • Týr • Ullr • Vé • Víðarr • Vili • Yaldabaoth

Other	Acha • Aelfgar • Ahmad ibn Tulun • Alfida • Angharad ferch Meurig • Azar • Bárid mac Ímair • Birna • Bernard • Birstan • Brothir • Broder • Burgred of Mercia • Ceolbert • Ceolwulf II of Mercia • Charles the Fat • Ciara ingen Medba • Conchobar mac Taidg Mór • Cynebert • Cynon • Deirdre Na Linni • Deorlaf • Domnall mac Áeda • Eadwyn • Erke Bodilsson • Estrid • Faith • Faravid • Finnr • Flann Sinna • Galinn • Geadric • Goodwin • Grendel • Guthrum • Gwenydd • Halfdan Ragnarsson • Harald Fairhair • Hemming • Hjorr Halfsson • Ivarr the Boneless • Kassandra • Ketil Flatnose • Leofrith • Lif • Ljufvina Bjarmarsdottir • Modron • Muhammad I of Córdoba • Niall Glúndub • Nornir (Skuld • Urðr • Verðandi) • Odo of France • Oswald of East Anglia • Pierre • Rhodri the Great • Richardis • Ricsige of Northumbria • Rollo • Rued • Rurik • Sichfrith • Sigfred • Sinric • Soma • Stowe • Styrbjorn Sigvaldisson • Thorstein the Red • Toka Sinricsdottir • Ubba Ragnarsson • Valdis \| Brendan of Clonfert • Cú Chulainn • Niall of the Nine Hostages • Ragnar Lothbrok • Rig Reidarasson • Thorgest

Factions

Assassins (British Brotherhood • Frankish Brotherhood • Roman Hidden Ones) • Templars (Order of the Ancients • Zealots • Red Hand) • Anglo-Saxons • Britons • Picts • Gaels (Norse-Gaels • Uí Néill) • Iroquois (Kanien'kehá:ka) • Norse (Elgring Clan • Clan Hemmingsons • Raven Clan • Wolf Clan) • Vikings (Jomsvikings • Shieldmaidens • Sons of Ragnar • Great Summer Army) • Thousand Eyes • Druids (Daughters of Nimue • Children of Danu) • Franks (Frankish Rebels • Bellatores Dei) | Isu (Æsir)

Locations

United States (Turin) | England (East Anglia • Wessex (Cent • Essexe • Hamtunscire • Suthsexe • Wincestre) • Mercia (Glowecestrescire • Grantebridgescire • Ledecestrescire • Lincolnscire • Sciropescire • Oxenefordscire • Lunden • Ravensthorpe) • Northumbria (Eurviscire • Jorvik • Snotinghamscire)) • Ireland (Connacht • Dublin • Meath • Ulster) • Isle of Skye • Norway (Fornburg • Hordafylke • Rygjafylke) • Vinland • West Francia (Amienois • Evresin • Melunois • Paris) | Asgard • Jötunheim • Niflheim (Kaldstad • Døkkerland • Nidheim • Helheim) • Svartalfheim (Gullnámar • Svaladal • Vangrinn • Eitri)

Events

COVID-19 pandemic | Unification of Norway (Assault on Kjotve's Fortress) • Viking expansion (Great Heathen Army • Battle of Chippenham • Siege of Paris) | Great Catastrophe (Ragnarök)

Terms and concepts

Achievements • Helix Credits • Photo Mode | Animus (Animus Anomalies • Codex • Genetic memory • Memories • Memory Corridor) • Cairns • Crafting • Currencies (Opal • Silver) • Customization • Flyting • Irish Cycle pages • The Magas Codex • Orlog • Overseas Trading • Pieces of Eden (Crystal Ball • Excalibur • Freya's medallion • Gungnir • Lia Fáil • Mjölnir • Odin's Eye • Staff of Hermes Trismegistus • Yggdrasil) • Rigsogur • Runes • Ships • Skills (Dual-wielding • Eagle Vision • Leap of Faith • Social Stealth • Swimming) • The Sons of Niall • Standing stones • Tattoos • Treasures of Britain • Viewpoints

Weapons

Bearded axes • Bows • Dane axes • Flails • Hidden Blade • Scythes • Seaxes • Shields • Sickles • Spears • Swords • Warhammers

DLC

Main	The Legend of Beowulf • The Way of the Berserker • Wrath of the Druids • The Siege of Paris • Dawn of Ragnarök

Free expansions	Yule Season • River Raids • Ostara Season • Mastery Challenge • Sigrblot Season • Oskoreia Season • Discovery Tour • Assassin's Creed Crossover Stories • The Forgotten Saga • Shared History • The Last Chapter

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga

Characters

Hidden Ones	Hytham

Order of the Ancients	Ælfred • Æthelred

Isu	Völund

Other	Ágáða • Bersi • Birna Gormsdóttir • Bragi Boddason • Eivor Varinsdottir • Eskil • Fasti • Geirmund Hel-hide • Guthrum • Halfdan Ragnarsson • Hámund Hel-hide • Hjörr Halfsson • John • Krok Uxiblóð • Ljufvina Bjarmarsdottir • Odmar • Rafn One-Arm • Randvi • Rek • Skjalgi • Sidroc • Sidroc the Elder • Steinólfur • Styrbjorn Sigvaldisson • Torthred • Tova • Valka • Vetr • Yrsa

Factions

Anglo-Saxons • Norsemen (Raven Clan) • Vikings (Hel-hides • Great Summer Army) • Isu

Locations

England (East Anglia • Wessex (Ashdown • Bedwyn • Cippanhamm • Readingum • Wareham) • Mercia (Abingdon • Ancarig • Lunden • Medeshamstede • Ravensthorpe • Wanating • Wælingford) • Northumbria (Jorvik)) • Jutland • Norway (Rygjafylke)

Events

Unification of Norway • Viking expansion (Great Heathen Army • Battle of Ashdown • Battle of Bedwyn • Battle of Meretun • Battle of Chippenham)

Terms and concepts

Currency (Silver) • Runes • Pieces of Eden (Hnituðr) • Ships (Wave Lover)

Weapons

Bearded axes • Bows • Dane axes • Seaxes • Shields • Spears • Swords

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Blood Brothers

Characters

Order of the Ancients	Ælla of Northumbria • Æthelred I, King of Wessex • Alfred the Great

Others	Björn Stensson • Edmund the Martyr • Halfdan Ragnarsson • Ivarr the Boneless • Sons of Ragnar skald • Sten Stensson • Ulf Stensson • Wulfhere of York • Burgred of Mercia \| Ragnar Lothbrok

Factions

Anglo-Saxons • Vikings (Sons of Ragnar)

Locations

Norway • East Anglia • Northumbria (York) • Wessex (Ashdown • Reading)

Events

Viking expansion (Great Heathen Army • Viking Capture of York • Battle of Reading • Battle of Ashdown)

Terms and concepts

Blood eagle

Weapons and tools

Bows • Dane axes • Swords • Hammers • Spears

Timeline

Before Common Era

Prehistory	Isu Era (War of Unification • Human-Isu War • Great Catastrophe) • Assassin-Templar War (ongoing)

13th–6th centuries BCE	Battle of Kadesh • Siege of Dapur • Trojan War • Second Messenian War • Battle of the Champions

5th century BCE	Greco-Persian Wars (Battle of Marathon • Battle of Thermopylae • Battle of Salamis • Battle of Plataia • Battle of the Eurymedon) • Peloponnesian War (Battle of Potidaea • Blockade of Megaris • Mytilenean revolt • Battle of Boeotia • Battle of Megaris • Battle for the Silver Islands • Battle of Pylos • Battle of Sphakteria • Battle of Amphipolis • Sicilian Expedition) • Plague of Athens

4th–2nd centuries BCE	Battle of the Hydaspes

1st century BCE	Caesar's civil war • Alexandrine war (Hunt for the Snake • Siege of Alexandria • Battle of the Nile) • Assassination of Julius Caesar • Liberators' civil war (Battle of Philippi) • War of Actium (Battle of Actium)

5th–13th centuries

5th–7th centuries	410 Sack of Rome

8th century	Abbasid Revolution • Battle of Talas • An Lushan Rebellion (Fall of Luoyang • Battle of Changshan • Mawei Station mutiny • Fall of Chang'an)

9th century	Islamic Golden Age (Fourth Fitna • Anarchy at Samarra • Zanj Rebellion) • Viking expansion (Lindisfarne raid • Siege of Paris • Great Heathen Army • Viking Capture of York • Battle of Reading • Battle of Ashdown • Battle of Bedwyn • Battle of Meretun • Assault on Grantebridge • Assault on Tamworth Fortress • Assault on Burgh Castle • Assault on Caustow Castle • Assault on Cyne Belle Castle • Assault on Anecastre • Assault on Rouecistre Fortress • Siege of Portcestre • Assault on Magnis Fortress • Battle of Cynwit • Battle of Chippenham • Battle of Edington • Assault on Armagh • Assault on Cashelore • Siege of Paris) • Unification of Norway (Assault on Kjotve's Fortress • Battle of Hafrsfjord)

10th century	Battle of Fýrisvellir

11th century	First Crusade (Siege of Jerusalem)

12th century	Second Crusade • Siege of Masyaf • Battle of Hattin • Third Crusade (Assault on Masyaf • Siege of Acre • Quest for the Chalice • Defense of Masyaf • Hunt for the Nine • Battle of Arsuf • Retaking of Masyaf)

13th century	Fourth Crusade • First Barons' War • Mongol invasion of Kievan Rus' • Assassination of Genghis Khan • Decline of the Levantine Assassins • Medieval Inquisition • Fall of Masyaf • Sack of Baghdad • Mongol conquest of China (Siege of Diaoyu Castle) • Battle of Legnica • First War of Scottish Independence (English invasion of Scotland • Sack of Berwick • Action at Lanark)

14th–17th centuries

14th century	Persecution of the Templars • Hundred Years' War (Battle of Agincourt • Siege of Orléans • Battle of the Herrings • Battle of Jargeau • Battle of Meung-sur-Loire • Battle of Beaugency • Battle of Patay • March to Reims • Siege of Paris • Trial of Jeanne d'Arc) • Black Death

15th century	Renaissance • 1402 Chinese Assassin purge • Battle of Anghiari • Fall of Constantinople • Defense of Monteriggioni • Ōnin War • Assassination of Galeazzo Maria Sforza • Pazzi conspiracy • Reconquista (Mission to Aragon • Granada War) • Venetian conspiracy • Battle of Forlì • Age of Discovery • Italian Wars (Bonfire of the Vanities) • Ottoman–Venetian War • Confrontation in the Vatican

16th century	Siege of Monteriggioni • Liberation of Rome (Skirmish in the Campagna District) • Search for Cesare Borgia (Attack on Valencia • Siege of Viana) • Italian Wars (War of the League of Cambrai (Battle of Agnadello) • Assassination of Niccolò di Pitigliano) • Little Judgment Day • Prince of Anhua rebellion • Ottoman Civil War (Attack on Prince Suleiman) • Riot at the Harbor of Theodosius • Prince of Ning rebellion • Destruction of the Great Chain • Fight for the Masyaf Keys • Age of Discovery (Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire (Night of Sorrows) • Battle of Mactan • Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire (Siege of Cuzco)) • Assassin expedition to the Mekong • Great Rites Controversy • 1526 Macau fires • 1527 Sack of Rome • Roman Inquisition • Battle of Gogunda • Sengoku period (Battle of Okehazama • Siege of Kanegasaki • Battle of Anegawa • Siege of Mount Hiei • Ishiyama Hongan-ji War • Tenshō Iga War • Honnō-ji incident • Imjin War • Battle of Sekigahara)

17th century	Labourd witch-hunt of 1609 • Siege of Osaka • English Civil War • Battle of Lowestoft • Great Fire of London • Glorious Revolution • Salem witch trials • Great Recoinage of 1696

18th century

1701–1730	War of the Spanish Succession • Golden Age of Piracy (Sinking of the Treasure Fleet • Attacks on Tulum • Siege of Charles-Towne • Blockade of Nassau • Attack on Ocracoke) • 1720s Chinese Assassin purge • Shimazu clan civil war • 1725 Manila riot • Battle of Sulu • Battle of the Strait of Malacca

1731–1769	Maroon Rebellion • French Geodesic Mission • War of the Austrian Succession (Siege of Bergen op Zoom) • 1745 Siege of Louisbourg • 1751 Port-au-Prince earthquake • 1755 Lisbon earthquake • Seven Years' War (Albany Congress • Battle of Fort Necessity • Braddock Expedition (Battle of the Monongahela) • Siege of Fort William Henry • Siege of Louisbourg • Battle of Quiberon Bay • Battle of Labrador) • Colonial Assassin purge • Louisiana Rebellion

1770–1785	American Revolution (Boston Massacre • Boston Tea Party) and American Revolutionary War (Battles of Lexington and Concord • Siege of Boston • Battle of Bunker Hill • Great Fire of New York • Conway Cabal • Sullivan Expedition • Battle of Monmouth • Battle of Rhode Island • Battle of West Point • Battle of the Chesapeake • Attack on Fort George • Siege of Yorktown)

1786–1800	French Revolution (Estates-General of 1789 • Paris Commune (1789–1795) • Storming of the Bastille • Great Fear • Women's March on Versailles • Flight to Varennes • 10 August • September Massacres • Execution of Louis XVI • Reign of Terror • Festival of the Supreme Being • Thermidorian Reaction • Plot of the rue Saint-Nicaise) • Haitian Revolution • St. Clair's Defeat • French Revolutionary Wars (Siege of Toulon • 13 Vendémiaire)

19th–21st centuries

19th century	Napoleonic Wars (Battle of Ulm) • Trienio Liberal • First Anglo-Afghan War (1842 retreat from Kabul) • Mexican-American War • California Gold Rush • Great Exhibition • Assassination attempt on Franz Joseph I of Austria • Crimean War (Battle of Balaclava) • Orsini affair • American Civil War (1863 New York City draft riots) • Battle of Camarón • Icarus affair • Boshin War (Battle of Toba–Fushimi • Battle of Aizu) • Liberation of London • Franco-Prussian War • Paris Commune (1871) • Assassination of Alexander II of Russia • Borki train disaster • Whitechapel murders

20th century	Modern times • Tunguska explosion • World War I (Battle of Mons • Christmas truce) • Russian Revolution (Execution of the Romanov family • Kazan Operation) • Irish War of Independence • Red Scare (Palmer Raids) • Shanghai massacre of 1927 • Invergordon Mutiny • Spanish Civil War • World War II (The Blitz • Operation Weserübung • Operation Sealion • Operation Barbarossa • Operation Silver Fox • Manhattan Project • Second Battle of El Alamein • Normandy landings • Japanese invasion of Burma • Battle of Tinian • Battle for Brest • Yalta Conference) • Philadelphia Project • Bretton Woods Conference • Cold War (1954 Guatemalan coup d'état • Vietnam War • Assassination of John F. Kennedy • Apollo 11 • 1973 Chilean coup d'état • Operation Gardel • Iranian Revolution • Dissolution of the Soviet Union)

21st century	Great Purge • War on Terror (Iraq War) • Beagle 2 launch • Deepwater Horizon oil spill • 2011 Egyptian revolution • DIA satellite accident • Project Siren • Second Disaster • 2013 Egyptian coup d'état • Chicago incident • Raids on the Aerie • Mission to Egypt • Resurrection Day • Search for the Staff of Hermes Trismegistus • Brexit • COVID-19 pandemic • Myanmar civil war

Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]

Appearances[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

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